WORK FLAG
DESK FREE SIGN
Is this desk free?
Work Flag makes it obvious.
Work Flag lets employees release their assigned desk while they are away and shows colleagues exactly when they will need it back.
It is a simple, reusable desk free sign for workplaces with more people than desks that do not currently have, need or want a digital desk-booking system.
More people than desks, but desks still sitting empty?
Many offices have a common mismatch. On busy days there are more people than desks, yet assigned desks can often sit empty for days while their usual occupants are on leave, working from home or based elsewhere.
Someone walking into the office needs a place to work, but there is no obvious way to tell whether an empty desk is genuinely available. They either leave it unused or start asking:
“Is this desk free? What about that one? Do you know when they’re coming back?”
Work Flag answers those questions at the desk itself.
It lets an employee make their desk available while they are away, without giving up their assigned desk or risking someone occupying it when they return.
A desk availability sign you can immediately see across the office
When the Work Flag is raised vertically, the desk is available. The bright DESK FREE flag face makes free desks easy to spot from across a large open-plan office, and the handwritten return details tell colleagues exactly how long the desk will remain available.
When the flag is lowered horizontally, the desk is not free.
It is a simple visual system that removes guesswork and reduces awkward conversations about which desks can be used.
How Work Flag works
Work Flag deliberately goes beyond showing whether a desk is free. It also tells the temporary user when the assigned desk owner will return, and whether that’s morning or afternoon. Someone who only needs a desk for a couple of hours can use one with confidence if the flag shows its owner is back after lunch (PM). That detail gives peace of mind to both the desk owner and the temporary user.
1. Write when you are returning
As the desk owner, before leaving the office, use the supplied dry-erase marker to record the day, month and whether you will return in the morning (AM) or afternoon (PM).
11 │ AUG │ AM
2. Raise the flag
Now that you’ve written your return date on the flag, all you need to do is rotate the flag into the vertical position to share your desk with others when you’re away and not using it. The DESK FREE face and your return details are now visible across the office. A vertical Work Flag means the assigned desk is available until the
return time written on the flag.
3. Use the desk with confidence
Another employee can see the raised flag from across the office. Before using the desk, they check when the usual desk owner will return. If the flag shows the owner won’t be back until later that day (PM) or another day, they can use the desk, lowering the flag while they’re at it. When they leave, they raise it again so the next person can spot the available desk. If the flag says the owner is back that morning, they choose another desk.
4. Lower and reuse it
When the desk owner returns, they lower the flag and erase the return details, ready for next time.
What comes in each Work Flag Kit?
Each Work Flag Kit contains:
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One reusable laminated flag with a bright DESK FREE face and dry-erase return-date panels.
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One rotating self-adhesive clip.
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One dry-erase marker with a self-adhesive holder.
The rotating clip grips the flagpole and moves the flag between the vertical desk free position and the horizontal desk not free position.
The dry-erase surface can be updated and reused whenever the desk owner’s plans change.
Specifications
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Flag: A5 (21 cm × 14.8 cm), rigid laminated flag with a dry-erase writing surface
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Flag face: DESK FREE / I’M BACK ON… with panels for day, month and AM/PM
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Flagpole: 44 cm
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Mounting: rotating self-adhesive clip, no tools required
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Marker: dry-erase marker with self-adhesive holder
Installed in a couple of minutes
Work Flag requires very little setup.
Attach the rotating clip low down on a suitable smooth surface, ideally an office desk partition. It can also be installed on another suitable surface close to the desk, including the rear of a monitor.
Attach the marker holder nearby, insert the flagpole into the rotating clip and leave the flag in the horizontal position until the desk is ready to be released.
No electrical connection, software setup or system integration is required.
A simple alternative to desk-booking software
Work Flag does not try to replicate a sophisticated workplace-booking platform. It has one purpose:
To show whether an assigned desk is available and when its usual owner will need it back.
For organisations that do not need or want desk-booking software, Work Flag offers a straightforward alternative:
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No recurring subscription.
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No employee login.
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No app to download.
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No charging or power supply.
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No technical integration.
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Minimal training.
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Visible at the desk when you need to know...is this desk free?
Employees already use notes, messages and informal conversations to tell colleagues when their desks are free. Work Flag simply turns that behaviour into a consistent and visible workplace system.
Who is Work Flag designed for?
Work Flag is particularly suited to organisations that have:
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Assigned desks combined with hybrid working.
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More employees than available desks on busy days.
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A mixture of assigned desks and shared desks.
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Employees who are regularly away from the office.
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No digital desk-booking system.
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Empty desks that could be temporarily used by other employees.
It can be introduced across an office, within a single team or as a small workplace trial.
Organisations that already have a well-used desk-booking system may not need an additional physical availability system.
Start with a trial kit of 10
Every Work Flag Kit is made to order in Perth. Rather than sell single units, we start every workplace with a trial kit of ten, which is enough to test the idea properly with a team and see whether it changes behaviour.
$249 plus GST and postage
Ten complete Work Flag Kits, each with a flag, a rotating self-adhesive clip and a dry-erase marker with holder.
(Ten kits is usually enough to cover a team, a floor section or a pilot group, and to find out quickly whether people use it.)
Larger quantities and custom-branded kits
If you need more than 10 flags or would like the flags to be customised with your brand get in touch via the form or hello@workfuture.com.au.
How ordering works
1. Tell us who you are and where you are
Fill in the form below. It takes less than a minute and asks only for what we need to quote you accurately.
