Bosses demand remote-work employees return to office, make them share seats and desks: 'Our group was allocated 70% of the desks we need'

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Remy Millisky • Writer and Editor
Nov 2, 2025 11:00 AM EST

This office is taking the "hot desk" situation to an extreme, and this worker is at their wits' end. 

In some fields these days, having a hot desk situation is totally fine. At a lot of jobs, you just need your laptop (and maybe a very large coffee). Gone are the days of bringing personal decorations to work, plastering your cubicle with photos of your family and friends. Instead, a lot of offices just have rows of empty tables or desks where people can plop down anywhere. They can work for a few hours or a full day, but when 5 o'clock rolls around, they'll pack up their laptop and leave the desk. Then the next day, they'll sit somewhere else, and so on. 

This is especially helpful if you work with different teams who you need to meet with, but not everyone is sold on the idea. Sometimes it's nice to have a space that's just yours! You don't have to worry about who sat there last, or who you'll find yourself sitting next to, you can just chill out in the same place every day. 

This employee revealed that they're somehow in an even worse situation than just being someone who doesn't like hot desking. They're being squeezed in tight with other workers and literally sharing desks and seats! Oh no… Check out the full story below, as well as the advice that some commenters were giving them after reading their astonishing tale. 

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  • 01
    Group of 7 business people, 4 standing and talking, and 3 sitting at long desk
    via Getty Images For Unsplash+

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • 02
    Our group was allocated 70% of the desks that we need and we have to be in the office 5x per week. Every third or fourth seat has two names on it
    via u/ccu726
  • 03
    indicating it's shared, and the group has to collectively put together a plan for who has to find their own seat each day.
    via u/ccu726
  • 04
    This is madness and stressful as hell. Is this even legal?
    via u/ccu726
  • 05
    Lebe... Imao, what a shitshow
    via u/ccu726
  • 06
    oont... That's a sign that 30% of your team are headed for the exit, voluntarily or involuntarily
    via u/ccu726
  • 07
    Accompli... This setup is not sustainable. Leadership should be the first to share or give up a desk. If there is no nearby
    via u/ccu726
  • 08
    seat, working from home is a fair business-related solution. If nothing changes, there are
    via u/ccu726
  • 09
    interested parties who would want to hear about this and will keep it anonymous.
    via u/ccu726
  • 10
    buckeye... In on home lending in Ohio and we have the same thing. People in my team who can get here early are getting here before 7 a.m.
    via u/ccu726
  • 11
    to get a seat. I have a child that is an elementary school so I don't get in until 9. I almost never can sit with the rest of the team and I feel like a nomad finding a
    via u/ccu726
  • 12
    new desk every day. Not to mention that I have to carry all my office supplies on a bag every day.
    via u/ccu726
  • 13
    Group of 8 business people standing against large window in cluttered office
    via Getty Images For Unsplash+

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • 14
    ccu726 OP WFH is no longer allowed. They expect people without a desk to literally walk around the floor and find a seat.
    via u/ccu726
  • 15
    Character_Sherbet_44 Opt for your manager to have someone work from home each day on rotation.
    via u/Character_Sherbet_44
  • 16
    Character_Sherbet_44 Wfh is still allowed if approved by manager and isn't set like for example every Friday.
    via u/Character_Sherbet_44
  • 17
    ccu726 OP Not allowed. Can't submit a WFH request due to lack of seats. One-off, random WFH, sure, I guess.
    via u/ccu726
  • 18
    ccu726 OP The global head is aware and on board with this nonsense
    via u/ccu726
  • 19
    ccu726 OP Need a legit workstation. Business managers and admins are strict about seating. If an open desk exists but is unassigned, people still cannot use it.
    via u/ccu726
  • 20
    Cheezburger Image 10570439936
    via Getty Images For Unsplash+

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

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