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Original poster

Colleague has thrown everything away that was on my desk

436 replies

WinkyTinky · 02/01/2025 11:27

Back to work after Christmas and a few weeks off sick, to find that one of my colleagues who sometimes works at my desk has thrown away all of my papers. It was mostly handwritten notes about kids' appointments, my holiday plans, lists of things to remember about school, school calendars, and my eldest son's GCSE timetable. It was all personal sentimental stuff that I liked to have on my desk to see and remind me. I asked where it all was and he said that he has "got rid of all the crap." I'm really disappointed and a bit furious actually, but he thinks it's all perfectly fine. I know I'm a ridiculous softy about a lot of things, but this was MY stuff.

OP posts:
New posts on this thread. Refresh page
RightOnTheEdge · 18/01/2025 09:49

Oh no! That's sad to read WinkyTinky.
I hope you're ok. Good luck for the future and finding a new job Flowers

jhar · 14/01/2025 20:53

@WinkyTinky I'm sorry to read that.

Hopefully karma is working for him and you.

I wish you well.

LouH1981 · 14/01/2025 16:45

IMO, it’s irrelevant whose desk it belongs to, he has chucked away things that he doesn’t own. From what you’ve said, it would have been obvious to anyone that the information written down was important. Fine if they want to declutter but why not just pop it all in a plastic sleeve or bag and put to one side.

LookItsMeAgain · 14/01/2025 16:06

@WinkyTinky I'm so sorry that you've been made redundant. Hopefully there will be another job for you around the corner.

Original poster
WinkyTinky · 14/01/2025 15:54

Undrugged · 13/01/2025 23:27

@WinkyTinky oh no :( That’s not good.

This dude is suddenly not the golden boy any more. He’s a schmuck who needs to meet the DWP’s work commitment in order to get Universal Credit now ;) in some shit temporary job where no-one will have time for his Willy-wanging, pheromone-spraying territorialism.

Hope you get something soon.

normal human beings leave personal possessions on their desks (providing not shared) because they are human beings who have an existence outside of work. My uber- high grossing boss has loads of personal gubbins on her desk, and about 15 pairs of shoes underneath 😂: well-liked, highly effective and indispensable to management. All without shoving every sign of personhood in the lockable desk every home time: imagine!

Edited

Exactly right @Undrugged he looked the most worried out of all us, knowing he won't find another workplace where he's untouchable. It's very sad though to say goodbye to everyone. Most of them were really good friends and although we'll keep in touch, it's not the same as seeing everyone every day. Hopefully it's a time for positive change and to look to the future. Thanks everyone for your comments x

OP posts:
FestiveFruitloop · 14/01/2025 10:37

Marchitectmummy · 14/01/2025 02:52

Normal humans don't leave their personal belongings on desks, it's messy and unhygienic. Your workplace is not under your ownership.

15 pairs of shoes is a dirty filthy habit, regardless of seniority it is disgusting.

Show quote history

You mentioned you're an employer, I don't think I would like to work for you. You sound very inflexible and judgemental. I've hardly ever met anyone who didn't have a few personal belongings on their desk, and I've been in the workforce for 30 years. Admittedly multiple pairs of shoes is excessive, but so is banning all personal items.

DreamW3aver · 14/01/2025 06:47

Marchitectmummy · 14/01/2025 02:52

Normal humans don't leave their personal belongings on desks, it's messy and unhygienic. Your workplace is not under your ownership.

15 pairs of shoes is a dirty filthy habit, regardless of seniority it is disgusting.

Show quote history

Say someone who has clearly had little conyact with normal people or has never worked in a normal office 😂

Marchitectmummy · 14/01/2025 02:52

Undrugged · 13/01/2025 23:27

@WinkyTinky oh no :( That’s not good.

This dude is suddenly not the golden boy any more. He’s a schmuck who needs to meet the DWP’s work commitment in order to get Universal Credit now ;) in some shit temporary job where no-one will have time for his Willy-wanging, pheromone-spraying territorialism.

Hope you get something soon.

normal human beings leave personal possessions on their desks (providing not shared) because they are human beings who have an existence outside of work. My uber- high grossing boss has loads of personal gubbins on her desk, and about 15 pairs of shoes underneath 😂: well-liked, highly effective and indispensable to management. All without shoving every sign of personhood in the lockable desk every home time: imagine!

Edited

Normal humans don't leave their personal belongings on desks, it's messy and unhygienic. Your workplace is not under your ownership.

15 pairs of shoes is a dirty filthy habit, regardless of seniority it is disgusting.

Undrugged · 13/01/2025 23:27

@WinkyTinky oh no :( That’s not good.

This dude is suddenly not the golden boy any more. He’s a schmuck who needs to meet the DWP’s work commitment in order to get Universal Credit now ;) in some shit temporary job where no-one will have time for his Willy-wanging, pheromone-spraying territorialism.

Hope you get something soon.

normal human beings leave personal possessions on their desks (providing not shared) because they are human beings who have an existence outside of work. My uber- high grossing boss has loads of personal gubbins on her desk, and about 15 pairs of shoes underneath 😂: well-liked, highly effective and indispensable to management. All without shoving every sign of personhood in the lockable desk every home time: imagine!

Agapornis · 13/01/2025 19:30

Maybe you and your nice colleagues could start your own company? There's a gap in the market... A gap to be filled with desk crap ;)

comedycentral · 13/01/2025 19:05

WinkyTinky · 13/01/2025 18:33

Well in an exciting twist, we have all cleared our desks today as our company has gone under and we have all been made redundant.

