Skip to main content Skip to footer
Workspace Bliss
Advertiser Disclosure
  • Make Your Workspace Awesome
    Logo white
  • Accessories
  • Product Reviews
  • Articles
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact Us
  • About
  • Make Your Workspace Awesome
    Logo white
  • Accessories
  • Product Reviews
  • Articles
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact Us
  • About
Subscribe
Productivity
  1. Home
  2. Articles
  3. Cubicle Sharing – The Benefits and Drawbacks

Cubicle Sharing – The Benefits and Drawbacks

Bob Bessette
|
Last Updated: March 27, 2025
Share this post
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
Cubicle Sharing
Cubicle Sharing Working Scenario

Have you ever heard of cubicle sharing? Well this article will go into detail with a scenario where there are two employees sharing the same cubicle on different days for the same company. Essentially it is a desk sharing scenario. It goes into specific detail about the drawbacks and benefits of those two workers in their own words.

One of the best things about running this website is having the opportunity to communicate with others who live in Cubicle Nation on a day-to-day basis. Well, recently I got contacted via my Contact Me page by a fellow cubicle dweller but this was no ordinary Cubicle Nation worker.

Table of Contents

Toggle
  • Cubicle or Desk Sharing – A Unique Working Scenario
  • Cubicle Sharing Scenario for Lesley and Coworker
  • Cubicle Sharing Benefits
    • Work from Home Half Time
    • Commute Time Cut Significantly
  • Drawbacks of Sharing a Desk
    • Organizing Cubicle Accessories by Desk Sharing
    • Sharing Overhead Bins by Sectioning it Off
  • Cubicle Sharing – A Competitive Advantage

Cubicle or Desk Sharing – A Unique Working Scenario

Her name is Lesley but her working environment is a little bit different than mine in that it involves cubicle sharing. You’re probably wondering how to organize a small shared office. It’s certainly a challenge.

No, it’s not really what you think, she doesn’t actually sit in a cubicle with another worker right next to her. She actually shares the same work space but they both work on different days.

I actually had never heard of this type of cubicle sharing working scenario before so I asked Lesley to expand on her working situation below.

Cubicle Sharing Scenario for Lesley and Coworker

I am a 55 year old woman. My coworker and I share a standard small L-Shaped cubicle…I believe it is 6 ft x 6 ft. I work for a large public hospital. My coworker and I never see each other except for monthly mandatory staff meetings.

Our company actually likes us working from home, but in order to keep working from home we have to consistently maintain 110% of our productivity goals.

If not, we get pulled back to working in the office full time and that is a MAJOR motivator. My coworker and I have an arrangement where I use the left side of the cubicle (since I am left-handed) and my coworker uses the right side of the cubicle.

We share a laptop docking station and the flat screen on our desk. We have no phone since it’s built into our laptops.

I find it fascinating that 2 people who work on different days share the same cubicle and they actually keep office items on different sides of the desk since one is left-handed and the other is right-handed.  Implementing their own small office organization ideas within this working environment must be a tough challenge.

desk sharing
Leslie when she’s in the office.
cubicle sharing
Her coworker when she is in the office.

So, I thought it would be helpful to ask Lesley a few questions about her working scenario:

Cubicle Sharing Benefits

Work from Home Half Time

Commute Time Cut Significantly

Lesley, can you list what you consider the benefits of cubicle sharing?

The benefits are that both my office mate and I get to work at home half of the time (i.e. in a 2 week 80 hour work period, we each get to work at home for 40 hours and in the office for 40 hours). This is a great savings for us because we each live about 30 miles away from our office.

Drawbacks of Sharing a Desk

Organizing Cubicle Accessories by Desk Sharing

Sharing Overhead Bins by Sectioning it Off

Can you list what you consider the drawbacks of cubicle sharing?

Since we are sharing a desk, I used an ergonomic keyboard and roller ball mouse, so I have to put those away when I know my office mate will be in the office the day after I am. We do desk sharing, but we have worked it out that the left side is mine (since I am left handed) and the right side is hers for keeping personal stuff out on the desk surface.


I don’t care for that as I am used to having my own WHOLE desk space, but I have learned to make it work since I have a bigger and better work desk/station at my house.

We also have to share an overhead bin where we keep out stash of food and personal supplies, but we have that split up left and right sides also. We have been doing this for 4 months and it is working very well for us…we just always try to be considerate of each other and keep the desk orderly.

Lesley, has this been your job situation since you started working there?

No, I had my own desk up until 4 weeks ago when I earned the right to be able to go home to work. Not everyone gets to go home to work. You have to consistently do 110% productivity or higher for at least 3 months to be considered to be allowed to work at home.

Once you start working from home and if your productivity goes below 110%, they have you come back to the office full time.


I make sure that won’t happen to me…my average productivity is 130%….as I love working from home and am MORE productive at home because I don’t have to listen to all the office conversations and drama in a mostly female office setting.

I used to be in the Air Force and one of the only females in my work section. I much prefer working with men as you don’t have any drama…we just do our job peacefully without any attitude that I get from all these drama queens I work with.

Cubicle Sharing – A Competitive Advantage

Is cubicle or desk sharing one of the biggest advantages of working at your company? In other words, does this benefit keep you working there instead of looking elsewhere?

