A lot of experiences at work make no sense, and the boss is often at fault.

For example, some people tend to be messier than others. This can be true in their homes as well as their offices.

Would you assume that someone with a messy desk was busier than someone with a perfectly neat and tidy desk, or would you assume one person prioritizes tidiness more than the other?

See the weird and baffling behavior of this worker’s boss and his attitude about her desk.

Boss wants a messy desk? Granted.

A few years ago I switched jobs.

I was in pre-sales for a fintech startup and given a very small desk in a cramped office.

I though it would be better not to add a cramped desk to the mess, so I only put on my desk what was necessary for my task at any given time.

But her plan wasn’t appreciated.

I cleaned it up entirely when leaving the office.

One day Grumpy Boss sees me leaving for a customer meeting and tells me that he thinks that I don’t work much as my desk is always empty.

Uh, OK.

So I empty one drawer on my desk, basically my office supplies, and look at him. “Is that OK?”

Blank stare.

It got even weirder.

I empty a second drawer, paper files of customer docs and reports.

Then the unbelievable happens : he smiles warmly and says: “it looks better now.”

One month later I was out, fed up with the crazy management.

I learned one year later that the company failed and was bought by its main customer.

Some bosses mistake a messy desk for a busy work day instead of what it really is, a mess!

Here is what people are saying on Reddit.

It’s so bizarre to me.

Exactly. Everyone is different.

Wouldn’t surprise me.

Nope! Yes, my desk is cluttered.

Good to keep in mind.

Doesn’t he have anything better to do?

If you liked that story, check out this post about an oblivious CEO who tells a web developer to “act his wage”… and it results in 30% of the workforce being laid off.