Office space per employee: How big should your office be?

Determining the optimal office space per employee is not an easy task, but it is crucial for the well-being and productivity of your team. The question arises: How much space does an employee really need to work efficiently, and what legal requirements must be observed? 

In this article, we will discuss the factors you should consider to create a comfortable and compliant work environment. We take a look at the minimum legal requirements and best practices for office planning.

What is meant by office space?

Office space is generally understood to be the space used for work in an office. This includes not only the classic workstations with desks and chairs, but also a variety of other spaces that make daily work in your company possible. 

Think of meeting rooms, break rooms, reception areas, and even the hallways that connect these different areas. Each of these spaces contributes to creating a productive and pleasant working environment and is therefore considered office space. The office space therefore encompasses much more than just an employee's direct workstation. 

How much office space is needed per employee?

Plenty of space in the office ensures well-being, creativity and productivity. But that's easier said than done - because spacious office space means higher rental and operating costs and possibly greater expenses for furnishing. Especially for small and medium-sized enterprises, this financial burden is difficult to bear, and it is important to reduce costs.

Although spacious areas offer more freedom of movement, without careful spatial planning, valuable space can quickly be used inefficiently. Empty spaces and unused corners are a significant waste of resources that should be avoided.

Finally, the well-being of your employees also plays a role. Of course, your teams need enough space to develop. But an oversized office can quickly appear impersonal and cold. So it's about finding the right balance: enough space for creativity and comfort, but not so much that it feels empty and desolate.

So the motto is: moderation. Well-thought-out office planning that meets both the needs of your employees and the financial and logistical requirements of your company is the key to success. However, you should not ignore the following minimum requirements:

Office space per employee: Government regulations

The minimum size for office space in Germany is regulated by the Workplace Ordinance (ArbStättV). This regulation ensures that your workplaces are safe and healthy for your employees. The details can be found in the technical rules for workplaces ASR A1.2 "Room dimensions and movement areas".

This rule provides specific guidelines for office space per employee:

• Individual offices: Here you should plan at least 8 to 10 square meters per workstation.
• Open-plan offices and Open-space offices (400 square meters or more): The guideline here is 12 to 15 square meters per workstation. Don't forget to plan additional space for meeting rooms and retreats.

The reason why the space requirement per employee in open-plan offices is so much greater than in individual or cellular offices is that more circulation space is required in open-plan offices. The increased disruptive factors should also be compensated for by a larger office space per employee.

Regardless of the work your teams perform and how many employees work in an office, the regulation only allows the use of rooms with a floor area of at least 8 square meters for one workstation and at least 6 square meters for each additional workstation.

These values take into account not only the space for the desk and chair, but also the movement areas and distances necessary for a pleasant working environment. The height of the office space is also taken into account by the Workplace Ordinance: 

• up to 50 sqm: at least 2.50 m
• more than 50 sqm: at least 2.75 m
• more than 100 sqm: at least 3.00 m
• more than 2000 sqm: at least 3.25 m

The larger the office, the higher the rooms should be. 

But remember: a good work environment is more than just enough space. It's about ergonomics, freedom of movement and creating an environment in which your employees feel comfortable and can work efficiently.

How to calculate the average office space per employee

To calculate how much office space you need to rent for your team, follow these steps:

1. First, determine the number of employees who will work in the office. Also consider future growth or seasonal fluctuations that may require additional space. hybrid working models should also be considered here.
2. Determine how much space is required per employee according to the Workplace Ordinance. Also consider your office concept (Flex Office etc.). A typical office space is in the range of 10 to 20 square meters per employee.
3. Consider additional space for meeting rooms, kitchens, storage areas, and other common or special spaces. These areas should be added to the total area.
4. Multiply the number of employees by the average area per employee and add the additional areas.

Example calculation

• Suppose you have 50 employees.
• The average area per employee is 15 square meters.
• The additional space (meeting rooms, kitchens, etc.) totals 200 square meters.

Calculation: 

• Required office space = (50 employees × 15 sqm) + 200 sqm
• Required office space = 750 sqm + 200 sqm = 950 sqm

So you should rent 950 square meters of office space to meet the needs of your company and your employees.

How desk sharing can make office space more efficient

Desk sharing allows you to organize your office space much more efficiently. By not assigning workstations to specific locations but allowing them to be used flexibly by different employees, it is possible to make optimal use of the available office space. This prevents expensive workstations from remaining unused when employees are working from home office, on business trips, or on vacation.

Desk sharing also promotes collaboration and communication within the team – because when your employees regularly work at different locations, they come into contact with different colleagues and departments. This often leads to more creativity and innovation as your teams exchange ideas and gain new perspectives.

To implement desk sharing effectively, a reliable software solution is essential. This is where Flexopus comes into play. Flexopus is an intuitive desk sharing software that helps you optimally organize your office space. 

With Flexopus, your employees can conveniently and easily book seats, whether in the office, in meeting rooms or even in parking lots. The platform offers a clear overview of available spaces and allows your employees to easily book via app or web browser – so you always know exactly where your team members are working and when.

Another advantage of Flexopus is the ability to precisely analyze office space utilization through Smart Analytics . With this data, you can make informed decisions and, if necessary, make adjustments to further increase efficiency and save costs. This way you always keep an overview and can ensure that your office space is used optimally.