To be upset about being given the worst desk in the office?

[TeaTowelQueen]

Been working for a small firm for 6mths, 16hrs a week doing basic admin. Additional person starting (18yr old apprentice) so had to have a desk shuffle. Told today via email that I will be moved to a small desk, on the end of a block, back to the door and every person in the office will be walking to and fro right behind me for the 4hrs a day I am there.

I really hate it, every time I look at the desk waiting for me I want to cry.

My head knows that I am the lowest in the pecking order (even below both apprentices it appears) and I only work part time. I know the younger ones (I am in my 50s) need more nurturing and that they are the future. I know that I am being unreasonable. But I can't stop feeling just awful about it.

Any coping advice out there?

oh that sounds awful op.

I came back from holiday to office renovations to find my desk “temporarily” located in my bosses office’s doorway with my back to the entire office pathway. I sat there for 5 minutes wanting to cry. Then I told them I would not be sitting there and another location must be found. It was.

try saying no.

Thanks everyone for making me laugh with your 'desk of doom' experiences! I will try and approach it more positively tomorrow, I was just taken by surprise today and it left me feeling very low. I have lovely colleagues which is a rarity in itself so venting here helps me get over it x

It's both practical and personal. It will at the very least sting to be given the shittiest place to work.

😂

OP it’s a desk and not something worth crying about. You work part time and expect someone else to have this horrid desk apparently?

What exactly is the problem? The company have given you somewhere to work, to do your work and thats it. If you are working it shouldn’t matter if people can see your screen. So what if people walk by? It’s an office.

Honestly you are looking for a reason to be upset where none exists.

@Itallcomesdowntothis Oh come on! There are desks in offices that are not nice places to work

Hope it goes okay. Please ask for one of those self standing screens to put behind you. It will make the world of difference.

You may also find you get a stiff neck turning around all the time as people come into the office.

I completely understand, OP, and I'm sorry. I'm not going to add to the bits of good advice that you've had, but just to share that I'd probably feel much as you do.

There is no of course about it.

we can choose how we label a situation. We can choose whether to be upset about something so inconsequential. That’s what separates us from toddlers.

Well, someone has to have this desk - why should it not be you? You are only there part time, so it makes sense for it to be you.

Tbh im jealous that your biggest concern is desk

If you dont like it ask to hot desk. It'll probably be more about your short days than seniority

Part-timers are by law, not allowed to be treated less fairly than full time employees.

Oh come on! A desk is a desk. Sit there and do your work.

Agree with this. I think you're attaching far too much to this and upsetting yourself op. If it's causing practical issues then address those.

She’s not been made to sit on the roof. There’s nothing unfair about getting the crappy desk. Not everything is an injustice.

I’d hate to be sat at a desk in the st kind of position. Have always gone for back to the wall and a corner position. See if they can get you a side screen if that would help at all (prob not if the action is behind you) Even a coat stand between your back and the thoroughfare maybe to block you off a little bit?

It's a desk 😒 someone has to have it..

In my experience these things don't last long, there'll be another move around soon.

Of course I want someone other than me at the crappy desk. Who wouldn’t?

I'm confused now.

Are you the OP?

This has just brought back a memory of one of the ladies I used to work with in a previous job. She too was the part timer that got the crappy desk that she had her back to everyone in.

She'd jump so much each time anyone came to speak to her, she taped a small vanity mirror to the top of her screen so she got fair warning of someone approaching! No one minded though, not least because every time someone made her jump, she let out a little scream, which then made everyone else jump! 😂

I agree except we cannot choose our emotional reaction to a stress*, but we can choose how we act on that emotion and can use intelligence and logic to override what our emotions might be stimulating us to say or do. That is what distinguishes humans from the rest of the animal kingdom.

*As an example, try choosing to be happy when your most cherished loved one dies.

Part timers usually get the worst conditions but at 16 hours a week I really wouldn't be so bothered.

Having done PT teaching after 25 years full time, having my own classroom etc to having to wheel a trolley of books and equipment around 5 lessons a day I soon realised where I stood as PT as well.

No space of my own, working after lessons I had to find a computer somewhere, after teaching an after school class.

Did this for 3 years and it was awful so went back FT but because of budgets we had 2 classrooms between 4 of us so it continued to be relentless, no time for a breather even at break times as was on duty or had meetings, detentions at lunch.

So basically I think I'm saying, not ideal, and hopefully a better desk will become available, but for a few hours being in one place doesn't sound so bad?

Nope. But the question was asked in a very incredulous way, I responded with how I would feel to show how ridiculous I thought the question was.

That said, I have been in the OP’s situation over the years. Clearly anyone having a go at her hasn’t. It is a horrible place to be. Even for ‘only’ 16 hours a week. I’m in a crappy desk position at the moment but as I can WFH most days I avoid it. I could have moved when we had a room layout change (I’m the most senior person in the room and had my pick) but the person I would have swapped with would have been a pain in the arse about it so I chose to let it go and made sure my corner was stacked with the best staff and he’s over there with one other really annoying person. I choose instead to make my little dark corner a better place to be because of the people around me.

Oh joy, thank you.