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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Desk taken at work while on maternity

459 replies

Flopsy145 · 25/01/2022 04:23

I'm coming to the end of my maternity leave and have found out that a man in my team has moved into my desk while I've been off and replaced it with a standing desk. I love my desk, it has a window and privacy which I need more than him in the role I'm in, and I can see my daughter's nursery.
He's on more money than me, and didn't even ask to have my desk, which still has a locked cupboard of mine next to it which I need.
The desk I've been moved to is pretty shit.
AIBU to demand my desk back?

OP posts:
zoeFromCity · 25/01/2022 12:22

@godmum56

about this confidentiality thing......I used to work in the NHS and the confidentiality setup there is within teams and only very rarely limited to an individual....individuals go sick, move on, are on leave...even maternity leave....and someone needs to take over their caseload or deal with queries when the usual person is out of the office and so on....so why the big deal about seeing each others screens if you are on the same team? And what is so fascinating about the OP's screen that the person behind will want to peer at it?
Sounds like in NHS it is patient confidentiality. As EA with parts of office management, it can be business, customers or team members confidentiality - manager's emails &calendar, maybe some bits of HR (processing vacation/benefits/travel reports).

If OP feels that the setup with her taking the currently free desk would risk breaching confidentiality, she isn't BU to discuss it. If she is right, it would be unprofessional not to, if it is ok, she will know not to worry about that aspect.

Jconnais1chansonquivavsenerver · 25/01/2022 12:22

@DoNotGetADog

It could be worse - my sister’s job moved to a different country while she was on maternity leave!
Best answer yet, puts it in perspective for the OP! (I disagree that the OP is being unreasonable, I think people responding negatively to her are probably used to working in a different kind of office "climate" than hers.)
Febs21 · 25/01/2022 12:25

This thread is bizarre. An OP posts in quite reasonable terms about something that's bothering her about return to work and gets a load of aggressive responses from people telling her she's lucky to have a job having had a baby during a pandemic, probably going to be made redundant, mocking her job as an EA, telling her she's unhinged etc... Really odd backlash because people seemingly don't understand that not all offices have a hot desking culture. And no I am not public sector (city law firm - own desks and this would never happen while someone was on mat leave).

Foolsrule · 25/01/2022 12:26

@Jconnais1chansonquivavsenerver - agreed, a different climate or never having worked in an office before Grin

@Cheekypeach - are you Mr Standing Desk?

CaptSkippy · 25/01/2022 12:28

@Flopsy145

Either that or I'll arrange for an office reshuffle to better make use of the space and change the layout so we all have private desks Smile this is something that has been spoken about in the past anyway.
I'd say do that.

Also this issue isn't minor and you are right that he weighted for the opportunity till you were gone to do this shit. It hardly ever happens by accident. And from everything else you've posted about people's conduct in the office, he has gone deliberately against it.

In your situation I'd be tempted to have the space cleared before you get back. Put him back in his place, the cheeky cow.

Gilda152 · 25/01/2022 12:32

If you're effectively the office manager can you not just manage him back to the part of the office from whence he came?

Sorry not read the full thread

Gonnagetgoing · 25/01/2022 12:34

@Febs21

This thread is bizarre. An OP posts in quite reasonable terms about something that's bothering her about return to work and gets a load of aggressive responses from people telling her she's lucky to have a job having had a baby during a pandemic, probably going to be made redundant, mocking her job as an EA, telling her she's unhinged etc... Really odd backlash because people seemingly don't understand that not all offices have a hot desking culture. And no I am not public sector (city law firm - own desks and this would never happen while someone was on mat leave).
@Febs21 - but what people are saying is true. Lots of admin/EA jobs are wanted by people made redundant over pandemic. A good EA is worth their weight in gold but not a precious moaning Minnie.

I've also worked in a city law firm where there's been a combo of own desks and hot desking - depending on which department you're in and more and more offices are working towards hybrid working and hot desking and maybe even moving to smaller offices. Mat leave means nothing either, OP might not even return to work then her desk wouold be free.

CloudPop · 25/01/2022 12:35

@Flopsy145

Either that or I'll arrange for an office reshuffle to better make use of the space and change the layout so we all have private desks Smile this is something that has been spoken about in the past anyway.
Surely this is the answer?
Gonnagetgoing · 25/01/2022 12:40

@Puzzledandpissedoff

Is this actually a joke? People work like this?

IME they do in much of the public sector
With too little to do and too many people to not do it, things such as "my desk" take on an imagined importance they'd seldom have elsewhere

@Puzzledandpissedoff - you're so right. I recall a friend of mine who's an OTA - she was on a contract but had a few run ins with people when they started hot desking saying she'd moved their personal items etc and couldn't seem to grasp the concept of hot desking and not leaving personal items on desks! They wanted and expected permanent desks. My friend was just firm and pleasant with them but got on with her work at the hot desk.

I recall I temped for a few months in a gov dept in Victoria - huge scramble for hot desking but I had to be in similar/same area to be near to my boss for work - but you got people who claimed their own desks (unsure if permanent or not) as their own space and even down to cabinets to store files etc in! Luckily someone found me space but you wouldn't believe the squabbles and infights towards an 'office manger' type person who did a lot of grunt work. they had a lot to do and actually seemed to be enough staff to do it!

Yerroblemom1923 · 25/01/2022 12:44

Is theya desk shortage???? Surely he's lost a chair and you've still got a desk?!

