Colleague refusing to hotdesk at work – anyone else face this issue??

[Singleparent78]

Post-pandemic our offices have moved to a hotdesking set up as part of new hybrid working. Most FT staff now WFH 2-3 days/week and now, when they do come in, they no longer have ‘their own’ desk but instead sit at a series of desks which they book in advance – each desk has IT equipment, but staff have all been given laptops that they can bring in.

It’s not ideal but it encourages a good mixing of staff and ultimately saves money - with staff WFH it was possible to reduce the overall office footprint rather than have the same office with half populated desks. A lot of effort went into setting up the new hot desk system to ensure it was well kitted out and comfortable.

One Staff member has been refusing to come in and hot desk. Says it’s a policy that can’t be enforced, that this way of working is not in his contract.

He claims the desks aren’t access compliant – he doesn’t have a disability he just is complaining about the process of setting them up and doesn’t feel the set-up is compliant. He has been WFH for months now, refusing to come in and use the hot desks until he gets his own desk with a number of other requirements on his list.

HR have been useless, just saying I will need to make adjustments ‘to support him’ but my view is as he doesn’t have special requirements, just a general grievance, so needs to follow policy - otherwise what is the point of the policy?

Anyone else have this problem? How did you address it?

If you're convinced making him come in is correct you manage him like you'd manage anyone else who wasn't doing what was required of them.

I’d agree with an assigned desk for everyone who is full time in office. I’d ensure that rules are no personal items to be left on any desk but have to be put in lockers overnight. And I’d make sure this was baked into policies. Tbh with this employee I’d assign a desk and enforce 5 days a week in the office.

Also, very few companies with hybrid workers have assigned desks anymore. Practically you end up with ‘xxx always sits there’ and you check if they’re in before making yourself comfortable. Ime 74% of people don’t really care

Is he doing his job properly? If so why does he need to come into the office? Is it just a point the company is making or is he unable to do the job properly if he works from home all the time?

You mention meetings, but why do they have to be face to face?
I have hot desked and it is not great even with fully adjustable desks, chairs and equipment it can take a long time to set everything up just right, then someone else comes in uses it and changes it again! I ended up with back ache because of never being able to get the adjustments just right. Then there is the issue of making sure everything is cleaned between one staff member and the next

If HR really aren't supporting then I agree with the 'call his bluff' idea. Organise a set desk for him as a trial pending assessments of particular needs. It wouldn't be a hot desk as he'd have 'his' desk and everyone else would just be hot-desking around him. He presumably still won't come in as ultimately he wants to wfh and not be in the office. But he won't be able to blame the hot dealing and you can deal it it appropriately.

Is it a major issue if he doesn’t come in? Why can’t he wfh?

if the answer is just because you want him to come in that’s not a good enough answer in my book. People will be quitting companies like this if there isn’t a good reason.

If he agrees to come in for team meetings once a month and key face to face meetings would that be good enough? Can you meet him half way?

I absolutely hate hot desking and refused to do it myself. However, I worked full time in the office so there was no good reason for it. If he wants a permanent desk perhaps suggest he comes into the office full time? He can't complain that's not in his contract.

If you've done the DSE assessment, there are no health/ OH issues, he can't tell you WHY he won't return (to give you an opportunity to resolve any issues) and his contractual place of work is the office then tell him that given the above facts of the matter, he is required to return to office working by x date or (inset consequences of not returning here) . Remind him (if he has the qualifying length of service ) that he does have right to the submit a formal flexible working request to work from home permanently which you can then consider under your company's fw policy (if you have one) and the statutory fw legislation.

Send him a letter/ email summarising the above after your conversation

You need to start building an audit trail so start putting things in writing

You can then speak to HR about your options eg letting him wfh if it works for the business and the employee or starting disciplinary action.

If he is still performing well at his job I'd just leave him to it. More desk space for everyone else.

I kicked up a stink about hot desking as my employer had bought me special equipment due to health issues, and I was then expected to move those items round to find a desk, that seemed to make a mockery of me being assessed as needing equipment and then being told to cause health issues by moving them around. I think he needs an OT assessment to decide if he does need any adjustments, which might include his own desk. In my case, that is what happened.

But I hear you about dSE assessments - they are sort of pointless if we have to move from desk to desk, sitting in various chairs etc.

They are not pointless at all and if you have a hotdesking set up you need to take that into account.

We have a hotdesking set up and i do get a bit annoyed when i can't get the desk i prefer. I have reasons for wanting that one (it is the only desk in our offices that never ever gets the sun, in an office where the window opens - not all do - and it is the only place halfway bearable for my hot flashes. I am not prepared, yet, to have to spell that out at work)

Where i have problems with some "hotdesking" arrangements is that they are badly thought out. You said you all have spiffy new chairs - are they complicated to get just right? I am very particular about how i like my chair, spend ages setting it up then some fucker comes in to use it for 5 minutes while talking to someone else and completely arses it about.
We have nowhere secure to leave things like bluetooth keyboards - that means if someone moves the one that you have set up to your laptop, you have to use a laptop keyboard all day - which is shit, especially given we have 3 lovely big monitors, lovely keyboards & mouse to use.
If you need files & paper - is it inconvenient to have to keep schlepping them around to the office you could get for today, and potentially interrupt someone doing something else if you forgot one?

