Judicial Appointments Commission: Provides clarity and optimises for a flexible workforce with desk booking and office maps

The Judicial Appointments Commission selects candidates for judicial office in England and Wales, and for some tribunals with UK-wide powers. Our organization is made up of 15 Commissioners, supported by our Senior Leadership Team, Panel Members and around 90 staff.

What was the challenge?

Our challenge was to find an easy desk booking system which could be used by all staff – and hopefully one that was clear and simple to use. With the move to hybrid working and that we have more staff than desks in our location, we needed a clear system where staff could book in advance desks/rooms and also to see what was available.

How did you make your people feel more comfortable about returning to the office?

We implemented a considerable consultation exercise with staff before moving back to the office, so that we can learn from the lesson that remote working brought to the organisation as well as the individual. It was important to ensure that staff were clear where attendance was required and perhaps where it was optional. We also ensured that COVID procedures were put in place, with a revised cleaning process. We also made changes to our desk layout to encourage better collaboration and some quiet areas to undertake work.

How does all this help you manage your office costs?

By having a desk booking system, we can ensure that we can get the best use out of our work space, and allows us to keep the work space we have got, resulting in accommodation costs. We can also observe over time usage and that in itself may save costs.