Massive cock up at work. What do I do.

[messeduphelp]

It's my first day back at work, I've been off on maternity leave for a year. I'm in the office on my own today, and I logged in on my old computer/desk. I had to quickly scan something to send off, which is a function not available on my computer. I had to use a colleagues empty desk to do this, I used their computer/desk for no more than 3 minutes. After this I read an email from my manager, saying no hot desking is to take place due to covid and telling me to work on a different desk in the corner of the room to be as far away from colleagues desk as possible.

Colleague isn't in today, but now her computer says my name when you go to log in so it's obvious I've used it. My old computer says the same. The only desk that I haven't touched, and doesn't say I've used it is the one desk I was supposed to use.

So what do I do? I don't want to get in trouble, and I know colleague is very worried about me coming back to work due to covid. I have used sterilising wipes on everything I touched on their desk. But do I now move to the desk I was supposed to be at, away from hers? Or do I leave that computer untouched so that when she comes back I can leave a note explaining I used both the other computers and to go on that desk if she wants to sit somewhere I haven't touched.

I'm freaking out a little, I was so nervous about coming back and now I feel like I've really messed up.

Could you swap keyboards as presumably this is the only thing you touched?

When did your manager send the email?

Just tell your manager, see if they can arrange for cleaners to come in tonight and properly sanitise before your colleague returns.

Sign out of your colleague’s computer properly

Or rather you keep the one you used, and get her a new one from IT?

Work on the desk you were directed to

I would email to confess your slip-up and explain you have cleaned all surfaces. It was genuine error. I would then use the proper desk and have no further contact with other work area.
When is colleague due to return? If it is longer than a couple of days it is likely to even less of the low-risk problem it may be now.

This isn’t a massive cock up don’t worry! Take a deep breath. Email your manager (probably from one of the computers you’ve already used) and explain what happened. It’s not an awful thing to have happened! The world is a weird place now and you weren’t to know what had changed

I have signed out properly, but windows 10 keeps the name of the person who last successfully logged in on the log in screen so she will instantly see that I used it.

My manager is on a day off, I went to text him to check what to do and explain that I've touched two of three computers and where should I go to work but I'm not sure if it's bad enough to warrant bothering him on a day off. I'm just panicking now that I've really cocked up. If I move to the desk I was told to work at all 3 computers will have my log in details displayed and my colleague won't have a choice but to sit somewhere I've been.

Clean the one you started on, the one you went to and move to the one you are supposed to be on. Pop a post it on the keyboard of the ones you used explaining. Email your boss and explain what happened. Your mistake is completely understandable, and if you have proper cleaning supplies easily rectified.

Make your aologises - offer to clean it.

First day back so please don't be so hard on yourself. We all make the odd mistake at work even your boss!

I'm a nurse, we have to l use different computers all the time. None of us have come to any harm..

You've wiped it down, it's your first day back cut yourself some slack.

I think you're overthinking it! Just leave a post it note and bottle of sanitiser on her desk.

I would email her in advance, apologies and say you’ve cleaned it. Don’t give it another moments thought. It’s hard going back after mat leave especially in these circumstances. If she’s worried she can give it another clean.

Let’s be honest your colleague won’t want to move from “their” desk over this. You’re newly returning so don’t mind where you work from, but they’ve been working throughout.

I’m sure you can completely sign out, search online for guides

I'm more than happy to apologise and clean, I'm only getting in a state because I don't know what to do today. Colleague and manager both off. Is this worthy of texting a manager on a day off? Any managers here would you be annoyed about this query? He already had to spend an hour of his day off on the phone to me as I couldn't log in and now all this. I'm in such a flap.

God that’s your idea of a “massive cock up at work” really ?!

This isn't a massive mess up at all. By the sounds of it you used the other computer before you received instructions not to so this is in no way a mistake. You did a perfectly acceptable thing based on the information you had at the time. And it was in order to carry out a task you had to do.

Take a deep breath. Wipe everything down again if you want and try not to worry.

You had to log into a machine to be able to read the email, so it’s hardly your fault.

We have to use computers that others have used, we just clean them before use

@Orangelover Sorry to reply directly to you but I am in an admin role in a hospital so your reply stood out to me. I had an email saying hospital policy is to not hot desk which is why I'm getting a bit worked up as obviously the risks are higher here anyway. We aren't patient facing however. I wasn't sure how seriously this was being taken and was worried there may be repercussions for me now breaking this policy. I'm guessing this isn't a UK wide policy if patient facing roles are able to share computers?

Oh please don’t worry. This is totally the sort of thing I would get really anxious about and end up crying in the toilets. You can only clean the desk and computers and use the one your boss asked you to. Email him to explain you received his email after starting working and used colleagues desk as you don’t have scanner (he’ll have to resolve this in future anyway!) but you’ve cleaned the surfaces and won’t go near again. Honestly people have to touch things. If we clean and have good hand washing we’ll be okay. Don’t beat yourself up on your first day back please.

It's not a massive cock up, why so hard on yourself? You've cleaned the desk and keyboard, what more is there to do?

It was a personal document that I scanned, it was during a break and we are allowed to use the scanner for personal things if needed, or atleast we were before covid. It's reassuring to read that people think I'm overreacting. It's scary returning to work during all of this and to suddenly read its policy to not share devices after doing just that made me really freak out. Thanks for the replies.

Yes if you text me after id already spent an hour on the phone to you that would peeve me off, and i wouldnt reply to you which would probably make you feel more anxious!. Its not a big cock up, clean all the computer and just move on.

You didn’t cock up. As this is so important someone should have told you before you returned to the office as presumably you could have sat down to read email anywhere before getting to the relevant one.
Don’t bother anyone at home. Get advice from people in the office and leave notes on the desk.

@MsTSwift

God that’s your idea of a “massive cock up at work” really ?!

God that's your idea of a worthwhile contribution to the thread really?!

OP, this is fine and fixable. Clean everything thoroughly. Text your manager later on to let him know so he's informed and can reassure colleague tomorrow that it was properly cleaned. Then breathe. It's OK. I have to log on and off PCs that others have used all day long- we are getting through a lot of antimicrobial wipes!