Absent a good policy, and a useless HR (you "lol" about that? are you senior? your attitude is a bit off) you ought to be working on that as a priority.

Yes, I had this very problem approximately 5 years ago, so not COVID related.
He was the Head of Health and Safety! His concern was that he had a monitor with an anti-glare screen on it, that he had his desk set up to accommodate his posture etc. and he had a special chair and thing to put your feet on under his desk. I spoke to the head honcho and suggested that he keeps his assigned desk. Head honcho agreed and he kept his desk! We had a system for each department's admin to get WFH instructions from each member of their team at the end of the week for the following week and to fill it in on a sort of excel spreadsheet, then everyone could clamber for the free desks for their excess staff but we just always put him down as being in the office and said nothing to anyone or else they'd all have started to complain! 😁

He sounds like a pain in the arse.

Will he comply with it if he gets to keep his own desk? If so, say nothing to anyone and just let him keep his desk. If he objects to randomers sitting next to him, then you need to ask him what exactly would make this arrangement 'work' for him. 😉

Also, if his contract doesn't stipulate an assigned desk, then he doesn't necessarily have a leg to stand on. Hot-desking is not ideal to be fair, but the businesses I've been in had people out on site quite a bit, so it made no sense for everyone to have an assigned desk.

The majority of disabled people don't use a wheelchair. This comment alone raises red flags on how things have been set up.

My fella also complained once when I sent out an email about after work drinks as he doesn't drink and he felt it was discriminatory. He was a complainer lol. To an extent I could see his point of view on both the desks and the drinks after work, but what can ya do! Appeasing him worked. Acknowledge his complaint and tell him that you can see his point of view and work with him I suppose on a solution that works.

Can I ask why?

Even if you always sit there isn't YOUR desk. It seems a bit possessive other something that isn't important.

Obviously just my view as I understand you will disagree with me

Occupational Health
if he doesn’t comply, or he does and the issue is resolved that way either by deciding adjustments are needed or they’re not then disciplinary action

Are you his line-manager OP? If not, is it your business?

I'd make sure you have documented in writing all of the offers of support, occupational health and have documented his declining.

If he has concerns about the suitability of the set up, tell him to document them in writing - if he is saying things are 'not compliant' ask him not compliant with what exactly?

Be clear with your expectations that he attends in person on X days and if he doesn't come in apply the disciplinary policy. It gets to a point as a manger you can be as supportive as you like - it sounds like he doesn't want to be in and you have to address that formally.

This. What's the problem?

Kick this back to HR and request the start of a disciplinary action. This bloke is taking the piss. If he has no disability, can he at least have the same desk every day he’s in? Hot-desking is not ideal with covid ever threatening.

My DS is 6”5 - the hot-desking concept does not work for him ergonomically in theory. He already has back problems for, years of sitting badly at school and university to study.
when his company went down hot desk route, they didn’t even ask him…his manager told him there’d be a special desk for him and anyone else they ever hired over 6” 3” 🤣🤣. He has a sit stand desk to adjust to his height and a special chair that meets his needs

if you’re going to do hot desks you must ensure that individual needs and requirements are met, and that preferences are taken into account. E.g some jobs have a lot of conference call on phones - that person can’t work near other people or you need loads of break out zones. Women with hot flushes need access to a fan , some people like me have floaters with vitreous detachment and can’t look at very light backgrounds or bright sunlight without visual problems.

In theory it’s a great idea..but one size doesn’t fit all and makes for unhappy workers…maybe a half way house where certain desks are for certain groups of people to book vs a complete free for all.

a simple enhancement is also to give people a set of drawers/trays in the room (think school tray trolleys) They can put their”things” and nick nacks in it. Then when they arrive they can take tray to their desk and put their things out. And put away when done. This allows them to make the space their own on the day. To some people that really matters.

you will also need to provide somewhere for folks to store their own specific beveredge, cup, plate and sanitary items, spare tights/undies , trainers /safety shoes and all the other paraphernalia that gets shoved into peoples desk drawers.

I hated it myself personally as everything would be moved when you came back to the office and I liked my own little set up. My position meant that I was mainly in the office though so I would only have randomers at my desk when I was on AL.

I also had desk-envy lol as I hated that people walking by from behind you could see what was on your screen etc. I seriously coveted a desk where you had a wall behind you and you were next to the window but the directors got those desks - the bastards! 😆