To complain about new hot-desking system

[Likesicecream]

Genuinely want to know how unusual I am here.

At my work we all hot desk, this is a relatively new thing. Currently you book the seat you want on a daily basis for the days you are in the office (min 3 days a week). You can see who has booked the other desks and choose accordingly. Most people stay relatively consistent but there’s some movement depending on who’s in when etc.

They are changing it to an app where you say what days you are going to be in, you can choose people you want to be “near”, and then the app assigns you a desk accordingly.

I hate this idea. I specifically choose desks such that I won’t be next to people who consistently speak very loudly on zoom calls, which is very distracting and also interrupts my own calls. I also avoid people with personal tics that annoy me like chewing with their mouths open - I am extremely sensitive to this, I can’t help it. And finally I choose a seat where I’m not “back to back” with another row of people because everyone’s on zoom calls all day and they don’t blur their backgrounds and I really hate being broadcast all day, if I’m sitting there eating my lunch I don’t want to be broadcast doing it.

I know I’m on the neurotic side with all of these things. I’m just trying to get an idea of how many others would agree?

yabu - this would not bother me
yanbu - this would bother me too

If it ain’t broke, why fix it?

Current system seems fine. Complain.

It seems way more complicated than it needs to be.

Why not a system that simply counts numbers so that, if there are 60 desks, only 60 people can book for that day.

Then let them sit here they like.

Pre booking a specific desk sounds mad!

We hot desk but just choose the desk when we get there without booking. It works well as you can see who is in and choose a seat accordingly. I'm not sure why it's necessary to book a specific desk, that sounds very restricted.

Same here. The only restriction is that specific teams sit in specific places
They gave up seat bookings after all the drama

Yanbu. It's good to have an app that can sort seat allocations but if it doesn't allow you to specify things you don't want to be near, and things and people you need to be at least 3 spaces away from etc then it's useless.

I'm not sure even an AI could effectively do this. There will always be things arising that need a mature judgement call. If Tina needs to be at least 3 spaces away from Sarah and with her back to a wall but Sarah needs to be near Tina and in the centre of the room then those needs are incompatible. And if no one wants to be near Sarah someone has to think about why and what to do about it.

The old system is imperfect but better.

I've hot desked the entire 20 or so years I have been working and habe seen all sorts of systems come and go.

The system my current workplace uses seems to work without any drama. Each desk has a number, you go in to the online system that has a map of the office. You select the floor and area of the floor (eg Ist floor west side) and then a map of all the desks in that area will pop up. You thwn select and book one of the desks indicated as free. If you click on a booked desk you can see who has booked it if you have strong opinions about who you sit near.

We seem to manage it with out many dramas.

If neurotypical people hate it imagine what it’s like for neurodivergent people.

Hot desking and open plan offices are the WORST ideas ever for neurodivergent people. It literally makes the working environment impossible to be in and access to work non-existent. It’s basically a giant flashing sign saying we don’t want you here.

We hot desk but just take an empty one on arrival.
People who are fussy just arrive early.
I prefer it as the desks are clean and uncluttered. Before they were filled with peoples photos, food, dirty cups, piles of paperwork and other detritus and we had a rodent problem.
With fixed desks some people always have the good ones and others left with the shit positions (next to photocopier, door, kitchen, etc).
Request they change the allocation criteria.

I’d give my right tit for either of your systems. We literally just have to turn up and find a desk and it’s ridiculous, you can’t reserve them for people so our team often ends up fragmented which negates the whole bloody point of coming in.

Where has the OP said she has a disability?
People with disabilities have fought a long time to be taken seriously and have rights in the workplace and this is exactly why it has been so hard, you shouldn't claim disability because of a preference.

Apologies to OP if her difficulties are because of disability, I'm not directing this at you, just the casual "claim it's a disability" thing.

Has your employer checked each and every desk is set up for each and every worker?

Health and Safety DSE regulations say your 'work station' should be set up for you. Does this new app take that in to account? I'm sure you favour some work stations over others.

https://www.hse.gov.uk/msd/dse/assessment.htm

Over the years I have found the HASAWA to be useful for other things.

@Archeron a disability, in the Equality Act is:

An impairment that is either physical or mental.
The impairment must have adverse effects which are substantial
The substantial adverse effects must be long-term
The long-term substantial adverse effects must be effects on normal day-to-day activities

Suddenly developing anxiety when a new system comes in is going to look suspicious. Faking an illness / medical condition could lead to dismissal.