Author Topic: Do You Have No Assigned Desks at Work  (Read 9929 times)

JoJo

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Do You Have No Assigned Desks at Work
« on: January 29, 2020, 06:50:14 PM »
So my company went to no assigned desks at work a year ago.  They call it "dynamic workspace"  I absolutely can't stand the set up each day when I didn't have a desk - multiple trips to my locker, messing around with monitors that were never right, chair the wrong height.  It would take me 10 minutes to set up and 5 minutes to take down and wipe down the desk (which we were supposed to do)

So I decided to be a rebel.  I claimed my own desk and left my keyboard, headset, cups, and mouse to reserve my place each day.  But I kept things relatively clean and tidy - no personal stuff.    After about a month of this, my boss noticed and said something and I explained what I was doing.  She was OK with it as long as we kept it in our "neighborhood".

Well, I guess I got busted... someone came around the building and took photos of violators and presented to upper management.  They haven't officially come down on me but they probably will soon.  I've suggested a sort of hybrid approach that allows you to keep stuff at a desk in your own neighborhood if you are working on consecutive days, but clear out the desk if working remote or on vacation, but looking like a few sticklers won't go for that.

Does anyone else have no assigned desks?  Was there any hybrid approach you took, or do you just follow the rules? 

My boss is talking about assigning a desk to me but I don't want to be that one weirdo that gets special rules... I want everyone to have the advantage of the hybrid approach. 

MayDay

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Re: Do You Have No Assigned Desks at Work
« Reply #1 on: January 29, 2020, 07:02:06 PM »
I haven't had to work in this situation, but I wouldn't.  I would look for a new job with normal human being managers who understand that I have shit that I need at work like fucking tampons, and I'm not a high schooler. 

In other words, I would absolutely rebel.  I wouldn't even try to be discrete. 

Morons.

Peachtea

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Re: Do You Have No Assigned Desks at Work
« Reply #2 on: January 29, 2020, 07:13:15 PM »
I have an office...but I have a friend (attorney) who literally quit a job (well found another one) because of the no desk situation similar to yours. Drove her crazy.

One employer I know with flexible desk space reserved a couple rows for the people who don’t telework to have permanent desk spaces. Maybe that’s an option if you’re not a teleworker, to propose a permanent section for non teleworkers. Or to switch to a desk sharing system (person A gets desk 1 M, W, F and person B gets desk 1 Tu, Th).

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Re: Do You Have No Assigned Desks at Work
« Reply #3 on: January 29, 2020, 07:39:35 PM »
I have no practical advise, but much sympathy.

If they haven't come down on you yet, maybe upper management doesn't care. Or maybe they see that there are enough high producing violators that they will realize how ridiculous this is.

I mean, has anyone come up to you and said "I would really like to use this desk today." Unless you chose the best spot, WHAT DIFFERENCE DOES IT MAKE?!?!

I wonder if the picture taker was someone who has really bought into the system, like the person who suggested it, or just a chaotic lawful type do gooder/ tattletale.

When I used to work at coffee shops regularly, I would be disappointed if my favorite tables were taken!

OtherJen

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Re: Do You Have No Assigned Desks at Work
« Reply #4 on: January 29, 2020, 07:59:16 PM »
I'm sorry. I had enough of a problem with open floor plans. I have no idea why any manager thinks this is a good idea in terms of morale or productivity.

JoJo

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Re: Do You Have No Assigned Desks at Work
« Reply #5 on: January 29, 2020, 08:51:42 PM »
I think the picture taker was directed by upper management.  They were trying to do an evaluation on "let's see how this open desk thing is working one year in".   There was also a survey that went out that apparently only 25% of people responded and supposedly 85% of those were positive with it.   So upper management was the one that was discussing the photos of violators.  My boss warned me that she recognized my cup in the picture but no one has specifically said I can't leave my stuff but I'm waiting for some official announcement to come out.

Here's the back of a napkin calcs... say this costs a person 10 minutes a day.  We work about 45 weeks a year (after PTO and holidays)... that is 37.5 hours on this bullshit... almost a whole work week.  ugh ugh ugh.




Home Stretch

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Re: Do You Have No Assigned Desks at Work
« Reply #6 on: January 29, 2020, 09:07:57 PM »
I would 100% be a martyr over something like this.

