Desk taken at work while on maternity

[Flopsy145]

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?

I might be confused about the setup, but could the privacy issue not be resolved by turning your desk to you are sitting with your back to the wall?

@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

There is so much bollocks talked about "the public sector" (as if it was one homogenous mass). Like any sector, it has it's issues but it is also full of hard-working and dedicated people who are very often overworked and understaffed. I've worked in various organisations including local government, NGPBs and higher education. I work in the public sector because I care and I don't want to spend my working life making vast profits for shareholders. But according to MN we're all tea-swilling waste of space bureaucrats, not like the amazing, dynamic and ethical approach we so often find in the private sector eh? Oh wait...

Also, it's fine not to agree with the OP but to demean her role (junior, at risk, only administrative, oh of course public sector) is shitty.

[quote Foolsrule]@girlmom21 - but if Mr Standing Desk is breathing down her neck all the time, positioned right behind her, surely that’s not right?[/quote]
He's not breathing down her neck. She's explained the positioning.

This whole thread is a bit bonkers really but assuming Mr Standing Desk didn't come in and construct the desk in 'your' space himself.

I'm public sector as well in a fairly similar field and to move something as silly as a stationery cupboard requires weeks of planning, several meetings and endless sign offs

Chat to your line manager! Something along the lines of "I see there has been a bit of a reshuffle while I've been off. I'm concerned that the desk I have now doesn't give me the privacy to do X, Y and Z. What can be done to resolve this?" and take it from there.

Unless he had permission to snag your desk, then the guy really shouldn’t have just helped himself so is therefore a barefaced CF. Please remember that OP.

It’s difficult to know how to approach this without kicking up a fuss.

It’s only been a few months so it might be best to ask him directly if he had actually arranged to swap desks and if not tell him that you’ll be needing your desk back.

Failing that just steal it back again when he’s on annual leave 😜

Good luck OP, may tue MN force be with you! Oh and please be sure to update us!

Is there a diagram?? 👀

@CoronaKidd

Unless he had permission to snag your desk, then the guy really shouldn’t have just helped himself so is therefore a barefaced CF. Please remember that OP.

It’s difficult to know how to approach this without kicking up a fuss.

It’s only been a few months so it might be best to ask him directly if he had actually arranged to swap desks and if not tell him that you’ll be needing your desk back.

Failing that just steal it back again when he’s on annual leave 😜

Good luck OP, may tue MN force be with you! Oh and please be sure to update us!

a public sector employee managed to bring in a standing desk and re arrange the office off their own bat? again on what planet?

Unless he had permission to snag your desk, then the guy really shouldn’t have just helped himself so is therefore a barefaced CF. Please remember that OP.

The desk has been replaced. I can't imagine he went and bought a new desk himself, manhandled it into the office and constructed it without being challenged.

@CoronaKidd

Is there a diagram?? 👀

oo yes please and popcorn

If you speak to them about it emphasize the need for privacy in your role. Don't mention that you can see your daughter's nursery. Just stick to the things that affect your professional role.

Why is seeing your screen an issue as you work for same company or do you do stuff he isn't allowed to see ( payroll etc) then you may be able to get things moved around if not why would they care if he can see your screen
As it stands if he has a standing job technically you still have your desk its just been relocated and unless you can prove this is detriment to your job or health there won't be a lit you can do
Infact he needs a desk for health reasons so may trump it on that alone and could be good reason why its located where it is of which you have no right to know all the details
Ultimately the company can move people and desks around ll the time if they see fit
I sat in same place for 4 years then we had a reshuffle and my desk was moved with my back to door which i wasn't keen on but had to lump it

@BuanoKubiamVej how do you know its normal i their workplace and seems the guy who has been moved may have disability reasons

@CoronaKidd he hasn't even taken the desk just the space the desk was in as he has a standing desk and I'm sure everyone will notice its been moved and he could have very valid reasons for it being put where it is
The OP still has her desk just in a different location
Calling out the discrimination card on this could also be risky he has a standing desk after all so likely assessed to need one and there is no discrimination in moving a bloody desk across the office

Op is being called ridiculous/entitled/laughable for expecting to have a set desk that she previously had, while also getting told that's his desk now, you can't expect to have it back, you've been away, he's been sitting there?