MonicaGellerCleans · 25/01/2022 12:46

When I was pregnant with my eldest child, I was off sick for two days, came back and my desk had been removed from the office, my work given to other colleagues and I was told I had to spend the rest of my time at work until maternity leave doing filing in the filing room with the 16 year old office junior. When I spoke to my boss I was told to fuck off if I didn't like it.

They were then discriminatory to me for the rest of the time until maternity leave, nitpicking and always hauling me in the office for a telling off.

Puzzledandpissedoff · 25/01/2022 12:46

they had a lot to do and actually seemed to be enough staff to do it!

But surely they couldn't have had, Gonnagetgoing - aren't we always told they've been "cut to the bone" and so on? Wink

I don't imagine every one's the same, but I really wish those who say these things could have spent a day at our local council ...

girlmom21 · 25/01/2022 12:46

@Foolsrule

So many nasty comments on this thread Hmm Presumably if the OP’s replacement has stayed until she returned, this wouldn’t have happened. Her desk would have very much still been her desk. Mr Standing Desk has spotted an opportunity and annexed her space as his own. Time for the OP to return to her job and desk as though nothing has happened. As with the example above where things went badly, don’t even entertain anything other than your desk being your desk. Straight back in, first day, bits and bobs out, crack on. If Mr Standing Desk creates a fuss, let him, and remind him that he had no right to invade your territory in the first place.
Not necessarily true. Surely the assumption is that the location where OP's desk was is the most logical location for a standing desk, so there's not someone standing randomly in the middle of the office.
godmum56 · 25/01/2022 12:50

@zoeFromCity
"Sounds like in NHS it is patient confidentiality. As EA with parts of office management, it can be business, customers or team members confidentiality - manager's emails &calendar, maybe some bits of HR (processing vacation/benefits/travel reports).

If OP feels that the setup with her taking the currently free desk would risk breaching confidentiality, she isn't BU to discuss it. If she is right, it would be unprofessional not to, if it is ok, she will know not to worry about that aspect."

Indeed but who has been doing her job while she wasn't there and who will do her job when she is on leave/sickness? Surely if you work in a team office, seeing each other's screens is just about unavoidable?

HelloFrostyMorning · 25/01/2022 12:55

That's horrible. For anything to be altered/moved/taken away when a woman is on maternity leave is so insulting and disrespectful. It feels like they're trying to phase you out.

YANBU @Flopsy145

ClariceQuiff · 25/01/2022 13:00

No one is entitled to a particular desk. The fairest thing to do would be to toss a coin for it - or if there are others who'd like it, but haven't spoken up, perhaps you could pull a name from a hat.

SlapBet · 25/01/2022 13:00

When I started my admin job someone in the office told me on my first day, “Whatever you do, don’t mention desks!”
The previous day a woman had been moved to a desk that backed onto the office and threw such a strop about people looking over her shoulder that she had to be sent home to compose herself. That office was full of drama though. When I came back from my first maternity they hadn’t arranged a desk, computer or anything. Ended up sitting at a makeshift desk in my bosses office like a pet for a while (better than the car park I suppose, at least he shared his sweets).

I would say YABU as I have never worked anywhere that a desk belongs to you and we were always being reshuffled. Since COVID and hybrid working we all hot desk.

godmum56 · 25/01/2022 13:04

@HelloFrostyMorning

That's horrible. For anything to be altered/moved/taken away when a woman is on maternity leave is so insulting and disrespectful. It feels like they're trying to phase you out.

YANBU @Flopsy145

so every reorganisation/improvement/needed change has to wait maybe a year for one emplyee to return to work? on what planet?
Violetroselily · 25/01/2022 13:06

YABU

Suck it up and get privacy screens for your monitor(s)

Foolsrule · 25/01/2022 13:07

@girlmom21 - but if Mr Standing Desk is breathing down her neck all the time, positioned right behind her, surely that’s not right?

Ifailed · 25/01/2022 13:09

For anything to be altered/moved/taken away when a woman is on maternity leave is so insulting and disrespectful.

Really? In any large organisation there's probably at least one woman on maternity leave at any time, are you really expecting everything to be permanently set in aspic?

Shehasadiamondinthesky · 25/01/2022 13:09

I have a preferred clinic I use at work. However if someone gets there and occupies it earlier than me it's tough luck I can't use it.
I don't own the clinic. You can't expect to have your old desk back if you haven't been there for a year.
I think it's a bit precious of you to expect everything to be the same when you get back to work.

grapewine · 25/01/2022 13:14

So your job was absorbed into your line manager's day - effectively showing that the position isn't needed. But you don't really have to worry because it's in the public sector, and they're 'desperate' to keep you but couldn't really fire you even if they wanted to. And you moan about a desk?

Count yourself so bloody lucky. Jesus.

Febs21 · 25/01/2022 13:16

@Gonnagetgoing yes I get that - world of work is clearly evolving etc etc. Just think it's strange behaviour to take a relatively innocuous question about a desk as an opportunity to gleefully slate someone's entire career and tell them they are probably going to be made redundant - seems something of a reach. That said, I guess it's classic AIBU...

PrincessNutella · 25/01/2022 13:20

It's not your job, it's the company's job. You can ask, but they have a right to put people where they want, and arrange the company furniture (not your furniture) however they want.