2. We come back to you
We will confirm the postage cost to your address, the timing, and anything you want to know about how Work Flag works in practice. If you want your organisation’s branding on the flags, this is where we discuss it.
3. We invoice, then we make your kits
You will receive a tax invoice from Work Future. Pay by bank transfer or by card using the payment link on the invoice. Once payment is confirmed we assemble your kits in Perth and post them with tracking.
Order a Work Flag trial kit
Trial kit of 10 only $249 plus GST and postage. (Tell us where you are and we will confirm postage and timing.)
A deliberately analogue idea
Work Flag comes from a simple conviction: not every workplace problem needs a software solution.
Peter Stansfield has spent his career helping organisations understand how their workplaces are actually used. Again and again, the same small friction appeared. Desks sat empty while people walked the floor looking for somewhere to sit, and nobody could tell which empty desk was genuinely free.
In 2011 he developed an answer and called it "Is this desk free?". A flag. Raised means free, lowered means taken, and a handwritten date telling you exactly how long you have. No power, no account, no training. Flags have worked for thousands of years precisely because they communicate at a distance and need no explanation.
Plenty of digital alternatives have appeared since: apps, platforms, subscriptions. Two things have remained true throughout:
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Desks still sit idle when someone could be using them.
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Many organisations have neither the budget nor the appetite for an expensive system.
Hybrid working has since turned that small friction into a daily one. The case for a simple analogue answer is arguably stronger now than it was then.
Refined and relaunched as Work Flag, it is cost effective, quick to install and immediately understood by the people using it.
Each kit is made to order in Perth by Work Future. We can match quantities to your workplace and add your branding when you want it.
Work Flag is available within Australia, with international orders by arrangement.
Struggling to find free desks every day?
Work Flag resolves the immediate question of whether an individual desk is available. But if people repeatedly struggle to find free desks, that may point to a wider workplace issue.
You may need to understand:
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How many desks your organisation genuinely needs.
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Which teams can share space and desks.
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When demand exceeds supply.
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Whether your desk-sharing approach is working.
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Whether the problem requires more desks, different attendance patterns or a different workplace model.
Work Future helps organisations understand their workplace demand, assess their options and make better workspace decisions.
Click here to understand your workplace needs
Work Flag frequently asked questions
What is Work Flag?
Work Flag is a simple, reusable desk free sign for hybrid workplaces. It lets employees release their assigned desk while they are away and shows colleagues exactly when they will need it back.
What does a raised Work Flag mean?
A Work Flag in the vertical position means the assigned desk is available until the return date and time written on the flag.
What does a horizontal Work Flag mean?
A Work Flag in the horizontal position means the desk is not available.
What does the flag itself say?
The flag face reads DESK FREE and I’M BACK ON…, with dry-erase panels for the day, month and whether the desk owner returns in the morning or afternoon. It is designed to be read from a distance and understood at a glance.
The reverse of the flag reads DESK FREE and Until..?, which encourages the potential desk user to check the front of the flag to see how long they can use the desk for.
What is the minimum order?
A trial kit of ten. Work Flag is made to order and we have found that ten kits is the smallest quantity that lets a workplace test the idea properly, so we do not sell single units.
How do I order and pay?
Fill in the short form on this page with your details and delivery postcode. We will confirm the postage and the timing, then send a tax invoice from Work Future. You can pay by bank transfer or by card using the payment link on the invoice. There is no online checkout, no account to create and no subscription.
How long does an order take?
Because every kit is made to order, timing depends on the quantity and whether the flags are standard or custom-branded. We confirm the timing when we confirm your order, before you are invoiced, so you always know where you stand before you commit.
How much is postage?
Postage is charged at cost and depends on where you are. Work Flag kits ship from Perth in a long, light box. Tell us your delivery suburb and postcode in the form and we will confirm the exact figure before invoicing you.
Can we have our own logo on the flag?
Yes. Custom-branded Work Flags carry your organisation’s logo on the flag face. Custom kits have a one-off artwork and setup charge, a higher minimum quantity and a longer lead time, and are quoted individually.
Is Work Flag a desk-booking system?
No. Work Flag is an analogue desk availability indicator. Flags have been used for thousands of years as an effective way to communicate across a distance. It provides a simple alternative for organisations that do not need or want a digital desk-booking system.
Is Work Flag for hot desking?
Work Flag is primarily designed for assigned desks that can be temporarily released while their usual occupants are away. It can also support workplaces that use a mixture of assigned desks, shared desks and hybrid attendance. Read more about the difference between hot desking and Activity Based Working.
Where can Work Flag be installed?
The self-adhesive rotating clip can be attached to a suitable smooth surface near the desk. A desk partition is usually the preferred location, and the rear of a monitor can also work.
Can the clip be removed later?
Yes. The clip attaches with adhesive rather than screws, so it can be removed and the surface cleaned if the desk arrangement changes. Remove it carefully and slowly to protect delicate surfaces.
Can the return date be changed?
Yes. The laminated flag face can be erased and updated using the supplied dry-erase marker or another suitable whiteboard marker.
Is Work Flag reusable?
Yes. The return details can be erased and rewritten each time the desk becomes available, and no batteries or consumables are needed beyond the marker.
Can I order Work Flag outside Australia?
Work Flag is initially available within Australia. International orders can be arranged by contacting Work Future, and postage is quoted at cost.