help! my coworker is invading my space!
Here’s a question from reader Hillary who has a dilemma we can all relate to. Can you help her?
What do you do when the new girl at work begins to invade your space? I started this new job about two months ago and recently the other girl working with me quit. The new girl is super nice and very neat which is great when you share a desk, but today when i came in to take over she had completely moved everything around on my desk. I feel that as her senior (even if only slightly senior) she should respect my space as I did the girl’s before her. I know the desk is bland and in desperate need of personalizing but is it her place?
August 12th, 2008 at 6:13 am
Maybe she was wiping it off and didn’t know where everything went. Regardless, I would either a) move everything back to its place without saying anything or b) Smile and, with an easy breasy tone, say, “woops! This is where I like to keep these!” and move your items back where they belong.
August 12th, 2008 at 9:11 am
The part I’m hung up on is that you share a desk. Does that mean you two are never there at the same time, but both use the same desk for your work? If that’s the case, there doesn’t seem to be a lot you can do as nothing really entitles you to demand that your configuration be the only one for the desk that both of you have to use. It may end up being a case where you both just rearrange to your preference when it’s your turn.
If, on the other hand, it’s your desk and she doesn’t have to sit and work there - it’s totally unacceptable that she rearrange your workspace.
August 12th, 2008 at 2:50 pm
I say tackle her and put her in a headlock. Just kidding.
I wouldn’t make a big deal about it. Kill her with kindness. I would take her to lunch and casually try to mention it then.
August 13th, 2008 at 9:26 am
It’s a tough issue. It’s 50% her desk, even if she was hired after. It would get under my skin, too, but unless there is a reason for things to be where they were, you won’t have much of a leg to stand on. The best you can hope for is to find a mutually agreeable solution to where things are and will stay. Most likely she won’t even care where things are placed, and really, why do you? If the stapler is available, why does it matter where? I would also bet that she had no idea that moving such things would even bother you. Pick your battles. If she starts moving your personal stuff, then there is a real issue.