Oh no! I'm sorry to hear this, how are you doing? You must all be reeling.

Drfosters · 13/01/2025 19:00

WinkyTinky · 13/01/2025 18:33

Well in an exciting twist, we have all cleared our desks today as our company has gone under and we have all been made redundant.

Oh gosh what a shock. Are you going to be ok in the short term? Hope you have people around you to keep you company. I found it very surreal when it happened to me due to the unexpectedness.

ElsaGreen · 13/01/2025 18:56

Gingersprouts · 02/01/2025 11:36

My impression is that he doesn’t like you and believes that you are too family orientated to be in the job. He wanted to inflict hurt and inconvenience. Would have been easier to chuck the papers in a drawer and save the row, but he sees you as weak, and that you’ll be upset and will let him do what he wants in future.

In an ideal world the desk is clear - and he isn’t a prick. I’d watch your back.

That's my impression too. If the papers were causing issues it would have been so easy to put them in a heap in a drawer.

You should raise this with your line manager in an email (so there is a paper trail).

Take care, this sort of sociopathic colleague will probably try and undermine and sabotage you in other ways at work.

BluebellsareBlue · 13/01/2025 18:48

I'm
Not well so this is the first time I'd seen your post. Firstly I'm so sorry you've been made redundant, it's bad at any time of the year but just after xmas and the start of a new year, wow, that's not a great start (the only way is up though!)

I'm appalled at what he did to your belongings, I would have been furious.
We share training rooms in a building and we only have one tambor unit for four classrooms so it's chock a block. We were all doing some stand alone learning for about 2000 staff so a colleague made meticulous drawings on flip chart sheets that we could all use when delivering that training, (to save us all doing it every class - work smarter not harder kinda thing). There was no room in the unit to store these so they were gently folded and left in one of the rooms, another colleague binned them!

Ohnobackagain · 13/01/2025 18:48

Oh no @WinkyTinky I’m sorry to hear that, what an awful shock.

BaronessBomburst · 13/01/2025 18:42

I'm so sorry. I hope you find something quickly.

PullTheBricksDown · 13/01/2025 18:38

WinkyTinky · 13/01/2025 18:33

Well in an exciting twist, we have all cleared our desks today as our company has gone under and we have all been made redundant.

Oh no, I'm so sorry. The only silver lining is that you now don't have to work with this idiot. I do hope you can find something else quickly.

Reallybadidea · 13/01/2025 18:38

WinkyTinky · 13/01/2025 18:33

Well in an exciting twist, we have all cleared our desks today as our company has gone under and we have all been made redundant.

What a horrible shock, I'm so sorry

Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g · 13/01/2025 18:38

WinkyTinky · 13/01/2025 18:33

Well in an exciting twist, we have all cleared our desks today as our company has gone under and we have all been made redundant.

I'm so sorry. I hope you can find something new and more secure. Flowers

NorthernLassDownSouth · 13/01/2025 18:37

WinkyTinky · 13/01/2025 18:33

Well in an exciting twist, we have all cleared our desks today as our company has gone under and we have all been made redundant.

Oh no, I hope you're OK and get all the support you need.
Your redundancy will be covered by the Government, pay in lieu of notice and redundancy pay, but only to the statutory weekly pay rate, unfortunately.

90yomakeuproom · 13/01/2025 18:35

Ohnonotmeagain · 02/01/2025 11:36

It was mostly handwritten notes about kids' appointments, my holiday plans, lists of things to remember about school, school calendars, and my eldest son's GCSE timetable. It was all personal sentimental stuff that I liked to have on my desk to see and remind me

I think it’s unprofessional to have this sort of stuff all over your work desk, especially if others have to use it.

it’s work, you’re not there to worry about your sons timetable or kids appointments. It makes you look as if you’re more invested in your kids life than your work.

a photo is enough if you want something sentimental. Not the minutiae of your kids lives.

get a diary, clear your desk of your personal rubbish.

I agree with this, sorry. It's your job not your home admin area.

Original poster
WinkyTinky · 13/01/2025 18:33

Well in an exciting twist, we have all cleared our desks today as our company has gone under and we have all been made redundant.

OP posts:
MumoftwoGirls11 · 10/01/2025 07:34

Make it a point to tell him not to remove stuff on your desk in future otherwise he will repeat it. Tell him to ask you before moving your stuff, or even changing any settings or deleting files on your computer.

My desk at work is like yours. So is my MD’s and another person’s desk. Two other people have clear desks. We all work well together! No one touches anyone’s else’s stuff if we have to work at that persons desk, which sometimes we have to.

Jacopo · 06/01/2025 17:02

Please make it your New Year Resolution to stand up to this incel. Keep your stuff on your desk if you want to.

LookItsMeAgain · 06/01/2025 16:46

WinkyTinky · 06/01/2025 13:41

I feel the urge to take a photo of everyone else's desk now! Especially the desk of a lady who left last month, and the entire office of another lady who left in October. But somehow I'm the messy and disorganised one 😩

If they are messy still, definitely take photos of their desks. Then if you do happen to accidentally leave some personal information on your desk you can escalate the issue right up the ladder to whoever the manager is (and there has to be a manager who you can bring issues to).

I think this colleague is a misogynist prick who probably read every note and post-it before he binned them.

Just to keep yourself safe, I'd be changing all my passwords on everything if something similar happened to me.