Lonely at woek

[Sunnyespania]

I started at a new company 2 months ago. At the time I started you didn’t have your own desk but you team would be allocated a set area of the office floor.

in order to reduce the number of desks, the company have decided to do away with set areas for teams and people just sit where they can find a desk. Desks are quite tight and although I arrive at least half an hour before I am supposed to start, I generally sit away from any direct work colleagues. We are all spread out over the floor.

I don’t sit next to anyone I know or work with. As I result there is no conversation whatsoever, and as the team is spread out there is no collaboration with team members. The last week that I have been coming in I have spoken to two people the entire time. It sounds pathetic but I’m a people person and with the lack of any conversation whatever I just feel really lonely. I don’t need friends at work, just occasional words to liven up the day.

Is this a rubbish reason for looking for a new job? I could get a job elsewhere easily as my skills are in high demand, but I think the short time spent here will look odd on my cv. Sigh!

Its not a rubbish reason for looking for a new job, its a workplace culture that won't suit everyone and and its going to have a negative impact on your mental health.
If your CV otherwise looks good I wouldn't worry about it, its very easily explained.

sounds awful

as for the work itself… interesting? Challenging?

My employer started something similar pre pandemic and I didn’t enjoy it. You are right about connections and collaboration it just doesn’t happen naturally in those set ups.

It’s worse now as we wfh and connections are weak, no ideas bouncing off each other, no learning from each other, we are all individuals rather than a team. My work is interesting and challenging but doesn’t have the same buzz working alone.

We can book a desk if we want to go into the office but you could sit all day and not know or speak to anyone. I hate it but I’m too near retirement to change it. I would definitely look for something else if I was younger.

I am a sociable person, the project I work on could not have been so successful had I not already made the connections before the pandemic and it’s an effort to keep networking wfh. It’s definitely affected my mental health for the worse.

You got a new job wasn't what you expected you have given it a try can't see problem going for new job. Good luck

I had a very similar situation in my last place of work no interaction with colleagues, sat on my own. In addition, people worked different days all the time so you might say hello to someone when passing them on your way to the tea/coffee area but then not see that person again for 4 weeks, different people all the time due to WFH or flexible hours etc.

I stuck it out and managed 2 years before moving on, but it has really massively impacted on my social skills, on my confidence, and most of all on my tolerance level for noise and busyness. I now have very little stamina in the workplace so I get absolutely exhausted from interacting with people and come home from a 'normal' day shattered.

My advice would be to look elsewhere OP. I gradually got used to being alone, but looking back now I see it was bad for me.

The company I worked for was bought out in lockdown and when WFH stopped they announced they had taken on a new head office 40 miles away. While the commute was OK on the train - 10 minute drive to station, 30 minute train journey, 5 minute walk to office - I ended up sitting on my own all day as the rest of the team had been offered WFH contracts as they lived further away from the office than me! They wouldn’t grant me WFH even though I wasn’t sitting near anyway from the team. I was sitting beside HR and Accounts and even though they were perfectly nice people they had nothing to do with my operational role. So when they had a re-org and redundancy was offered I put my hand up to go. I’m now 62 and not far off State Pension age so I’ve taken a fixed term, part time NHS project role 5 miles from home and am very happy. To be honest, I never really enjoyed WFH - I much prefer an office environment (but with a short commute).

I agree OP, we are having to go back 3 days a weekcfor this reason for collaboration and thr mutiny and complaining is on par like a child's tantrum. They just want to wfh and basically say they don't care about talking to colleagues unless its about work or they can help then with their work.

Noone wants endless boring chat but we all need to have the odd 5min break every now and then.

Can you not have one coworker try to save a desk for when u get in?