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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:
HansChristianAnderfuck · 25/01/2022 06:59

@ElftonWednesday

He ended up in a broom closet

That’s terrible! How did he take it?

He made sweeping changes to the workplace gets coat

Broom Broom
2DogsOnMySofa · 25/01/2022 07:01

Of course you are being unreasonable, you can't expect a company to leave your desk and desk space free whilst you're on maternity leave. There will always be 'prime spots' at work, sometimes you get them, other times you don't. Think yourself lucky you had it for the time you did. If you're worried about privacy you can get a shield that attaches to your screen so people can't see your screen. Why you think it makes any difference regarding his salary and seeing your child's nursery makes you sound like a loon!

RantyAunty · 25/01/2022 07:02

Who cares about a desk.

Why are you being paid less than him?

GreenWheat · 25/01/2022 07:04

Things change and move on in most offices, and after time away these will be noticeable. People get promoted, leave, team reshuffles etc. These don't stop because you're on mat leave - other people are allowed to progress etc in the meantime. You may not like all the changes, but you don't own that space or the desk. Employers are required to hold your job open while you're on mat leave, but not your desk space.

Toanewstart22 · 25/01/2022 07:04

Interesting that your first response is to “demand”
Not a great start to your return

I would mention during a chat with manager

itwasntaparty · 25/01/2022 07:04

It's not maternity discrimination, it was never 'your' desk and it's certainly worth creating over.

Get some privacy screens for your screens.

You have no right to a certain space because you can see your daughters nursery. If you have a confidential call take it in a quiet room.

newname12345 · 25/01/2022 07:07

Email your manager and say you’d like to sit at your old desk, try to find some business reason, do not say it’s because you like looking out the window, at your child’s nursery or you don’t like that he can see your screen (unless you do confidential work he can’t see, which it doesn’t seem you do).

Think you will lose the battle if you actually ask to sit at your old desk. Perfectly reasonable to ask for a different desk if your new desk is not suitable for your role (privacy, etc), but that may not mean getting your old desk back.

PAFMO · 25/01/2022 07:07

This is absurd.

Do you not have much experience of working in offices with other people?

Sometimes, for various reasons, people move around, or are moved around. Unless the move means you are unable to do your job, to argue the toss is ridiculous.

Someone can now see your computer screen if they stand up. Presumably when you had the desk before, the same applied to you. Unless you are working undercover in AC12 (or for them) or are looking at dodgy websites, what does it matter that they can see your screen? Are they leaning over and reading? And they aren't supposed to? In which case, sure, complain.

As for being able to see the nursery- I'd like to think this was a wind up comment, but fear it's not. You need to get on with your job, not watch the nursery.

HollyBollyBooBoo · 25/01/2022 07:07

Just change it back, say it's yours and presumably he was only there as a temporary measure whilst you were off.

flowery · 25/01/2022 07:07

@BuanoKubiamVej

You have the right to return from maternity leave to the same role and terns and conditions as you had before leave. Any reduction in status or the favourability of terms that wouldn't have happened without you being on leave is likely to be discriminatory. It's true that in some work cultures there's no expectation for a desk to be reliably always available to a particular employee but in your particular employment it's normal to expect to keep your desk. You need to make a formal complaint that the relocation is materially detrimental to your wellbeing at work and to your ability to perform your duties and that it being firces through while you were on leave is discriminatory.
The specific bit of the office a person’s desk is located at is NOT part of their terms and conditions. I know people get very territorial over workspaces, which makes office moves a nightmare, but claiming a contractual right to have their desk on a certain bit of carpet would be ludicrous.
2DogsOnMySofa · 25/01/2022 07:08

Discrimination? About what? Maybe the bloke in your space has a medical reason and needs a stand up desk? Maybe he needs sunlight so needs to be by a window, maybe HIS kids go to the nursery and he wants to see them.

SoupDragon · 25/01/2022 07:10

Someone can now see your computer screen if they stand up

He has a standing desk. He is standing up all the time, there's no "if" about it. 😂

Pootle40 · 25/01/2022 07:12

Annoying but not discrimination. Your employer is duty bound to provide a safe, warm, cleaning working space to do your job and the equipment you need to do the job. So Long as they are doing that it doesn't really matter which part of the office it's actually in.

Snowiscold · 25/01/2022 07:13

@HollyBollyBooBoo

Just change it back, say it's yours and presumably he was only there as a temporary measure whilst you were off.
FGS, do not do this!
newname12345 · 25/01/2022 07:14

@HollyBollyBooBoo

Just change it back, say it's yours and presumably he was only there as a temporary measure whilst you were off.
Come in out of hours to physically swap desks as he has a standup desk there now? Not the sort of thing you really want to do on your own, and if you did your colleagues are likely to think you are a bit crazy as its only a desk.
duvetdayforeveryone · 25/01/2022 07:15

If the office manager refuses to intervene, take the following steps...

  1. Go into the office when the desk thief isn't there.
  2. Unlock the cupboard, and put something super stinky inside.
  3. Lock the cupboard and walk away with a smirk on your face.
  4. Come back from Maternity Leave to see the man has run far away from the stinky smell and the desk is yours once more!
PurBal · 25/01/2022 07:16

I cleared “my” desk when I went on maternity leave…

ThinWomansBrain · 25/01/2022 07:16

you aren't in the office full time and you're demanding a specific desk space full time? Hmm
If someone has a need for a standing desk, it would look very weird if it was placed in the centre of an office - not to mention that maybe org woild prefer staff to get on with their work rather than gaze out of the window.
If you are concerned about your screen being overlooked, ask for one of those privacy reader attachments.
I think I'd be more concerned that the organisation decided they could function perfectly well without replacing your maternity cover when they moved on.

Foolsrule · 25/01/2022 07:16

Agree with @HollyBollyBooBoo. If he’s not there often, plenty of opportunity. How creepy to have him standing over/behind you now. Didn’t anyone think that would be inappropriate?!

tiredanddangerous · 25/01/2022 07:18

I think all you can do is ask to have it back op. Don't go in and demand anything.

MimiDaisy11 · 25/01/2022 07:18

You say he’s not there much. Does he go off for months at a time? If so maybe change back then?

Otherwise it’s just one of those things. At least you’re near windows. Last office I worked in we were in middle of large office not anywhere near a window.

PAFMO · 25/01/2022 07:20

@SoupDragon

Someone can now see your computer screen if they stand up

He has a standing desk. He is standing up all the time, there's no "if" about it. 😂

Ah ok. Grin So OP is watching him looking at her screen. Got it!
PAFMO · 25/01/2022 07:21

@duvetdayforeveryone

If the office manager refuses to intervene, take the following steps...
  1. Go into the office when the desk thief isn't there.
  2. Unlock the cupboard, and put something super stinky inside.
  3. Lock the cupboard and walk away with a smirk on your face.
  4. Come back from Maternity Leave to see the man has run far away from the stinky smell and the desk is yours once more!
And enjoy your new found freedom when you get suspended for being a twat!
Danh22 · 25/01/2022 07:27

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk guidelines.

Cstring · 25/01/2022 07:28

@LaBellina

Wouldn’t this count as some sort of maternity discrimination? Might sound like a far stretch but some companies/bosses/ coworkers could actually use this to punish /bully their pregnant employees for taking up maternity leave. Sad, but it’s an actual thing.
Very doubtful. The discrimination would only be if she couldn’t return to her job or an equivalent role following maternity. The location of your desk is inconsequential in this context, it’s just a space to do work.
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