I'm a pretty firm believer that most knowledge work is done best in private offices, let alone an open floorplan where you don't even have your own desk.

You should go all-in on the rebellion and bring in your own personal desk and chair and just plop it down wherever you want.

middo

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Re: Do You Have No Assigned Desks at Work
« Reply #7 on: January 29, 2020, 10:43:18 PM »
We have hot desking at my workplace. I hate it.

It makes some sense as I am a high school teacher.  I am only at a desk for a couple of hours a day, the rest is in the classroom.

The joke is that on a pupil free day there are just no where near enough desks to go around.  So people disappear into the library, or classrooms to get a seat.

It will be something that pushes me out the door.  That and I hate the city I'm in at the moment.

MilesTeg

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Re: Do You Have No Assigned Desks at Work
« Reply #8 on: January 29, 2020, 11:58:08 PM »
So my company went to no assigned desks at work a year ago.  They call it "dynamic workspace"  I absolutely can't stand the set up each day when I didn't have a desk - multiple trips to my locker, messing around with monitors that were never right, chair the wrong height.  It would take me 10 minutes to set up and 5 minutes to take down and wipe down the desk (which we were supposed to do)

So I decided to be a rebel.  I claimed my own desk and left my keyboard, headset, cups, and mouse to reserve my place each day.  But I kept things relatively clean and tidy - no personal stuff.    After about a month of this, my boss noticed and said something and I explained what I was doing.  She was OK with it as long as we kept it in our "neighborhood".

Well, I guess I got busted... someone came around the building and took photos of violators and presented to upper management.  They haven't officially come down on me but they probably will soon.  I've suggested a sort of hybrid approach that allows you to keep stuff at a desk in your own neighborhood if you are working on consecutive days, but clear out the desk if working remote or on vacation, but looking like a few sticklers won't go for that.

Does anyone else have no assigned desks?  Was there any hybrid approach you took, or do you just follow the rules? 

My boss is talking about assigning a desk to me but I don't want to be that one weirdo that gets special rules... I want everyone to have the advantage of the hybrid approach.

This would literally be something I would quit over on the spot.

markbike528CBX

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Re: Do You Have No Assigned Desks at Work
« Reply #9 on: January 30, 2020, 01:52:52 AM »
So my company went to no assigned desks at work a year ago.  They call it "dynamic workspace"  I absolutely can't stand the set up each day when I didn't have a desk - multiple trips to my locker, messing around with monitors that were never right, chair the wrong height.  It would take me 10 minutes to set up and 5 minutes to take down and wipe down the desk (which we were supposed to do)

So I decided to be a rebel.  I claimed my own desk and left my keyboard, headset, cups, and mouse to reserve my place each day.  But I kept things relatively clean and tidy - no personal stuff.    After about a month of this, my boss noticed and said something and I explained what I was doing.  She was OK with it as long as we kept it in our "neighborhood".

Well, I guess I got busted... someone came around the building and took photos of violators and presented to upper management.  They haven't officially come down on me but they probably will soon.  I've suggested a sort of hybrid approach that allows you to keep stuff at a desk in your own neighborhood if you are working on consecutive days, but clear out the desk if working remote or on vacation, but looking like a few sticklers won't go for that.

Does anyone else have no assigned desks?  Was there any hybrid approach you took, or do you just follow the rules? 

My boss is talking about assigning a desk to me but I don't want to be that one weirdo that gets special rules... I want everyone to have the advantage of the hybrid approach.

This would literally be something I would quit over on the spot.

Ditto
My cube was mine.  I had charts, tables on the walls. The periodic table was literally taped to my desk.
One of the reasons that I FIREd is that I never got an office. Yes it's pretty petty, but there were offices to be had.

The whole concept of no assigned desk is so bizarre that I have issues with believing it.
Fortunately for the OP, I just found an old picture of two GSXR-750 (visualize crotch rocket) with full-on dirt knobby tires, a similar level of cognitive dissonance.

Even when I was a short term worker mostly on a computer testing floor and had a team conference desk, I also has an assigned cubical.
« Last Edit: January 30, 2020, 02:41:50 AM by markbike528CBX »

markbike528CBX

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Re: Do You Have No Assigned Desks at Work
« Reply #10 on: January 30, 2020, 02:40:45 AM »
There has to be a Dilbert on this topic.  I've searched but couldn't find it.
Yikes! Even Scott Adams can't find the humor here.

