I kept his desk by the window after his vacation: am I wrong?
Editors' DilemmaOctober 28, 2026· Be the first to vote
A story made up by our editors to get the debate going, not a real account.
My side
In our department, there’s only one desk by the window, with a view of the trees. My coworker had sat there forever. When he left for three weeks of vacation, I moved in. Since last year, the company has been talking about “hot desking”: you sit wherever you want, first come, first served. It’s on a poster in the elevator. When he came back, he found my stuff on “his” desk. I explained the rule. He said he always got in at 8 a.m. precisely to keep that spot, and that using his vacation to take it was a cheap move. Now we both get in at 7:45. It’s a race.
Their side
My coworker says hot desking has never actually applied in our department: everyone keeps their spot, and our manager hasn’t said a word in three years. He adds that he’d left his plants and his footrest there, which clearly showed the desk was taken. For him, moving in while he was away is like changing the locks while your neighbor is at the beach.
So, who's wrong?
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