Yes, sharing a desk is the biggest advantage to me. I actually transferred to my current department because MOST departments in our hospital DON’T let you work from home.

Due to the nature of my department’s workload, it is more advantageous to work at home than in most hospital departments because we don’t actually physically deal with any patients, just insurance companies. I plan to stay in this department as long as I can as long as I enjoy the work I do, which I absolutely love.

I think to be able to desk share and work from home, one must have great discipline when working at home due to the possible distractions of your own home.

I developed and still possess a lot of discipline, diligence, and initiative from my military career many years ago, and I am very motivated at my job. In fact, I detest housework and cooking :-), so there are really no home distractions for me.

I want to thank Lesley for her honest answers to my questions. If there is anyone else out there who participates in cubicle sharing with another worker I would love to hear from you. Please leave a comment or use my Contact Me page!

Bob Bessette
Bob Bessette

Bob has been blogging for over 20 years and has been an office and cubicle dweller for more than 35 years. He has been featured in numerous online publications such as US News and World Report, Bustle, and Work Awesome (you can read his articles here). He created the popular office website CubicleBliss in January 2011 and rebranded it as WorkspaceBliss in April 2020.

In the office he’s been an IT Manager, Applications Engineer, Systems Analyst, Software Project leader, and Programmer Analyst in his long career. He’s a Certified Microsoft Professional and possesses a Masters of Science degree and two Bachelor of Science degrees, one of those in Informational Technology.

During his career he has worked in the office full-time, as a hybrid remote worker, and has worked from home permanently.

home workspace with grey wall PTE4VNA
Sign Up For Updates

Related Posts

  • Feature Image Attic Office Ideas

    20+ Attic Office Ideas That Combine Comfort and Creativity

    March 27, 2025
    If you've ever had a home office in an attic, you can certainly relate to the images below. I have…
  • how to make work go by faster

    How To Make the Workday Go By Faster – 35 Top Tips

    March 27, 2025
    Are you sitting in your office with zero motivation and wondering how to make the workday go by faster? I…
  • cubicle vs open office

    Cubicle vs Open Office – What is Better? (Full Comparison)

    March 27, 2025
    How does a cubicle vs open office compare and which one is better for you? This article will give you…

Comments

  • Ranch Office
    6 years ago

    It helps to save money and space. It’s good for small business, I guess.

    • bob
      6 years ago

      I agree. Makes sense financially and for the working life of the emmployees involved.

      Thanks,
      Bob

  • Dockmaster
    8 years ago

    I work in a minning company in Chile. In 7×7 days work. I share the desk whith a coworker who work when i am in my rest days (7 days). Whe share the same notebook, pencils, drawer, etc.

    Greeting from Chile

    Felipe.

    • bob
      8 years ago

      Hi Felipe! Glad that you dropped by and it looks like you can certainly relate to this Cubicle Sharing article. I truly appreciate your comment and I hope your cubicle sharing relationship with your coworker is a good one and works for both of you!

      I would love to hear about some of your challenges working in this environment.

      Best,
      Bob

  • Brenda
    8 years ago

    Hi
    I share a cubicle with a co-worker. Here are a couple drawbacks of sharing, Our backs are to each other which makes it hard sometimes as our chairs hit. She’s a smoker and I am not, so after her breaks I cough from the smell of the cigarette. A benefit of sharing is if either one of has a question we can just ask and not have to move.
    I want to say Thank you for this article and the emails. I truly enjoy them.
    Happy Thanksgiving

    • bob
      8 years ago

      Thanks Brenda! Happy Thanksgiving to you too! That’s too bad about the cigarettes. Thanks also for your kind words.
      Best,
      Bob

  • Jennifer
    9 years ago

    Hey..!!!
    In my opinion cubicles are very important for employees of an office as they help in maintaining privacy and secrecy of work.
    Individual spaces allow someone to concentrate better on work and maintain the decor of the office environment but cubicle sharing can led to some problems as well..
    This is indeed a great share buddy..!!!

    • bob
      9 years ago

      Hi Jennifer,
      I love my cubicle and decorate it and furnish it exactly as I want to. I am fairly sure I would detest an open office environment but some people have to live in such a working world. Luckily these two ladies in this article are not in their jointly-owned cubicle on the same day so it’s actually working out for them.

      Best,
      Bob

Comments are closed.

Guide to the Ultimate Workspace
workspace-essentials-ebook-cover-v1.png

Top Sellers

Cubicle Privacy Screens

Stay Focused and Private with a Cubicle Privacy Screen

Brother PT-M95 Label Maker

Organize your Workspace with a Brother P-Touch Label Maker!

Fitueyes Printer Stand
with Storage

Add some Much-Needed Storage Under Your Printer

Advertisements

Flip It - the Out-of-Office Indicator

Communicate your work status with Flip it

Logo white
  • Accessories
  • Product Reviews
  • Articles
  • Reader Questions
  • Sitemap
  • About
  • Contact Me
Signup For Updates
Subscribe
Copyright © 2025 - BUZZSAW MEDIA LLC. , PO BOX 42, WOODSVILLE, NH 03785, (603) 689-4755. All Rights Reserved.
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Advertiser Disclosure
  • Press Kit
Please wait while the policy is loaded. If it does not load, please click here.

Sign up for Updates