Well, I found some,

https://dilbert.com/strip/1995-01-09    "hoteling"

https://dilbert.com/strip/1995-01-10

Edit because I found relevant Dilberts
« Last Edit: January 30, 2020, 03:47:34 AM by markbike528CBX »

OtherJen

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Re: Do You Have No Assigned Desks at Work
« Reply #11 on: January 30, 2020, 03:29:54 AM »
So my company went to no assigned desks at work a year ago.  They call it "dynamic workspace"  I absolutely can't stand the set up each day when I didn't have a desk - multiple trips to my locker, messing around with monitors that were never right, chair the wrong height.  It would take me 10 minutes to set up and 5 minutes to take down and wipe down the desk (which we were supposed to do)

So I decided to be a rebel.  I claimed my own desk and left my keyboard, headset, cups, and mouse to reserve my place each day.  But I kept things relatively clean and tidy - no personal stuff.    After about a month of this, my boss noticed and said something and I explained what I was doing.  She was OK with it as long as we kept it in our "neighborhood".

Well, I guess I got busted... someone came around the building and took photos of violators and presented to upper management.  They haven't officially come down on me but they probably will soon.  I've suggested a sort of hybrid approach that allows you to keep stuff at a desk in your own neighborhood if you are working on consecutive days, but clear out the desk if working remote or on vacation, but looking like a few sticklers won't go for that.

Does anyone else have no assigned desks?  Was there any hybrid approach you took, or do you just follow the rules? 

My boss is talking about assigning a desk to me but I don't want to be that one weirdo that gets special rules... I want everyone to have the advantage of the hybrid approach.

This would literally be something I would quit over on the spot.

Ditto
My cube was mine.  I had charts, tables on the walls. The periodic table was literally taped to my desk.
One of the reasons that I FIREd is that I never got an office. Yes it's pretty petty, but there were offices to be had.

The whole concept of no assigned desk is so bizarre that I have issues with believing it.
Fortunately for the OP, I just found an old picture of two GSXR-750 (visualize crotch rocket) with full-on dirt knobby tires, a similar level of cognitive dissonance.

Even when I was a short term worker mostly on a computer testing floor and had a team conference desk, I also has an assigned cubical.

Oh, hot-desking is definitely real. I phone interviewed for a position at a popular downtown employer several years ago and was told that no one had assigned desks when I asked about the workplace environment and that everyone managed because "free snacks!" I did not pursue that job further.

Mrs Brightside

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Re: Do You Have No Assigned Desks at Work
« Reply #12 on: January 30, 2020, 03:49:45 AM »
For anyone who has trouble believing this — YES, it’s the latest fad in corporate America. My workplace is already open office, and they’re trying to force hot desks. There’s been a simmering rebellion over the past weeks as no one wants this to happen. It destroys morale as it sends the message we are faceless meaningless employees who don’t matter. We don’t even have a culture that accepts working from home so I have no idea what management is thinking. Having said that - in your case it seems like only a matter of time until they come down on you. Unless upper management isn’t totally bought in to the idea. Good luck!

rosarugosa

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Re: Do You Have No Assigned Desks at Work
« Reply #13 on: January 30, 2020, 04:05:07 AM »
My employer was talking about this as a future development when I retired in 2017.  We could WFH two days per week and there was talk of increasing WFH days as a complementary policy to hoteling.  Just another good reason to get the hell out as far as I was concerned.

Laserjet3051

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Re: Do You Have No Assigned Desks at Work
« Reply #14 on: January 30, 2020, 05:17:54 AM »
Ive never heard of a work environment doing this. Seems preposterous. Why would any sane human tolerate this? Or more importantly, how could any management think they could get away with this?

Brianmcg321

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Re: Do You Have No Assigned Desks at Work
« Reply #15 on: January 30, 2020, 06:23:35 AM »
What a stupid policy.

Maybe if upper management worried more about work than crap like this they might be successful.

Sounds like a terrible place to work.

Car Jack

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Re: Do You Have No Assigned Desks at Work
« Reply #16 on: January 30, 2020, 07:31:14 AM »
I travel to tech customers for work.  In the last few years, a bunch of companies have gone to the open floorplan model.  They tout that engineers discussing a problem will be overheard and constructive comments can come from others who can join in.  In reality, EVERY SINGLE PERSON in EVERY SINGLE open floorplan company I have gone to in the last year has either headphones or ear buds in.  There's an unwritten rule....if I have ear buds in....leave me alone.  If I have head phones on....leave me the fuck alone!

