Colleague has thrown everything away that was on my desk

[WinkyTinky]

Back to work after Christmas and a few weeks off sick, to find that one of my colleagues who sometimes works at my desk has thrown away all of my papers. It was mostly handwritten notes about kids' appointments, my holiday plans, lists of things to remember about school, school calendars, and my eldest son's GCSE timetable. It was all personal sentimental stuff that I liked to have on my desk to see and remind me. I asked where it all was and he said that he has "got rid of all the crap." I'm really disappointed and a bit furious actually, but he thinks it's all perfectly fine. I know I'm a ridiculous softy about a lot of things, but this was MY stuff.

I do this but I keep it in ONE notebook or my physical work diary. You sound a bit full of yourself and I do wonder if your colleagues would have a different story to tell.

What an unprofessional mess. That wouldn't be accepted at my work.

This is just pathetic and asking for you to get in trouble at work. Are you always so obstructive for petty reasons? What an existence that must be.

Just to add. I think it's unwise to post a picture of your desk at work, with papers relating to your employer, on mumsnet. No doubt I'll be accused of being a fun sponge, but that wouldn't be acceptable in my place for confidentiality reasons.

Surely clear desk policy means you put the paperwork somewhere safe.

Not bin anything on the desk?

I've worked places whether both of these were done. The worst was the place where anything left on a desk was taken to the CEO's PA and you had a post it note left on your desk to tell you to go to her to collect it.

Only ever had that happen the once. She was formidable.

Then the management would deal with it, presumably.

Maybe this colleague is more senior.

@MildredSauce
It's unbelievable isn't it?
I feel so sorry for the OP

The OP has had 16 pages to tell us if he is, @Scaredandalonepls…

Why would it even cross your mind that you needed to do anything with it? Who other than the man in question here sits temporarily at someone else's desk and thinks "it's my job to tidy that up" ?

I can't fathom that at all

YANBU OP.

I don't know why so many posters are going on about clear desk policies and what would happen at their office. It's totally irrelevant

He was being a rude arsehole.

😂 I've actually done this at work and it worked great! Of course it was my own desk and there was no "hot desking" in that office😎

I wouldn't be able to work in that hash on a desk I was working at. I'd have to redd it - but I wouldn't have binned it.

Just to add, the reason he sometimes has to use my desk is that there is a certain software which is only on my pc. In fact, I had to show him how to use some of it today.

"Oh I'm sorry Gary - I can't remember how to do that - I had it all written down on my notes on my desk, under the monitor. Now, where are they.....?"

I don't know what hash means in this context but it seems extraordinarily high maintenance not to be able to work for a temporary period because there are some pieces of paper on someone else's desk

I'd be looking surprised and saying "So, you couldn't just put it all in a plastic folder?!"

This was deliberate arsington behaviour. I'd be teasing him about plastic folders for months now...

Yes she has but she doesn’t seem like the type to reveal that to be honest!

It means mess/clutter. The Op's desk is a complete cluttered mess. I could not work in that level of mess, I'd have to clear it - but I wouldn't have binned her stuff. I'd have put it all in a drawer/in a folder/in a plastic bag and set it to the side.

The picture isn't how she left the desk, it's just to illustrate which papers he binned as she happened to have a photo with them on

I'm assuming you hadn't realized that, if you had and you're still talking about the few bits of paper under the monitor then my view hasn't changed, youre making a mountain out of a molehill

He could quite easily have put it away in a drawer if it was annoying him. He didnt. That along with the other behaviour just marks him out as a complete twat. Avoid. I would also tell HR about the bathroom behaviour. Why does he think that is appropriate?

I agree with you, @DreamW3aver.

So much outrage about a few pieces of paper on a desk where there is no clear desk policy and some of the gasps from people couldn't possibly work with those bits of paper on the desk, well, to me, they're verging on being a bit...odd.

Here you go, tidy deskers, if you want to see a messy desk, check this out.

Of course I realise it was the papers under the monitor. She had drawn around them to indicate that's what she was talking about.

I wouldn't have binned them, but I'd have gathered them up and put them away - why is that making a mountain out of a molehill? The op wasn't just off for a day or two, she had been off for weeks and he was having to use that desk while she wasn't there - he is entitled to have an environment that he can work in too. Plus I really don't think the OP should be putting photos of her work in progress on the internet for business confidential reasons but that's probably just me and my line of work.

@Baileysatchristmas He would have been at my desk for maximum an hour or two, and he had his own desk and entire office, filled with stuff. My.old boss and the sales manager, both of whom have left now, used to print out every page of every email they got! Now that was mental!

It would annoy me immensely too. When I worked in an office, I had a similar pile of notes, as well as other paperwork kept 'just in case '.
If I was off on leave I'd put it in my drawer, but if sick then I wouldn't have known to do that.
Unfortunately you'll just have to accept what happened and move on.

However, I would make his life as difficult as possible, without being overt about it and potentially getting myself into trouble.

Women need safe spaces from men, so I would request that the ladies toilet be locked and only the few women in the office have a personal key for access. It's not pleasant using the same toilet as men anyway, and him being so vile would make me super uncomfortable.

Good luck.