To think a seating plan at work is like being treated as a child?

[Needtopaintmynails]

I had a seating plan throughout secondary school.

I assumed as a adult we would be allowed to sit with who we wanted at work (obvious exceptions such as if people distract each other etc).

I didn't have a seating plan at secondary! Now I work for myself and have to negotiate with my kids to get a space at the table!

I've worked in several offices and seating has always been allocated.

We have seating plans I think it’s silly! The part timers like me always either get the shit seat or moved constantly! I think it should just be who comes in first 🤷🏼‍♀️

I've always had an allocated desk everywhere I've worked.

I've always worked in Property Investement in Victoria, then Marylebone, then Mayfair; all had seating plans

How does it work if you are not allocated a desk? Does a new starter come in and say "Oi I fancy that one"?

We are sat in teams and, within those, desk sharing is done to, as far as possible , maximise usage and minimize clashes (lots of us are part time).

Wanting to choose who you sit with sounds a bit secondary school to me, it's work not a social occasion.

After we had a refurbishment, we all picked our own desks. But when a new person joins, they get allocated whichever desk is empty.

I keep things in my desk drawers and the shelves nearest my desk. Not having an allocated desk would be very inconvenient.

YABU

Seating plan is normal.

Even when I worked in a call centre we had a specific seat, it wasn't ours as others used it on different shifts but we had to sit at our desk.
Never really thought about it, but I'd prefer it than having a free for all, it would be like trying to decent sun bed on holiday, couldn't be arsed with that!

Presumably not everyone in the office is starting at the same time. When you start a new job, surely it’s normal to just be allocated whichever desk is empty?

I have to hot desk at work. I hate it. I can't wait to retire.

I work somewhere with all sorts of pods, break out zones, booths, quiet zones, collaborative areas and hot desks.

Most people end up sitting at the same desk each day.

I allocate seating for my team. Two people need to sit next to each other as their roles are interdependent and being close means it's easier for them to chat. One person needs to be sitting near the team leader as she's new and needs additional support during her induction.

Beyond that, I'll take into account personal preferences where I can (e.g. near a window, not under the aircon vent etc.). But it's work and I need people in certain seats for a reason!

Depends on the business need. We’re sat together because we are a team who work together. Having a set desk works better for me than hot desking because I come to work later so would be stuck in the worst spot in the office.

The only thing I object to is a seating plan for things like the Christmas lunch. That’s taking it too far.

I guess we have a seating plan at work, in that we are allocated an office each. It was never a free for all. I haven't worked anywhere where there has been no allocations of space. Is it not quite stressful having to find somewhere new to sit every day?

Unless the whole office is hot desks, every single place I've worked has allocated seats for each person within their teams.

Don't even get me started on what it's like when you do an office move around. Fucking 3 year olds would be more adult about which seat they get given.

I've always had allocated seating/or been the person allocating. In my old job it was about keeping teams together, keeping certain people apart and having some people in places so you could easily see their screens. I do not miss those days.

OP does this mean allocated desks instead of hot desking?

I’d hate hot desking.

Oh God, I remember secondary school seating plans! It was always, "Boy, girl, boy, girl" as well, like sitting next to the opposite sex would stop talking and pissing about.

It does feel a tad unnecessary as an adult in a work environment, but I wouldn't let it bother me tbh. If it's the rules, then it's the rules.

We had two new starters recently at work, one was told where to sit and one had a choice of 3 desks. The one who was told where to sit, that was the only free desk in that pod with the rest of his department. The one with a choice of 3 desks were the spare ones in that pod for the department he’s working in. The first took the replacement desk of the person before them. The second opted to take a spare desk and leave the other person’s desk as a spare. I’ve been in organisations before and my line manager has changed and so they’ve moved my desk to be closer to my line manager. I’ve never really thought of it as assigned seating like in school, in which you were sat boy girl by surname, it’s more like grouping people who need to work together for convenience.

I assumed as a adult we would be allowed to sit with who we wanted at work (obvious exceptions such as if people distract each other etc).

Have you just turned 18?

Soooo much disappointment still awaits you, OP!

We have a combined hot/fixed desk system. So for example, admin staff and team leaders generally have a fixed desk. Everyone else has to hot desk.

I'm the boss. I get an allocated desk. Unless I'm working off site. As do those on the same level as I and two levels down.

My new and junior employees do not. Until much more senior, they share. And get to choose from which ever desks are unoccupied that day.

I very much like my allocated desk

We never had allocated seating at school.