There is zero collaboration and when people want to have discussions, they get together and go to an enclosed conference room.

Our office moved floors of our building last summer.  Those who are in most of the time got assigned offices (like me).  Those who are on the road were not assigned offices and could work out of any of the open offices.  By the first week, all of the road people had claimed an open office.  There are now no open offices.  If someone  comes in who hasn't claimed an office, they work in a conference room.
« Last Edit: January 30, 2020, 07:33:06 AM by Car Jack »

Here4theGB

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Re: Do You Have No Assigned Desks at Work
« Reply #17 on: January 30, 2020, 07:37:09 AM »
Stupidest fad I've seen come through Corporate America since I started working.  If my company did this, I'd walk out.

Home Stretch

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Re: Do You Have No Assigned Desks at Work
« Reply #18 on: January 30, 2020, 07:42:33 AM »
This classic article about sums up what the ideal office for a knowledge worker would be: https://www.joelonsoftware.com/2003/09/24/bionic-office/

That article is from 2003. It's tragic that many companies are still moving in the wrong direction.

OtherJen

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Re: Do You Have No Assigned Desks at Work
« Reply #19 on: January 30, 2020, 07:43:50 AM »
Ive never heard of a work environment doing this. Seems preposterous. Why would any sane human tolerate this? Or more importantly, how could any management think they could get away with this?

And yet, it does happen, as evidenced by this thread.

It’s an absolutely terrible idea, and I can only believe that it is motivated by a desire to spend as little as possible on workplace spaces and furniture. I’m sure there’s also supportive bullshit jargon about “collaboration” and “synergy” from people who will never work in these environments themselves.

I worked in an open-plan office once, and that was bad enough in terms of people bickering over noise and constant distractions. If we hadn’t at least had our own desks, the company may have collapsed into violence.

OtherJen

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Re: Do You Have No Assigned Desks at Work
« Reply #20 on: January 30, 2020, 07:47:06 AM »
This classic article about sums up what the ideal office for a knowledge worker would be: https://www.joelonsoftware.com/2003/09/24/bionic-office/

That article is from 2003. It's tragic that many companies are still moving in the wrong direction.

The description reads like the Sterling Cooper space for the modern era (apologies if you haven’t seen Mad Men). Well-appointed private offices with comfortable public spaces for relaxation and casual collaborative work.

norajean

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Re: Do You Have No Assigned Desks at Work
« Reply #21 on: January 30, 2020, 07:50:55 AM »
If you get in early enough can you get the same desk every day?

KarefulKactus15

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Re: Do You Have No Assigned Desks at Work
« Reply #22 on: January 30, 2020, 08:17:01 AM »
Tesla did this at their giga factory.  Also I know another large car manufacturer that is doing this switch.

It doesn't make sense to me, especially with the huge amount of clutter that full time technical staff need around their desk, parts of this machine / car parts etc etc.

At tesla, one of the engineers kept a model 3 skateboard assembly by the desk, is he moving that every day!!?

For now I still have a permanent desk, but I realize those days won't last forever.


It's something that wouldnt personally bother me though.a friend of mine always says "play stupid games, win stupid prizes".

If a company wants to be inefficient, I'll play along.

JoJo

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Re: Do You Have No Assigned Desks at Work
« Reply #23 on: January 30, 2020, 08:29:35 AM »
If you get in early enough can you get the same desk every day?

Some people do this, but it still doesn't prevent at least 2 trips to the locker in the morning and in the afternoon, plus wiping down the cube which is required and the risk that someone gets your desk.  And I'm not a morning person.

JoJo

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Re: Do You Have No Assigned Desks at Work
« Reply #24 on: January 30, 2020, 08:34:36 AM »
Ive never heard of a work environment doing this. Seems preposterous. Why would any sane human tolerate this? Or more importantly, how could any management think they could get away with this?

And yet, it does happen, as evidenced by this thread.

It’s an absolutely terrible idea, and I can only believe that it is motivated by a desire to spend as little as possible on workplace spaces and furniture. I’m sure there’s also supportive bullshit jargon about “collaboration” and “synergy” from people who will never work in these environments themselves.

