To ask for my old desk back on Monday?

[Foodieforlife]

I’m going back from mat leave on Monday. I’ve been off for nearly 18 months (took annual leave both before my mat leave started and after my mat leave finished). The office is different as it’s been refurbished now, I have a new desk and not the same one (rip being the closet person to the door to the little outside terrace, I used to work out there on sunny days on the laptop). Would I be unreasonable to ask if I can have my old desk near the terrace back?

I'm afraid I think you would be unreasonable - but surely you could still work outside on the terrace anyway?

Don’t be that person.

Hopefully I can still work out on the terrace, I’m definitely going to ask if I can still work out on the terrace

You been away for 18 months and you want your old desk back.

Good luck with that one

Yeah I probably wouldn't ask tbh.
Surely they'd still let you work outside?

Sorry but yeah I don't think you can do that.

I wouldn't ask either.

No 😂

Ok I accept I am being unreasonable. it had been my desk for nearly 15 years before my mat leave but I’ll just have to accept I now have a new desk

It’s not unreasonable to still ask if I can work out on the terrace though?

For context, it’s a small satellite office for a company based in Florida

You can ask if the person there is prepared to swap. But you need to be prepared to be gracious when they say no.

You can try but from personal experience you won't get far. I lost good desks on both mat leaves. The first one, my mat cover inexplicably agreed to swap with someone who had a worse spot. The second time, someone more senior nicked my desk as there was a short delay before they got my mat cover in post.

Of course i would be gracious if they say no

I would phrase it as a preference only...

"Is there any way I could work out on the terrace again, I used to love it there"

Why wouldn't you be allowed to work on the terrace?

It’s the same manager so she should let me again I think

You don't ask in life you don't get! Sod "being that person"! Just say you loved your old desk and working on the patio during nice weather, would it be possible to do that again/have old desk back. The absolute worst that can happen is they say no.

This is what I was thinking, but I was worried I would come across as cheeky or be judged/seem as unreasonable

Seen not seem

If it was me who was asked, I'd say no and be a bit passed off that I'd been asked.

You've been off for 18 months and now think you can swan in and ask someone to move so you can get your old desk back?????? Unbelievable.

18 months?! I think you'll have ruffled a few feathers with that anyway, I wouldn't bother waltzing in and making demands.

You can't go back after a year and a half and expect a desk in the same location as your old one, especially when the whole place has been refurbed!

No I really wouldn’t. Maybe whoever is sitting there will offer you the desk back, if they knew you sat there. Maybe they won’t, but I wouldn’t ask