Anxious about getting a desk in work tmw

[spanieleyes22]

We have been moved to a new office and tomorrow is the first day. A lot of us are rostered to be in and the chat on teams all day was how early people are coming in to get a desk. I don't think we should have to get in an hour early to get a desk? And then there's all the desks that don't work ie you end up having to just work on your laptop. AIBU to think we should be guaranteed a workstation or else just stay at home

Yeah there needs to be enough desks (or make them bookable) or you stay home. How far away is the office from you?

Ugh my work is like this and it drives me mad. I always get in for 8ish just to be sure I have a desk. It's nuts.

My office works on a booking system and it can be really hard to get a desk if you don’t book in time.

However, we work on a hybrid basis so I see it as a trade off for that. We used to have two offices but reduced to one as the demand for desks reduced due to people WFH 60% of the week but it can get really busy on certain days.

What happens if you don't get a desk. I can't get in early and I don't want to work an extra hour for free anyway!

If I didn't get a desk I'd have to ask someone to give up theirs - I work on spreadsheets so absolutely CANT cope with the laptop screen alone - some of my colleagues are pretty much email based so can (although nobody really wants to) or id have to go home. But then since that would take me over an hour, I'd probably have to make up the time. So I make sure I'm there. It's not fair really.

Sounds a bit like our office. If I go in and there are no desks, I just go home again. It would be impossible for me to work with just my laptop. I need 2 large screens.

When this happened at my workplace, I just told the manager there was nowhere for me to work, so I was going down to the canteen and he could come and let me know when a desk became available.

Other staff followed suit!

How far away from the office are you?

This used to do my head in when I was a hotdesking civil servant. 90 minute commute followed by crouching over a laptop sat on the floor, or walking miles round Whitehall trying to find a seat. No wonder the poor buggers were desperately trying to cling on to wfh after covid.

If I turned up to no desk I’d just go straight back home again

Ask your manager in advance. What happens if there isn’t a desk? I wouldnt go in early!

They need to sort out a booking system. If there’s no desk just go home.

If there is no suitable workstation this becomes an h &s issue, your work needs to provide a workstation that is suitable for you and meets your dse requirements/ is adjustable so you don’t get musculoskeletal problems etc.

How did it go OP? I would have gone home had there not been enough desks but it’s easier said that done.

YANBU but this is most offices in 2024. Find a way of getting your own desk. Back issues requiring a standing desk are a good one. Your office H&S/OH team should have a policy so you can see what justifications are accepted and the process for making a request.

Yes. Ridiculous. My office has desks and a booking system but we all have upgraded laptops as of last week. About 40% of desks at present don't currently have suitable connectors for new laptop to keyboard, mouse and large screen monitor. Office manager airily states "some can just use laptop without peripherals". No - she can fuck right off. I'm not peering at multiple documents/spreadsheets on a tiny screen and typing madly on a flat keyboard all day with no mouse. If I don't get a suitable desk I'll remain at home and tell them why.

Honestly, I started a new job at a well known retailer with over 12,000+ employees and they said it’s 2 days office which I was fine with rest wfh. It’s hot desk, so seats get booked up quick and there’s nowhere for me to sit. I turn up to office with nowhere to sit lol. Scrambling somewhere to find to sit. To make matters worse my manager doesn’t have a seat either. A colleague in my direct sub team does half day office, then rest wfh as he’s local - I don’t blame him.

There’s not enough desks to accommodate the team size at present, they’re in middle of recruiting more people aswell and expanding the team further out. This for growth.

There’s rarely any parking aswell. Have to get in early to get parking. My commute is over an hour each way.

On the plus side, there’s a lot of remote employees in my team. I’m still in probation period with 4 weeks left, so waiting till new year then will ask to be remote. Doubt they’ll mind. They recently hired a remote employee literally last week or so, with the same exact job title as me.

I don’t need to go office until mid December now for couple days then back in January onwards.