Other People Using My Desk

If I saw your sign I would be tempted to change the height of your chair every time I went past. 😂

I have my own desk (my name isn't on the wall, it's on the office door...). I'm quite happy for others to use it when I'm not there. I wouldn't care about people changing the settings on my monitor or chair - it surely takes only seconds to change things back. Plus, if they are a different height to you they presumably have to change the chair settings to work comfortably and may not remember exactly how it was before. I once came into the office to find that my chair had been - shock horror! - SWAPPED WITH SOMEONE ELSE'S! Took me a while to get over that... Except it didn't. I just swapped it back and got on with my day.

I'd be annoyed about someone leaving a mess though. What kid of mess are they leaving? If mess means that someone has moved your pencil pot then you are being ridiculous. If they are actually leaving rubbish on your desk then that's not on.

I mean, assuming it's not a hot desk 😉

Its not unreasonable they use it, it is unreasonable to leave it a mess. Regarding the chair, pop a note on the back of it and they can bring a chair in from another room- its not that uncommon if someone has one adjusted. I cant imagine what they're doing to the monitors that is causing such annoyance.

Of course it's rude to use someone else's desk, alter their settings and leave a mess behind!

😂😂😂

😂😂😂😂😂

I too was wondering, does the OP have their name on the wall by any chance. I must have missed it 😏

Is it a hot desk?

Is your name on the wall?

I can't answer until I know these two things.

This is theft. Report it to the company. Send an email asking for their return failing which you will be reporting the theft to the police.

I get you op. We have allocated desks at work and mine has my fancy self provided keyboard (issued one was terrible) I’d be annoyed if someone just plonked themselves in my space and messed everything up. However I do put my own keyboard away and put the office issue one back on when I’m on A/L.

Surely good etiquette is that if you sit at someone else’s desk you leave it as you find it.

Op. I feel.like your job probably involves sometimes telling people to step back and see a wider perspective. That's what you need to do here. It's a little thing in the scheme of things.

if, in other ways you enjoy job, like where you work etc, let it go, you will be happier for it.

YANBU. Maybe put a sign up that says "don't adjust screens/chairs as they have been specifically set for DSE/Occupational Health reasons - please see HR to be allocated a different hot desk"?

I work part-time at a place where desk space is limited. I genuinely don't mind people using my desk on my non-working day as long as they are respectful.

However, I've had:
People canibalise the IT kit on my desk for themselves because "I don't need it". Had my desk given away at 8 am to a visitor when I started at 9.
Had visitors turn up, plonk their stuff on my desk whilst I'm sitting there (!), and they look confused about why I have the temerity to sit at my own desk.
Had non-office-based staff walk over to my desk, and use my desk phone (that's not in a convenient place for others to use) whilst I'm sitting there without asking, and there are other empty desks around that would be better to use.

It can actually be seen as indirect sex discrimination if your part-time status puts you at a disadvantage with desk allocations. https://www.unison.org.uk/content/uploads/2019/01/Hot-Desking.pdf

I have a pot of beautiful novelty pens on my desk, and all of them have run out of ink. The post-it notes are beautiful colours but horrible to write on. All the good stuff is locked away. It's petty, but it makes me happy. 🙂

Well you "Hello Guest" sign is a bit lame, because you are inviting them to your space and saying it's alright to use it when it is not.. It should be more "Fuck off, this is not a hot desk", Make it clear it's a space where confidential work is done and is out of bounds.

Do they log into your computer or is it just the monitor? I would leave a note, I would not have anyone else using my desk

How come you can't work out who it is? How many people would have access to your work area?

I would ask management to make your desk unavailable to hot deskers - it's not appropriate if you have confidential files and there are others to work on

Ultimately it’s not your desk and unless the chair is specifically setup from an occupational health referral, in which chase it should be labelled, then I don’t get the issue. My last role I had my own office and people used to use it all the time if I wasn’t there.

I have not voted as l don’t think it’s a straight yes/no answer.

l don’t think someone is being unreasonable to avail themselves of an empty desk in your absence. But, they should leave it as they found it, including setting preferences. Could you pin a note up on these lines?

🤣🤣🤣

It would annoy me. OP - take the cables and mouse home with you. Leave a laminated stuck on sign on your desk saying “THIS IS NOT A HOT DESK”. Ask a colleague who is in more regularly to remind anyone using your desk that there are hot desks available. I had my charger and expensive mouse go missing despite everyone in the office having their own designated desks - apparently when I wasn’t in several people (who had their own offices and desks!) liked using mine “because it was quietest”. They would also leave mess (I found old mashed up egg salad in my seat, once I found half a melted digestive under my mousepad). It was infuriating and incredibly disrespectful. I’m so sorry OP.

You have my full empathy!! I 'cured' the same problem by locking away my keyboard and connecting wires. It takes less time to put them back into place than the ball-ache of readjusting settings, and cleaning the crud left behind by selfish mucky folk who do not understand the concept of 'leave behind, only footprints'. They're the sort that leave the communal kitchen in a mess, leaving their mugs for somebody else to wash and a splattered mess in the microwave.

Rather than your current polite message - change it to 'you use this desk at your own risk!' 😉

I think your note is too friendly and welcoming! Just leave a note saying "This is NOT a hot desk" or similar.

It’s not your desk
Do you change the settings back to they way the were for the day(s) you’re not in office

you would annoy me with that childish note and I definitely wouldn’t change anything back for you

I bet you complain to anyone within ear shot how unfair it all is

Put an old jacket on the back of your chair, leave a note pad (with nothing confidential in) on the desk, shopping bag with some non perishable snacks in like you've grabbed them on your way in. Mix it up a bit every time you go in. If they sit there when it looks occupied then you are dealing with a psychopath.

I hate this as well. I use a trackball instead of a mouse and that seems to deter 99% of people.

What does your manager say about it?