A person has shared how they took petty revenge on a colleague who constantly left mess on a hot desk to claim it as his own. The story, posted on Reddit, details how the entitled colleague eventually moved seats after the revenge.
Office Etiquette and Hot Desking
In many offices, hot desking allows employees to work at any available desk. This flexible arrangement requires everyone to keep workstations tidy. However, one Reddit user described a situation where a colleague abused the system by claiming a specific desk near the door.
The user wrote: 'We have a few dozen hot desks that are open for anybody to use. No seating is reserved or assigned. Some people are particular about desk height, the way their monitors are set up, etc. They pick a workstation far away from the door because most of us grab the nearest seat to do their work and leave. But not this guy.'
The Messy Colleague's Tactics
The colleague claimed the first desk nearest the door, making it appear constantly in use by leaving coffee cups and other garbage on it. Everyone had to walk past the mess on their way in and out of the room. Paper coffee cups with stains were left for a long time.
Eventually, the Reddit user decided to take revenge. 'I used that desk just to spite him. It helps pass the office boredom and it is fun to mess with these kinds of people. He is short so I always raised it to be a standing desk and adjusted the monitors at tallest I could stand. To show intent I tangled up the headset cable with the keyboard cable.'
Escalation and Resolution
Despite the user's actions, the colleague strengthened his claim by adding more garbage. Late Friday, the user went through the recycle bin to triple the garbage heap. Someone caught him and laughed. The manager saw the mess on Monday.
Now, the office keeps a sign at each desk to remind people of basic cleanliness principles. The user concluded: 'He probably f***** off to some desk in the back like he should have in the first place.'
Reddit users applauded the revenge. One said: 'Going through recycling is insanely petty. Well played, OP.' Another added: 'So incredibly satisfying. Fine work.'