I worked in an open-plan office once, and that was bad enough in terms of people bickering over noise and constant distractions. If we hadn’t at least had our own desks, the company may have collapsed into violence.

Yes - the expense savings was the motivation, supposedly we only have 4 desks for every 5 people, thus a smaller space and rent.  But then they built these open areas for collaboration that are huge with couches and stuff and they maybe get used like 1% of the time.  The former pres and CFO encouraged people to work from home 1-2 days (and some people have crazy commutes and welcomed WFH) but the new CFO doesn't think people work when their home so he rarely allows, so now the area overflows all the time, it just got worse this week when they separated part of our area for a special project.  Add to this a couple people that have chronic coughs that I can't get away from and drive me crazy... I'm at wit's end.

markbike528CBX

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Re: Do You Have No Assigned Desks at Work
« Reply #25 on: January 30, 2020, 08:39:39 AM »
Our "cubes" were effectively open on one side. We got to hear our colleagues talking to their wives. 
I wasn't married at the time and I didn't get any encouragement from those conversations to try marriage, even though we only heard the colleagues side of the story.

Chiming in from across the room was common.  At least I didn't have to stare across my desk at a colleague.

I noted, but did not say to the manager who suggested open (flat desk) space design, that HE come out of his private office and try it first.

DeniseNJ

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Re: Do You Have No Assigned Desks at Work
« Reply #26 on: January 30, 2020, 08:39:55 AM »
Most staff in my office work from home 3 days a week.  There are never more than 5 ppl here and 15 empty desks.  The plan for the new space is a shared workspace with only personal cubicles for ppl who are here at least 3 days.  If you're here only 2 days you're out of luck.  They are doing this to save money and space.

I would hate it myself, but I have an office.  :)

Pigeon

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Re: Do You Have No Assigned Desks at Work
« Reply #27 on: January 30, 2020, 08:47:08 AM »
There are days when I want to pound my head against the wall from my state government employer's bureaucratic nonsense. 

Then I read about this kind of corporate management crap and I feel much better.  At least I've got walls of my own upon which to bang my head.

Stimpy

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Re: Do You Have No Assigned Desks at Work
« Reply #28 on: January 30, 2020, 09:05:47 AM »
I can see this working in an environment where working at home or abroad is the norm.   No set desk, no reason to set up a "home" desk at the office, but you need a space at the office on occasion.  Might work well at a consulting company.

Anywhere else.  Hell no, I know it's quite common to have items pin'd up or reminders, etc.   I can't imagine not being able to do that, and having to set up everything/relay out whatever you were working on assuming of course it was not confidential(ie had to be put away daily).   

I hope your bosses stop that non-sense and just assign desks.   Hell even if its a desk you use only for a project and have to move afterwards that STILL a MILLION times better then a daily setup/strip down!

MissNancyPryor

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Re: Do You Have No Assigned Desks at Work
« Reply #29 on: January 30, 2020, 09:18:31 AM »
There has to be a Dilbert on this topic.  I've searched but couldn't find it.
Yikes! Even Scott Adams can't find the humor here.

Well, I found some,

https://dilbert.com/strip/1995-01-09    "hoteling"

https://dilbert.com/strip/1995-01-10

Edit because I found relevant Dilberts

Those were exactly what I was thinking, too, especially the restroom one.  So glad you found them. 

Yeah, I would quit. 

therethere

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Re: Do You Have No Assigned Desks at Work
« Reply #30 on: January 30, 2020, 09:20:54 AM »
Wouldn't it be an ergonomic nightmare to set up your monitors, chair, and desk properly everyday? If I was forced to do this that is the route I would go.

affordablehousing

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Re: Do You Have No Assigned Desks at Work
« Reply #31 on: January 30, 2020, 10:26:17 AM »
I feel like this is enough to start the Office reboot over. I can't imagine working like this.

mm1970

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Re: Do You Have No Assigned Desks at Work
« Reply #32 on: January 30, 2020, 11:02:34 AM »
I haven't had to work in this situation, but I wouldn't.  I would look for a new job with normal human being managers who understand that I have shit that I need at work like fucking tampons, and I'm not a high schooler. 

In other words, I would absolutely rebel.  I wouldn't even try to be discrete. 

