New starter with no desk!

[Mls1984btc]

Having been working with dual screens and a big desk in a sunlight drench office for a decade, it came as a massive shock being told I will have no option but to hotdesk in the new role new office.

The issue here is that most of the desks have been occupied by people who have worked there for a long time so it has been known as “their” desk. It was expected of me to just turn up and hope for the best, I.e there’s a desk for me to sit.

If I wanted I could have wfh. However i am rather new to the role and hoped to gain as much training through my colleagues as possible. It will be beneficial for me to work on site.

I am already getting depressed thinking about turning up on Monday with no desk. Everybody will be in next week so there’s no chance of a desk.

My manager knew about this but is expecting me to sort it out myself. As to how I have no idea. I am thinking of looking in office next door just to see if the manager next door will allowed me a desk, but isn’t that kind of defeat of object of staying in the same room?

Anybody can shed a light 😢?

This is perfectly normal for new starters... I didn't get a permanent desk at my workplace til 6 months in.

It's not really a hardship or a bother. Just put it back onto your manager and ask them to find you a desk.

Well they are being stupid offering hot desks if the office isn't configured that way, surely?

Is this a new role in a new company?

If so, whoever the person is that you will meet to show you where the people you want to sit with are, just say to them 'so where shall I set up?'

If its a role in your current company y I think you are worrying to much.

Hot desking can be worrying if you haven't done it before. But you will soon get used to it.

Hot desking is OK if there are enough desks but bloody awful if there aren't. I briefly worked in a large open plan office in Central London which was hot desking. In theory you booked a desk and it should be there for you when you arrived, but there simply weren't enough, so you'd get back from a meeting and someone had borrowed your desk. You could ask them to move but "they won't be a minute" or "Big boss needs this by xxpm" or it is big boss! Or they'd simply refuse, are you going to go crying to the boss?

I can honestly say that was the most stressful period of my almost 40 year working life.

This is perfectly normal these days, though not saying I like it, and personally I think part of the reason companies are having staff shortages is because they have "over optimised" everything including where people site, without thinking of the long term consequences.

To be honest, I think it will continue because it is accepted a lot more people will be working from home and real estate is expensive in city centres.

I doubt if the manager in the next room is even allowed to help you. But with hot desking theoretically you can sit anywhere, so just turn up early, get the best desk, and drive some long standing member of staff crazy!!

Sorry for not making it clear, the AIBU part of this thread is that will I be stepping on his toes if I went around the building asking different manager for a desk?

Will that count as proactive or overstepping my mark?

I will have to drop the kids off before I start so there’s no chance of turning up early 😖

If you turn up and there’s no desks then I think it’s fine to see where else you can go. And you never know if someone might be sick, or WFH last minute etc.
But I wouldn’t pre empt that in advance personally until I knew the situation on the day.

It is just so depressing how can the manager expect me to settle in when I do not even have a desk😤

Guess is time to put on the big girl pants and Just gets on with it

Hot desking doesn't mean you don't have a desk. It means you don't have a permanent desk.

So when you arrive, you go to where your team sit (or ask if you don't know) and you choose a free desk. If you're not sure, if the computer isn't logged in, then it's free. Regardless of Joan's houseplant or Pete's special cushion.

If there isn't a desk available in your team area then your manager will need to tell you where to go. You can't just float round the office and find somewhere, not on your first day.

Hot dealing is fine but in my experience people tend to always sit in the same place.

I have been sitting at the desk “belongs” to a colleague who has been on long term sick. He will most definitely be back Monday and I have been told by others I will have to vacate the desk. As to where nobody can tell and care.

What’s irks me is that my manager knew about this and he has been avoiding me. That’s what gave me the impression that I am expected to sort it out myself.

That’s when I thought of going next door and ask the manager has he got any free desk I can use.

However I am also new so not sure if this count as initiative or presumptuous.

I miss my old place 😣

We had this in my old job, pre working from home. But we used to uproot the most senior member of the team who still had a desk and move everyone round so the new person had a "permanent" desk (technically hot desk). Which was much friendlier I think.

Well, they will soon learn, when they get a lot of staff turnover, that they are a bit of a shit employer.

Ah this sounds horribly awkward.
I also used to work in a place that was technically hot desks but in reality everyone (including me) always sat at a specific desk.
I don’t have any advice though. If your manager is there maybe say you can’t find a desk and ask if he thinks it would be alright if you asked next door?