Moving desk on mat leave

[MyPurpleHeart]

Looking for some advice here

I manage an office of ten people

We have had an office extension and have had a shuffle around

One lady went on mat leave in February. Whilst she was away the lady that sits next to her confided in us that she was being picked on by the lady that had gone on mat leave and was dreading her return.

When the office was extended we decided to move all the teams around and it worked out that I can move the picking on lady further away from the picked on lady so that they aren't right next to each other. This seemed like a good solution as picking on lady is known to be very disruptive and loves a good chat during the day. Many people have mentioned that they can't get on when she's around

Picking on lady came into the office for a visit yesterday and I casually mentioned that the office was having a shuffle and showed her the shiny new desk we had bought for her. She has gone batshit and said she will not sit there and will only sit at her old desk. Her old desk has now been reallocated.

My MD is nervous because he doesn't want to upset her and be accused of making her leave on Mat leave (this isn't the case there is very much a job here for her when she returns and I've even agreed to let her come back part time to help ease with childcare)

Have I got this wrong or is it a storm in a teacup? It feels very primary school fighting over who we sit next to

Absolutely do not back down now.

Is her old desk still in the old position or has that moved to the new position?

I'd give her the old desk in the new position. And pretend to not understand, she wanted the old desk, what was the issue?

I’ve never understood the irrational ownership of a piece of furniture that isn’t yours. She’s paid to do a job, you’re providing a workstation she needs to get over it.

"Some people didn't engage, the one lady that did try to calm her down got text after text after text of rambling abuse."

I'm sorry, but surely this is a disciplinary matter. I'm pretty sure if I sent a colleague abusive texts, I'd be on at least a warning.
How old is this person? 12?
Jesus Christ! No wonder the teenagers I teach today are getting worse if they have role models like this at home!! 🤦‍♀️

She sounds like a bloody nightmare and I’d be lining up a warning for misconduct if the content of those texts warranted it.

She sounds like the people we were all happy to turn our backs on as we walked out of the school gates for the last time.

Can you ensure that her old desk gets moved into the new physical spot? She might actually like the desk itself IYSWIM. “Yes, of course you still get to keep your old desk and chair—they’re over here in the new bit, alongside the rest of your team.”

I got moved to ‘the shit desk’ after mat leave. It wasn’t nice but the team had changed composition and they’d chosen new positions while I was off. I suspect the new positions were chosen by the office bully who was quite forceful and didn’t like me much. Worked out really well as one of the new people that I ended up with became a life long friend. And we reorganised again within a year due to more mat leave.

Your staff member is a bit of a dick, we don’t own our work desks and the only thing you’re entitled to maintain post mat leave is your role, not your comfy set up.

Some people didn't engage, the one lady that did try to calm her down got text after text after text of rambling abuse.

There's something wrong here.

Allegations of bullying before she left, kicking off, abusive texts, insubordination.

Is it post natal depression? Tread carefully there, and open up conversations about how she's doing because that could be protected characteristic stuff under the Equality Act.

But her actions should trigger a written warning for unacceptable behaviour and a PIP.

The one thing you can't do is give in to her demands now, it will look like she's bullied you into submission.

Known to be very disruptive and loves a good chat during the day. Many people have mentioned that they can't get on when she's around

This should have been managed. Affecting others' productivity is a no no.

Are you afraid of her? Tiptoeing around her even before she went on mat leave and not supervising improvement have given her the impression she can do what she likes.

This needs a clear plan of action with full HR advice and senior management support.

She's trying to get to control you, she is indeed a bully! She's got a perfectly good deal, new offices and desks is nice, given pt hours as she's requested. She's have had 9 months on maternity leave, I think she can even be given a different job altogether if things change (within reason of course). She doesn't rule the roost! Be professional and firm, make sure she's not adversely affected. However see it from a courts perspective - she has the same job, flexibility in her hours as requested, it's just the office has changed so new smarter desk in a new part of the office, along with everyone else, if you'd kept her old desk and segregated her then she'd complain about that - she's unreasonable, she's manipulative but dont back down

“Please explain to the court how your job was made untenable and you were discriminated against”
”they, they, they…. Made me switch seats to one almost identical!”

….

Yeah… I wouldn’t worry at all.

And just to add, I was moved desks when I returned from mat leave, which just made sense given the changes when I came back. I’ve also known people be moved teams entirely or made redundant during maternity leave. Maternity Leave doesn’t make you impervious to legitimate changes in the business. Don’t let on that it’s because she’s a PITA, just that it makes more sense for the working practices of the team and is by no means an unreasonable request.

I would also then watch her like a hawk and manage her bad attitude and behaviour when she’s back and it rears its ugly head again. People like this are like rotten apples that need dealing with, and it doesn’t sound like she’s changing her ways anytime soon.

You and your boss NEED to manage this awful woman .

You run the team, not her.

Sending abusive texts to a colleague is a disciplinary matter.

ignore the advice that this might be PND and to ask her about that - it’s a can of worms.

take the evidence and then hold a disciplinary when she’s back at work. Take back control of this situation

OP was on maternity leave, so hadn't observed.

When I returned from mat leave I was placed at a desk with my back to the rest of the team and on a seperate bank. It was isolating. It wouldn't have made too much of a problem if it weren't for the fact I wad being deliberately shut out by two members of the team who had picked up my work while I was on maternity leave. However as I was it was an issue and my manager refused to change it. I spoke to HR and said it was causing real issues on me integrating back into the team and my manager was told to do another reshuffle . So whilst it does seem petty I would double check that you aren't isolating the maternity leave returner from the rest of the team. You almost have to treat them as a new starter, you wouldn't place a new starter far away from the rest of the team.

You cannot get involved with conversations unless they are in a work endorsed group chat.

She knows why it’s been done. She needs to get over it. The MD needs to back you up

She sounds awful. If she's talking all day instead of doing her job ( and bullying other staff) she may need to be performance managed out.
Make a record of that happened and include that no one else has complained about the desk moves.

She sounds like someone who thinks everyone owes her something. I wouldn't back down. You are in charge, not her!

The only issue I can see that you might have with the move is if everyone else in the office got a say with where they get to sit in the new arrangement (as picked on lady clearly did and possibly all the others who mentioned they can’t get much done near her), but no one consulted her to see what her preferences were amoung the new desks. That would be unequal treatment of a sort and if you’ve been out of touch and are feeling vulnerable, might really enhance that feeling of being left out and the office moving on without you.