Morons.
+1000

We got pretty big a bunch of years ago and went to "open office" because "collaboration" and I gave my boss the stink-eye.  Really dude?  It was a disaster.  We were never really able to fix it, even after layoffs. 

So what we have now are...
5 offices with doors. Nobody has their own office (even in the other building, the president shares, but the CEO has his own).
3 of the offices have 2 people, the other two have 3 people.
Four people have their own "cubes".
Seven people have desks in the open office areas.

The other building is slightly better - more cubes, but the few open office areas are REALLY open and REALLY small.


Jouer

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Re: Do You Have No Assigned Desks at Work
« Reply #33 on: January 30, 2020, 11:29:11 AM »
If you get in early enough can you get the same desk every day?

That's what my wife does.

At our company, we have a hybrid model that works great.

The key: you get to choose.
Are you a fixed employee, meaning you come in most of the time, require your own space (for ergo reasons, double monitor, etc)?
Are are you a flex employee, meaning you rarely come into the office, do not require your own space?

I'm a flex and it's glorious! I'm also mostly a paperless worker so I don't even keep a locker.

Jouer

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Re: Do You Have No Assigned Desks at Work
« Reply #34 on: January 30, 2020, 11:31:02 AM »
If you get in early enough can you get the same desk every day?

Some people do this, but it still doesn't prevent at least 2 trips to the locker in the morning and in the afternoon, plus wiping down the cube which is required and the risk that someone gets your desk.  And I'm not a morning person.

What are you doing at your locker?

FIRE 20/20

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Re: Do You Have No Assigned Desks at Work
« Reply #35 on: January 30, 2020, 12:06:08 PM »
@JoJo , how far along your FIRE journey are you?  Do you have enough FU money to take a stand here? 

I worked a temporary project (about 2 months) where we had this setup.  They set aside one small room as the quiet room, but everyone wanted to be there.  Rather than switch so the larger room was the quiet room, we had to deal with lots of strategizing to get a quiet room desk.  And of course there were a few clueless people who would come into the quiet room and talk to the people trying to work there.  One guy would actually come to that room to have meetings on his cell phone because he could hear better there. 

OtherJen

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Re: Do You Have No Assigned Desks at Work
« Reply #36 on: January 30, 2020, 12:10:27 PM »
If you get in early enough can you get the same desk every day?

Some people do this, but it still doesn't prevent at least 2 trips to the locker in the morning and in the afternoon, plus wiping down the cube which is required and the risk that someone gets your desk.  And I'm not a morning person.

What are you doing at your locker?

I would presume getting all the supplies that were stored overnight, and returning them at the end of the workday (since there's no permanent desk storage).

JoJo

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Re: Do You Have No Assigned Desks at Work
« Reply #37 on: January 30, 2020, 12:12:00 PM »

What are you doing at your locker?

Since none of us has a permanent desk or locking drawers, we each have a small locker to store our lap tops for the night plus anything we might want (coffee, meds, snacks, office supplies).  The locker is in the middle of the building so I have to make a U shape to get to it... probably takes about 1 minute to get from my normal desk to the locker.

JoJo

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Re: Do You Have No Assigned Desks at Work
« Reply #38 on: January 30, 2020, 12:16:19 PM »
As for immediately quitting, I really need to stick it out for 2 months... two months pay + bonus which is only paid if you're still here in late March is enough to pay for a year of travel.  I was hoping to go out on good standing and give a couple months notice but this might be the thing that puts me over the edge.

yachi

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Re: Do You Have No Assigned Desks at Work
« Reply #39 on: January 30, 2020, 02:20:45 PM »
Have some fun with it.  Get some fake plastic poo to save your desk.  Set up when you get there and complain about having to clean up someone else's crap to get a desk.  When people wise up to the fake plastic poo, microwave some tootsie rolls and put those on the desk. 

nessness

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Re: Do You Have No Assigned Desks at Work
« Reply #40 on: January 30, 2020, 02:22:38 PM »
That sounds terrible. If you want to check in with a coworker, do you just wander around until you find them? And do you not have desk phones? The ergonomic considerations seem like a problem too - I have my desk, monitors, and chair all adjusted for my height - no way would I want to do that daily (and unless you have adjustable height desks, adjusting desk height daily would be impossible).

