Effective booking policies allow organizations to set clear rules for reserving shared resources, helping prevent misuse and reduce administrative workload. By implementing these policies, companies can enforce specific booking conditions, such as duration limits, approval requirements, and necessary check-ins. This leads to a more orderly use of office spaces and equipment, ensures availability, and supports smoother daily operations.
In OfficeRnD Workplace, you can create and define booking policies to manage the terms and conditions for booking resources, such as desks or meeting rooms. This article explains how to create and apply a booking policy to a resource.
By the end of this article, you will know how to adjust booking policies and apply them correctly to specific resources.
Note: For meeting room bookings made through external applications like Outlook or Google Calendar, only the "Request Approval" and "Require Check-In" policies from Workplace will apply. Other policies, such as "Booking Duration" and "Future Bookings", will follow the setup in the external application.
Adjust or create a booking policy
To create a new booking policy or edit an existing one:
Open the Workplace Admin Portal and go to Workplace > Booking Policies.
You will see that a default policy is already in place.
To create a new policy, click Add Policy.
Define the policy rules:
Name – Enter a name for the policy.
Min Duration – Set the minimum time allowed for a booking (0 to 24 hours).
Max Duration – Set the maximum time allowed for a booking (0 to 24 hours).
Recurring Bookings – Turn on the toggle switch to allow recurring bookings.
Limit Future Bookings – Define how far in the future (in days, weeks, or months) bookings can be made (maximum is 24).
Require Check-In:
Automatically cancel bookings if employees fail to check in within the defined time before the booking starts.
Specify the time in minutes or hours.
Onsite check-ins only – Turn off online check-ins, which requires onsite check-ins instead.
Request Approval – Require admin approval for bookings, which will remain "Tentative" until approved.
Disable Back-to-Back Bookings – Add a buffer time (up to 30 minutes) between bookings to allow for preparation or cleaning. The room cannot be booked during the buffer time.
Limit ad-hoc bookings – Add a notice period for bookings, requiring employees to book a set time in advance. This can be configured in hours or business hours.
Apply the booking policy to a bookable resource
Once you have defined the booking policy, you can apply it to your resources.
Go to Workplace > Resources.
Open the resource you want to configure.
Select the policy from the Booking Policy drop-down menu.
Click Update.
FAQ: Booking policies
What happens if an employee doesn't check in on time?
What happens if an employee doesn't check in on time?
If Require Check-In is turned on, bookings are automatically canceled if the employee fails to check in within the specified time before the booking starts.
Can check-ins be restricted to onsite only?
Can check-ins be restricted to onsite only?
Yes. Open a policy and turn on Onsite check-ins only to turn off online check-ins. Employees will only be able to check in on-site.
Can bookings require admin approval?
Can bookings require admin approval?
Yes. Open a policy and turn on Request Approval. Bookings remain "Tentative" until approved by an admin.
How can I prevent back-to-back bookings?
How can I prevent back-to-back bookings?
Open a policy and turn on Disable Back-to-Back Bookings to add a buffer period (up to 30 minutes) between bookings for preparation or cleaning.
How do I limit short-notice bookings?
How do I limit short-notice bookings?
Open a policy and turn on Limit ad-hoc bookings to set a notice period. You can define how far in advance bookings must be made (hours or business hours).