I Refused to Give My Desk to a New Coworker and Now HR Is Involved

Imagine working at the same desk for years because of medical issues—your chair, your setup, your little plant making it bearable. Then a new hire storms in, takes it over, ignores your pleas, and even reports YOU to HR. And the managerʼs reaction here is totally shocking!

Here’s an email we received from Violet and her story:

“Hi, Bright Side,

My name’s Violet, I have worked at my company for three years. While the office is technically ‘hot desking,’ everyone knows I’ve sat at the same workstation for over a year. It has my ergonomic chair, my monitor setup, and even a small plant. I have back issues, so it’s been quietly understood that this is my spot.

A new coworker, ‘Mark’ (31M), joined our team last month. From his first week, he kept choosing my desk, even though plenty of others were free. At first, I asked politely, and he brushed me off with, ‘Desks don’t belong to anyone here.’

The next time, he’d moved my chair, shoved my plant aside, and adjusted everything. I told him, ‘This is my setup, please don’t use it.’ He rolled his eyes but moved.

Last week, I came in and found him there again. I snapped and said, ‘Stop sitting at my desk. This isn’t funny anymore.’ He got defensive, claimed I was being ‘territorial,’ and went to HR.”

“Later that day, my manager called me directly. She said, ‘I don’t know how to tell you this, but Mark was placed at that workstation on purpose. It’s closer to the team leads, and we want him nearby while he’s onboarding. It’s not personal, just where we want him.’

So all this time, I thought I was standing up for myself... but apparently management had already promised my desk to Mark. Nobody told me. Now HR is treating it like I’m the problem, Mark thinks I mistreated him, and I’m stuck sharing a random corner desk while he sits in my old spot.

Am I wrong for confronting him, when I didn’t know management had actually reassigned ‘my’ desk to him?”

Bright Side readers had a lot to say after reading Violet’s story:

Bright Side community delivered very emotional comments, here are some of the top-rated opinions of our readers:

• xLuna_47!
  You’re not wrong for standing up for yourself. HR should have informed you beforehand about reassigning the desk. This lack of communication is on management, not on you.
• 7echoPrime##
  It sounds like you were set up to fail here. If they needed Mark closer to the leads, they should’ve explained it clearly. You reacted like anyone would.
• %DeltaRune_99
  Honestly, I’d recommend documenting everything. If HR is already painting you as the “problem,” you’ll need records in case things escalate.
• 0ctavian$hade
  This is classic poor management. They avoided an awkward conversation by letting you fight it out with Mark. Totally unfair to you both.
• R3M-circuit
  It may help to calmly request a new ergonomic setup at your reassigned desk. Frame it as a medical accommodation—you deserve that much at least.
• Nova*Shift82
  Mark was rude, no doubt. But I’d try to let go of the personal feelings toward him. Your real issue is with leadership, not him.

• !KaiZen_404
  I think your anger was justified. He disrespected you multiple times, and you only snapped after being pushed. Anyone in pain would’ve done the same.
• Driftwood_17%
  From an HR perspective, this was handled terribly. They created unnecessary conflict by not being transparent with you.
• EchoNite77@
  If you still want to stay in this company, maybe send an email outlining your back condition and your need for a consistent workstation. That way, they can’t ignore it.
• SolarFrost_5
  You’re not the villain here. You were blindsided. Don’t beat yourself up—this whole mess was caused by poor communication, not by you snapping once.

A piece of advice from Bright Side editorial team:

Dear Violet,

Thank you so much for opening up and sharing this story with us. What happened to you highlights not just company policy, but also how silence from management can breed unnecessary conflict. Our advice is this: instead of focusing solely on the desk, try reframing the issue as one of transparency and accommodation.

Request a formal meeting with HR where you calmly explain your medical needs and emphasize that it wasn’t the desk itself, but the lack of communication that caused the problem. This shifts the narrative: you’re not “territorial,” you’re advocating for clear processes and fair treatment. It can also help prevent similar clashes for others in the future.

— The Bright Side Team

“My colleague wouldn’t help me, and I lost a huge sale. A few months later, karma served her up on a silver platter. Now she’s on my team and needs my help, but I have a better plan. The pettiest revenge you’ve ever witnessed...” Read full story here.