Jouer

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Re: Do You Have No Assigned Desks at Work
« Reply #41 on: January 30, 2020, 02:24:41 PM »

What are you doing at your locker?

Since none of us has a permanent desk or locking drawers, we each have a small locker to store our lap tops for the night plus anything we might want (coffee, meds, snacks, office supplies).  The locker is in the middle of the building so I have to make a U shape to get to it... probably takes about 1 minute to get from my normal desk to the locker.

I think being forced to flex-desk shows the company doesn't really care about the employee experience. I wouldn't like that and I'm not surprised you don't like it. Having said that, a couple of minutes to and from the locker daily seems minimally invasive.

(I don't use my locker b/c I take my laptop home with me / keep snacks in my back pack, etc. though I'm not suggesting you should do that if you don't want to.)

Jouer

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Re: Do You Have No Assigned Desks at Work
« Reply #42 on: January 30, 2020, 02:29:47 PM »
That sounds terrible. If you want to check in with a coworker, do you just wander around until you find them? And do you not have desk phones? The ergonomic considerations seem like a problem too - I have my desk, monitors, and chair all adjusted for my height - no way would I want to do that daily (and unless you have adjustable height desks, adjusting desk height daily would be impossible).

Not OP....but we don't have desk phones - all calls through laptop. But we do have adjusting desks, which are sweet. Especially after lunch when I like to stand at my desk for a while.

People tend to sit in the same area most of the time. But otherwise we just say where we are sitting. "I'm on 3 by post B" or whatever. There's no burden there. Some might think fewer drop-bys would be a welcome perk. : )

JoJo

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Re: Do You Have No Assigned Desks at Work
« Reply #43 on: January 30, 2020, 03:22:10 PM »
Desk phones replaced by phones tied to computer with headsets and a dongle (but I lost mine oops! so I forward work calls to my cell phone).  And yes, desks, monitors, and chairs all adjustable... all desks can be standing or sitting desks.  There are a few upgrades that are great. 

As for finding someone, there are neighborhoods you're supposed to sit in or there's a ton of IMing now... I hardly ever meet or call anyone when I need something quick.

Viking Thor

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Re: Do You Have No Assigned Desks at Work
« Reply #44 on: January 30, 2020, 07:09:51 PM »
My company switched to this ~6 years ago. Took some getting used to but doesn't bother me. This also made it more acceptable to work from home a couple days a week.

I use the same desk every day, but don't leave anything there. we all have small lockers we can leave things in. Most people follow that same protocol and take the same spot each day. I just plug my laptop in each day, one plug connects it to keyboard and monitor.

Every once in a while someone from out of town comes and takes my desk and I have to find a new one. In that case it's a bit of a pain if the monitor etc isn't set up correctly.

raincoast

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Re: Do You Have No Assigned Desks at Work
« Reply #45 on: January 30, 2020, 09:12:26 PM »
So my company went to no assigned desks at work a year ago.  They call it "dynamic workspace"  I absolutely can't stand the set up each day when I didn't have a desk - multiple trips to my locker, messing around with monitors that were never right, chair the wrong height.  It would take me 10 minutes to set up and 5 minutes to take down and wipe down the desk (which we were supposed to do)

So I decided to be a rebel.  I claimed my own desk and left my keyboard, headset, cups, and mouse to reserve my place each day.  But I kept things relatively clean and tidy - no personal stuff.    After about a month of this, my boss noticed and said something and I explained what I was doing.  She was OK with it as long as we kept it in our "neighborhood".

Well, I guess I got busted... someone came around the building and took photos of violators and presented to upper management.  They haven't officially come down on me but they probably will soon.  I've suggested a sort of hybrid approach that allows you to keep stuff at a desk in your own neighborhood if you are working on consecutive days, but clear out the desk if working remote or on vacation, but looking like a few sticklers won't go for that.

Does anyone else have no assigned desks?  Was there any hybrid approach you took, or do you just follow the rules? 

My boss is talking about assigning a desk to me but I don't want to be that one weirdo that gets special rules... I want everyone to have the advantage of the hybrid approach.

This would literally be something I would quit over on the spot.

Ditto
My cube was mine.  I had charts, tables on the walls. The periodic table was literally taped to my desk.
One of the reasons that I FIREd is that I never got an office. Yes it's pretty petty, but there were offices to be had.

