When you share a workspace, your desk is the one place where you can keep your belongings and have some feeling of privacy. But what happens when someone violates it?

In this story, a man shares that his coworker keeps using his desk when he’s not there.

How would you deal with this situation?

Let’s take a closer look.

AITA for telling my coworker to stop using my desk setup when I’m not there?

I work in an open office with mostly shared desks, but a few of us have assigned ones because of our roles. I’m one of them.

I’ve been at this company about two years, and I put together my own setup over time: mechanical keyboard, mouse, laptop stand, cables routed the way I like, etc.

Nothing crazy, but it’s mine and I paid for most of it myself.

A few months ago, a coworker “Jake” started using my desk whenever I was out sick or working from home.

At first I didn’t mind because I figured it was a one-off.

But it kept happening.

It also got increasingly suspicious.

I’d come back and my keyboard would be swapped, my chair height changed, cables unplugged, things moved around.

Once my mouse was just gone and showed up two days later in his bag “by accident.”

I mentioned it casually like, “Hey, can you not use my desk? It messes with my setup.”

He laughed it off and said it was no big deal since it’s a shared office and I’m not always there anyway.

But this didn’t change either of their minds.

Last week was the breaking point.

I came in and my monitor arm was loosened and my keyboard had a sticky key (he admitted he spilled coffee but “wiped it”).

I told him pretty directly that I didn’t want him using my desk at all anymore.

I also put a small sign on my desk saying it’s assigned.

Jake got annoyed and said I was being territorial and dramatic, and that everyone shares here.

Now it’s just a tug-of-war.

A couple coworkers agreed with him and said I should relax since it’s just a desk.

My manager said I could’ve handled it “more politely” but didn’t tell either of us to change anything.

I get that it’s an office, not my house. But I also feel like if it’s assigned to me and I paid for some of the equipment, it shouldn’t be touched without asking.

Now it’s a bit awkward and I’m wondering if I overreacted.

AITA?

This is why most people don’t like open offices.

Let’s see what Reddit had to say.

It’s his space and his belongings.

An ingenious idea.

Exactly.

Maybe that could help.

Another reader chimes in.

His coworker is being disrespectful.

He needs to not care about his coworkers’ judgment and double down.

If you liked that post, check out this story about a guy who was forced to sleep on the couch at his wife’s family’s house, so he went to a hotel instead.