She’s a woman see, so if she asserts herself or asks for something it’s an “unreasonable fuss”. If a man just takes what he wants that’s accepted and “the way it goes”.

@GertrudePerkinsPaperyThing

Op is being called ridiculous/entitled/laughable for expecting to have a set desk that she previously had, while also getting told that's his desk now, you can't expect to have it back, you've been away, he's been sitting there?

She’s a woman see, so if she asserts herself or asks for something it’s an “unreasonable fuss”. If a man just takes what he wants that’s accepted and “the way it goes”.

It's the OPs entitlement that's the issue

She has been gone for a year

Of course they will have moved things around

And no she isn't entitled to things being put back on her request

I would hate this but when working in a office we had frequent desk reshuffles with no notice, sometimes I think.it was a power trip by the manager !
I understand how you feel but noone "owns" a desk in the office.
We are now a hybrid wfh/ office and are all hot desking.
It's rubbish when you have a nice spot then loose it but usually just have to suck it up unless there is a really good reason not to move. Manager could have handled it better though and forewarned you.

@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

In my department there are between 1-10 people on mat leave constantly. We'd never get anything done if this was the rule!

I had this happen to me too, though alongside a lot more when I returned to work after having DD. It was accepted at park of a sex discrimination & constructed dismissal case that I won.

This bit I think came under "unfavourable treatment" as in my case my very private desk where I could deal with confidentiality & have a quiet space to concentrate, was moved to a more open less private space.

I think it depends on the desk culture where you work though, if it's generally fixed, then you have an argument for this. If people tend to swap around, not so much so...

barcankirby.co.uk/maternity-leave-employment-rights/

Those of you saying 'well he wouldn't have just rocked up with a new desk and decided himself to move', I honestly would not be surprised if he did! Men get away with so much more than women in the workplace. I've worked in places where men would just get away with doing that and female workers would just be expected to accept it

@MonicaGellerCleans

Those of you saying 'well he wouldn't have just rocked up with a new desk and decided himself to move', I honestly would not be surprised if he did! Men get away with so much more than women in the workplace. I've worked in places where men would just get away with doing that and female workers would just be expected to accept it

Yes, he bought the standing desk and came in and started moving round the desks, built the desk and no one said a word.

OK then you have worked somewhere, where that happened?

Why is this turned it to a man versus women with no evidence thats the case
The man has a standing desk so clearly also has to be catered for under possibly the disability act so maybe his needs actually trumps the op need to see her childs nursery from the window and that reason really isn't useful to help women get further in the workplace
If its in a open office as it sounds how is one place going to be more private for confidential calls than another and whos to say he can't hear these calls anyway if same company
More details about nature of jobs would help clarify wether op has the need for a desk to be in another position

@GertrudePerkinsPaperyThing except he hasn't been sitting at her desk as he
He has a standing desk in her old work desk space her desk is still there
He also has reasons to have a standing desk which may even come under the disability act
OP wS more concerned about loosing her window etc than providing valid reasons why her desk needs to be in that space and where is can be suitabily relocated

@AlDanvers well not someone doing this exact same thing, no. But certainly making 'executive decisions' and doing things that are on a par. Men do get away with a lot more than women in the workplace. It's shit. But it's a fact.

according to MN we're all tea-swilling waste of space bureaucrats ...

Not, not all of you, DareDevil - but IME there are still far too many

@godmum56 maybe they google in work time ?
Like you say unless they do payroll or personnel etc many things can be shared with colleagues etc the OP hasn't came back to clarify why and also if he can see her screen and the desks are all together in a room there is no confidentiality, unless you have a separate office , if open planned you can hear all the calls happening in general