The whole concept of no assigned desk is so bizarre that I have issues with believing it.
Fortunately for the OP, I just found an old picture of two GSXR-750 (visualize crotch rocket) with full-on dirt knobby tires, a similar level of cognitive dissonance.

Even when I was a short term worker mostly on a computer testing floor and had a team conference desk, I also has an assigned cubical.

Me too. Fortunately I work in a law firm where the lawyers all have private exterior offices with wooden doors. That, plus the carpet, really keeps the noise down. My firm is very old fashioned and allergic to renovations, so there's little chance of this changing.

But I have heard of some law firms in my city going to the "no assigned desk" or "open concept" model, and it must be a huge irritation for the lawyers. How can you have a confidential client call if everyone can hear you? Where do you put all of the paper that is inevitably needed in a law firm, especially for litigators?

middo

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Re: Do You Have No Assigned Desks at Work
« Reply #46 on: January 30, 2020, 11:43:53 PM »

What are you doing at your locker?

Since none of us has a permanent desk or locking drawers, we each have a small locker to store our lap tops for the night plus anything we might want (coffee, meds, snacks, office supplies).  The locker is in the middle of the building so I have to make a U shape to get to it... probably takes about 1 minute to get from my normal desk to the locker.

I think being forced to flex-desk shows the company doesn't really care about the employee experience. I wouldn't like that and I'm not surprised you don't like it. Having said that, a couple of minutes to and from the locker daily seems minimally invasive.

(I don't use my locker b/c I take my laptop home with me / keep snacks in my back pack, etc. though I'm not suggesting you should do that if you don't want to.)

Also not OP, but we have no phones at desks.  All calls go straight through to message bank and we receive it on email.  As one of my colleagues said, what happens of we try to.contact someone else with the same system?

It's just a bit shit.

Jouer

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Re: Do You Have No Assigned Desks at Work
« Reply #47 on: January 31, 2020, 09:34:18 AM »
So OP has phones attached to laptops with dongles. Someone else has a weird email bank for phones. Sounds like your firms have made all the wrong decisions in implementing the flex/hoteling environment. With a few different decisions they could have made this a more enjoyable work experience.

We use skype for business for all calls. IM is huge in our company. I have a work cell phone but only one vendor ever calls it.

partdopy

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Re: Do You Have No Assigned Desks at Work
« Reply #48 on: January 31, 2020, 10:31:32 AM »
That's insane.  I quit my last job when we moved to an open office.  Not that I care about privacy for privacy's sake, but noticed all upper management got nice offices.  It's more of a trust and respect issue, if they don't trust me to work, fire me, and if they don't respect us enough to give us working conditions they would want, why should I stay?

I'd spend my time applying for jobs while at my desk.

Goldielocks

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Re: Do You Have No Assigned Desks at Work
« Reply #49 on: January 31, 2020, 05:34:44 PM »
My last year of work, I was primarily travelling / WFH employee. 

When I went in to the office, such as for a 2 hour meeting and I would work there for the day because my commute was 90 minutes.. it SUCKED that there were no open desks that I could use, and yet, the office was often only 1/3 full. It was a projectized business and people were working on projects, out sick, at all day meetings, on vacation.

We were not allowed to work in conference rooms because they were limited and frequently booked.

I had to draw on my former in-office relationships to get someone's personal permission to use their desk if they were out, and I had to switch desks often halfway through the day.  And I had to search for a desk of someone I knew, and then email them / call them to ask if I could use it for the day.

The same thing happened for visits to other offices (we were a project business, often travelling to work to help other offices out near the client location)..  End result is most of the company had an assigned desk that they were not in town to use, but could not find a free desk to set down at the temporary location.

It was madness.   

I definitely think that everyone in the office should have an assigned spot.  I liked one design, where people would be out of the office for 6-7 hours a day -- everyone had a 2ft x 3ft "cubby" / "carol" like in a library.  Personal space, put up your photos,mug, have your own chair and reference books.   It was quite tight, but everyone could sit at once, have full team meetings in one room, had a locked file drawer, etc.

If you wanted more space for a day in office, or visiting, you migrated to the other side of the room where there were large open work areas and desks, including shared tables for setting out large drawing sheets, a side area with workshop like desks for electronics testing, and even a handful of closed offices if you were going to be on the phone for the day or meeting confidentially.   These were reset at the end of the day.
Lovely!