Colleague has thrown everything away that was on my desk

He was wrong to do that. However why would you leave personal and private notes at work where anyone could read them? You should leave things like that at home. Some of it you could store on your phone eg son's timetable.

You and the only other woman need to get together and hatch a plan. For example, get a lock put on the women’s toilet and only women have the key. If he objects just look amazed and do the whole “why on earth do you want a key to the ladies’ loo, Gerry?”
I’m sure you can come up with other ideas. And do a lot of Grey Rocking as well.

It's not just about a clear desk policy if other people are using the desk. It's in considerate. I don't blame the colleague for being peed off for OP leaving her crap lying around (BUT I still don't think he should have thrown it away).

You know, you really could try reading the thread.

I have a desk at my place of work, and I’m entitled to keep whatever I want on it, unless it’s offensive. It’s my desk. Why couldnt she leave her things on there, it’s no one’s else business? I often keep things in my desk to remind me to sort them out, I then do it on lunch break.

Do you ever put your lunch in the fridge? How would you feel if someone threw it out because they didn’t like the look of it?

I’d be making the little prick rummage through the recycling to find it all!

Yabu as not related as shouldn't have been on the desk. I'm surprised it survived so long...does your company have a clear desk policy ..I work in a clear desk, shared desk situation in NHS

OP he was a bit out of order throwing them away but you don't seem to have taken on board the many comments that you were also in the wrong for leaving things out.

She wasn’t wrong though. There’s no clear desk policy to contravene. A few of you not liking that the OP does this doesn’t make it wrong.

@NotTerfNorCis unfortunately as much as the manager said they were impartial and didn’t let friendships impact their job as a manager, it was a load of rubbish. They were out every weekend, round each others houses (not in a sexual way, he was gay). Anyone else doing that would have been hung, drawn and quartered, but he only ever got a little slap on the wrist and that was very obviously just because the manager felt she needed to try a save face.

What a little ray of sunshine you are.

Binned by a cleaner?? Where do you work where do cleaners take it upon themselves to bin notes on work desks.

No, he shouldn't have thrown away anything on your desk. He had no right to do that.

It’s not ‘your’ desk, it’s not in ‘your’ home.
It’s in a workplace, if you’ve left anything personal behind then it’s on you.

Is there anyway you can get your own back on him? That's my only question.
What a CUNT!

Christ what was wrong with him? Removing people from groups when on holiday? Management should have got involved.

Can't believe anyone would defend this man. What he did was totally out of order. For all he knew, you could have had important work details in that pile. As well as important personal stuff, like phone numbers.

The issue is it sounds like o/p’s workplace is toxic.

I think it’s unprofessional to have personal clutter on her desk and it should have been removed, but I don’t think this is the issue.

o/p needs to find another job, not waste time and energy on whether this bloke was in the wrong.

OP he was a bit out of order throwing them away but you don't seem to have taken on board the many comments that you were also in the wrong for leaving things out. Even if other people's desks were untouched you knew people sat at others' desks and it's annoying if they leave bits of paper lying around.

Why don't you get a small notebook and not everything in there and then you can put it in your bag or even if you left it in the desk it's less likely to be thrown away than messy bits of paper.

@WinkyTinky i used to work with someone like this. He was such a bitch. He used to do things like that to people because he thought it was funny. Things such as removing people from the teams group on their days off/holidays so when they came back they had to ask someone to add them back on (sometimes they didn’t realise they were removed until someone was chasing them for something). One lady liked to have certain pens, so when she wasn’t there he would move them or throw them away. One time someone ordered a waterproof notebook that had waterproof paper inside from our office supply company because he were pretty clumsy and kept spilling his coffee and this person decided to go and write his own name on the front just out of spite. It was never done as a “joke” always serious, he was just a nasty piece of work. I honestly can’t stand people like that, so petty.

Time to start looking for a new job? I've worked somewhere that sounds like your job (a nature reserve). The best of the team left when a 'rival' charity started a new nature reserve nearby. The crap ones like this guy got left behind.

Seriously "let this be a lesson to you" . It was a few pieces of paper. And why shouldn't she "litter" her desk with it? Just because you might not be keen, doesn't mean someone else can't be.

All the faux horror at "personal items" being left for colleagues to see. It was a few pieces of paper that were on the desk, not OPs knickers.

Someone did this to me once. My own desk and it was a handmade card from (young) DS2. Not even on my desk but in one of my trays on the shelf above my desk. I was heartbroken. I was leaving anyway but I will never forgive them.

You are NOT unreasonable OP! He could have put your stuff in a folder or a drawer but instead chose to put it all in a bin. I would consider speaking to management about it but you risk getting lectured yourself about leaving personal stuff lying around …. especially because this ‘gem’ of a colleague is so loved by management …. So, probably best to just vent here on mumsnet and let it go … but I am enraged on your behalf!