To expect a desk drawer at work?

[NotMeNoNo]

I've recently relocated to a different city/office of my large company. They are in a newly fitted out office with shiny white bench desks etc. Some of the staff have those locking under desk drawer units they brought from a previous office but I'm told that none are available for new starters.

In all my working life I've never not had a drawer or two for stationery, personal items and private papers like appraisals. Not to mention somewhere to lock my purse /phone if I was concerned about security. I've hot desked and worked in client offices and on site but this is my own permanent base office and desk!

AIBU to expect at least what others have? I'm tempted to prominently pile up a big box of tampax, some obscure flavoured teabags and a messy stack of private files and stationery on my pristine desk. Is it a thing now to have absolutely no storage at work?

We have lockers at work with a box, and are expected to clear each night. But to have nothing at all is unreasonable.

Is this lack of budget?

How strange, this was almost the exact question answered on Ask a Manager blog yesterday.

I think this is the way things are now. I work entirely from home, but in my former office each desk is supposed to have a chair, docking station, keyboard, mouse and monitor, and nothing personal on it. You don't even leave your computer there, you either take it home or (if you never work from home) leave it in a locker. (I can't remember if there are still phones, I don't think so, I think you're expected to use Skype on the laptop for all calls.)

People do have their favourite desks and do work in organisational groups, but in theory there's no need for anyone to ever sit at the same desk on two consecutive days.

You need a briefcase or equivalent to carry all your personal items.

I think it's completely normal. Desks are hot desks, you don't get your own desk, and there are no drawers - designed to stop you keeping personal stuff on/in them. All desks are to be left cleared at the end of day. We do have a locker, though - but maybe not close to where the desk might be.

A box to put your personal items in that goes in your locker overnight makes sense. I suppose people may have that, I stopped working in the office before some of this was implemented, so may not have full grasped the system.

Lockers here too, and at my last few work places. Anything not nailed down is removed overnight too so couldn’t leave a box of tampax out.

A consequence of this system is that I can work from home five days a week, and it's no different in terms of productivity to being at an office desk. (Better actually, as I have a better monitor at home, and never get stuck in traffic on my way to the spare room.)

Yes we don't have them either. I think it's really inconvenient.

I want a box of herbal tea bags, a bag of emergency nuts, reading glasses and handcream in my desk drawer. But I don’t have one...
Trying to keep all that in my handbag without it going astray and running out is tricky.

The OP says it is her permanent desk. Yes it's daft. You needs drawers.

I'm buggered if I'm going to carry staples, a stapler, a staple remover, several highlighters, a calculator, hole punch, red, black, blue and green pens, a pencil, a pencil sharpener, marker pens, envelopes in three sizes, a desk diary, a note book, two rulers, bulldog clips, one of those things for opening cardboard boxes, scissors, eraser, paper clips, a box of tissues, hand cream, teabags, paracetamol and a stack of files, reports, folders and God knows what else around with me. Let alone a sodding laptop, charger, memory sticks and assorted gizmos as well.

I have a permanent desk. But I still have to clear it at the end of the day and there are still no drawers. I have to use my locker. The only things allowed on the desk overnight are the computer/mouse/keyboard.

If this is your permanent desk and there are no restrictions about what you are allowed to leave on your desk overnight, could you get some desktop drawers for all your stuff just so that it is contained rather than all over the desk? You shouldn't have to buy your own stuff but if the office isn't going to provide any kind of storage, I'd rather shell out a bit of my own money for a solution that would save me my sanity - I couldn't work at a desk that was cluttered with files, stationery, bits and bobs I needed to hand, water bottle, snacks etc

Even if it's something cheap like the picture (£9.99 A4 storage unit from Argos) it gives you somewhere to put your personal stuff, stationery, any work files you need to hand but don't want on public display or just don't want cluttering up your desk etc without it being on show to everyone. Even just a 2 drawer unit would give you one for personal stuff and one for work stuff so that it was all to hand but not on display.

Lockers and boxes here too. Quite frankly you’re lucky to get a desk at our place

Most places I’ve worked for the last ten years have got rid of desk drawers and implemented clear desk policies.

It’s not unreasonable to want somewhere for stationery or to lock your laptop overnight.

Most companies have a locker system - ask your manager how this is dealt with.

I don't have a desk drawer. We have a clear desk policy and my desk can be used by anyone if I'm not there so everything goes in a plastic box. Anything private or confidential goes in a locker.

I’ve worked at more places with a no drawers policy than places there they are allowed.

Pita,

I am now working somewhere where they are permitted, so I have a huge drawer of ––shame–– snacks

When we moved offices and a clear desk policy was introduced, our storage was increased, not decreased. You need somewhere to actually put all the stuff, otherwise a clear desk policy won’t work.

We're not allowed drawers at work... because we might put things in them. Which I thought was rather the point.

They keep making noises about a clear desk policy but are too disorganised to implement it so I just pile up all my crap on one corner.

We don't and we have a clear desk policy (fat chance). There are small wall cupboards but not enough for all my crap! It's all supposed to be electronic.

Clear desk? My desk has a huge amount of personal objects on it - mainly pebbles, feathers and pinecones.

Mines just chin deep in work!

where are you supposed to store your stash of supernoodles, cup a soups and stolen stationery?

I have a ‘clear desk policy’ at work and we have to have all our —shit— stuff packed away.

Clear desk policy great but where are you supposed to store your handbag? Will the company take responsibility if your bag or purse stolen as happened to me when I was away from my desk. I created merry hell until a lockable drawer unit was provided. My boss who I shared an office with was very jealous of me!

Thanks for the validation! Underkestumbled has it exactly, I have not worked 30 years without accumulating a stash of useful things that y'know, help me do my job. I've actually been mobile working and living out of a briefcase for 2 years so I was so looking forward to having a base again.

I think it's been overlooked in speccing the office. No lockers because people brought drawers with them. But no purchase order for approved new drawers.

The other thing is if I kick up a fuss I may alienate the office/facilities manager which is a very bad move in a new job!

Well my options are try to get drawers from another office or bring in something from Ikea. Or maybe heap it untidily on the floor.