An Employee Booked A Desk At Work — And Accidentally Started A Full-Blown Office Feud

This office feud did not start with a screaming match or a dramatic HR email. It started with a desk booking, a message that went unanswered, and one GM who apparently treated a hot desk like it was a personal throne.

OP works in a hot desking setup where everyone books desks weeks ahead, but nothing is officially assigned. Their team usually books the same area for Friday, until a new GM from another division started hogging one specific desk and getting weirdly protective about it. OP accidentally booked “that desk” after a visitor day left limited options, then got told to release it, only for the GM to show up in the seat anyway.

Now the GM’s exec assistant wants OP to stop booking that desk forever, and OP is left wondering if they should just fold, or finally fight back.

The OP's workplace uses a hot desking system, meaning no one actually owns a spot.

AI-generated image

Original Post

My workplace uses a hot desking system where everyone has to book desks in advance. Bookings open a few weeks ahead and no desks are officially assigned to anyone. I only go into the office 1–2 times a week.

My team day is usually Friday and it’s fairly quiet, so on those days my team (about 10–15 people) tends to book desks in the same area to sit together. About 6 months ago a new GM (not from my division) started sitting in that area and seems to have become very attached to a particular desk.A few weeks ago I unintentionally booked “that desk” because it was next to my colleagues and there were visitors in the office, leaving limited seating options. The day before, he messaged asking me to “release the desk.” I politely asked for a reason and whether I could still book in that area (wasn’t sure if the visitors were exclusively using that area) but he never responded so I kept the booking.The next day I arrived and found him sitting in the desk I had booked. I asked him about it and he said he messaged me yesterday. I asked why he didn’t respond, he said he was busy. I ended up finding another desk on other side of the floor but was annoyed he didn’t apologize or give a proper explanation. I saw that same desk was available in a few weeks time so I booked it. Fast forward to this week, this Friday I have booked “that desk”.Today I received a message from his exec assistant asking me to “kindly release all future bookings and refrain from booking the desk he usually books”. Her justification was that as part of the leadership team he needs a desk with a screen that faces away from the rest of the office. The thing is, it’s a quiet day, so there are multiple desks on the other side of the floor that would meet that requirement. Also, desks aren’t officially assigned, and again this is where my team is sitting.So AITA if I don’t release the desk this time and just keep the booking?

Let's see how the Reddit community reacted.

Ja_Lonley

This isn't the hill to die on.

canvasshoes2

ESH.

JeepersCreepers74

It's not worth the fight.

epicfail1994

Policy applies to everyone.

wesmorgan1

You're probably not gonna win this one.

Meloetta

This is similar to the AITA-style fight where someone debated exposing their partner’s family secrets during an argument.

NTA.

spork_master_funk

If he really needs that desk, he should take it up with the big boss.

Bearloom

If he wants the desk, he should book it earlier.

S_Laughter_Party

Pick your battles.

CryptoQuinn2

Let him have his power trip if it means that much to him.

turtlturtl

It's a desk, who cares?

QCfatNugZ

This is really stupid.

Real_Nectarine34

The first spark was OP booking “that desk” next to their team when visitors made seating scarce, and the GM replying with a vague “release the desk” request that went nowhere.

Then OP showed up to find the GM sitting in the exact spot they had booked, claimed they were “busy” to respond, and offered zero apology.

OP escalated the petty energy by booking the same desk again when it popped up as available, and now the GM’s exec assistant is sliding in with a “kindly release all future bookings” demand.

At the end of the day, it’s a shared office—not a game of musical chairs with a VIP section. Still, this tiny desk dilemma has people seriously divided on where professionalism ends and entitlement begins.

Nobody wants to be the person who gives up “that desk” and still ends up being blamed for it.

Want more chaos, read how this AITA user told their sister about her boyfriend’s cheating.