Hot Desking - The results

So this week we moved offices and it was time to enter into hot desk hell.
Luckily for me my arthritis proved useful for once as it meant I have been allocated a permanent desk while the rest of the team have to play musical chairs.

The moving of desks isn't all that bad the team have assured me.  The hot desks that can be booked are at the other side of our large office in a nice quiet area.  When it is their turn to hot desk they happily go over there and relax and get a lot of work done without other staff interrupting or our 1970's manager asking them to do a million and one tasks which he is perfectly capable of doing himself.

The new area however is a different story.  First it is extremely noisy.  We have packed the same number of staff into a much smaller area and the noise is mad.  Its going to take a fair bit of getting used to.

Second we are right next to the tea point and photocopiers which add to the noise but also have the side effect of people walking behind our desks and back to get tea and coffee and to use the machines.  In the past week I have had people walk into my desk, nearly spill drinks on me, and I have slammed my chair accidently :) into a number of people who have just got a little too close.  There are set walk ways but as with everything a lot of people just think the rules don't apply to them.  An email has gone round asking people to use the walkways but there are a few who persist.

One guy has continued to persist in walking behind my desk.  When I challenged him this morning he said it was ok because he wasn't carrying a hot drink.  I mentioned that I had nearly hit him with my chair and asked he not do it again.  This worked for all of 5 minutes and then he was back.  I have taken to saying don't walk behind my chair in a loud voice when ever someone does it but for this guy I am thinking of deliberatly aiming my chair at him every time he goes past (or I could just get my line manager to speak to his)

Well its only been a week and I suppose I shall get used to it but its going to be fun while I do.