Hot desking, crowded, no privacy, and bad WiFi - employee vents ire on RTO, sparks big debate

A Reddit user said their company is forcing employees to return to the office three days a week after nearly three years of remote work. The mandatory return-to-office (RTO) policy will start next month, according to the employee.

The employee said the company made its office smaller during the pandemic. Now, there are not enough desks for all workers who are coming back. Because of this, the company started “hot desking.” This means workers must book a desk using an app and do not have their own fixed seat. The employee said this system takes away two things at once. People are losing the freedom to work from home, and they are also losing their personal space in the office.

Crowded office space

The employee visited the office to check the setup and described the situation as chaotic. Desks are packed very close together, leaving almost no privacy for employees, the user said. There are only two small conference rooms for the entire floor, which the employee called insufficient. The office WiFi was slow and struggling even with only a few people present, according to the employee.

Hiring gets harder

The team lead is angry because the RTO rule is making it harder to hire senior talent, the user said. Many job candidates are asking if they can work from home during interviews. This is happening very often, according to the employee. The team lead now has to clearly tell candidates that coming to the office is compulsory. The employee feels this strict rule will make hiring harder.

Out of curiosity, the employee checked prices of modular office furniture on Alibaba. The employee felt the company picked very cheap furniture. The employee said the office looks low-budget and is made to fit as many people as possible in a small space.

Overall, the employee believes management is forcing return-to-office rules to justify paying for the office lease, not to improve work quality or employee happiness. The post ended by asking if others are also dealing with poorly planned office spaces after RTO mandates, sparking debate online.

FAQs

Q1. What is hot desking in offices?

Hot desking is when employees share desks and must reserve a workspace instead of having a fixed seat.

Q2. Why are employees upset about return-to-office rules?

Employees are frustrated because offices are crowded, have bad WiFi, no privacy, and reduce remote work flexibility.