Hotdesks and clientco offices

[CheeseSlice]

I've been reasonably lucky so far at clientcos offices. Normally I'll be given a desk for the duration, and if not the office is suitably under capacity that its easy to get a spare desk or hotdesk no problem.

The place I've recently started a contract is a bit of a squeeze, but they normally have 2-3 unoccupied desks. I'm a laptop user so this would normally be fine. I'm told they have a hotdesking policy but that seems to be complete lies or they've misunderstood the point. Every desk has one of those 4 gang power strips under the desk, and not a single one of them has more than one socket free. Many are fully maxed out. In fact each desk has somebodies stuff always plugged in like a desktop PC, printer or docking station (wrong type for my laptop).

If I ask to unplug something they usually say Bob remotes in from home. Usually I have to choose between having a charged lappy or phone. Changing what I plug in is horrid because you have to crawl under and the floor is so dusty.

The place is also a complete tulip hole generally. There's even a rodent problem.

Anybody else have to put up with worse?

[cojak]

• Lack of desks: Tick
• Lack of power sockets: Tick
• Little white boxes (and sometimes larger black boxes) placed every 5 metres: Tick
• Lots of biscuits and cakes littered on filing cabinets (providing sustenance for the denizens of said white boxes): Tick

Welcome to 90% of offices in the UK and 99.99% in London.

[alreadypacked]

Break room table, when they could still smoke in the break room.
These days I tell them during the interview I need two machines

[Paddy]

I've been reasonably lucky so far at clientcos offices. Normally I'll be given a desk for the duration, and if not the office is suitably under capacity that its easy to get a spare desk or hotdesk no problem.

The place I've recently started a contract is a bit of a squeeze, but they normally have 2-3 unoccupied desks. I'm a laptop user so this would normally be fine. I'm told they have a hotdesking policy but that seems to be complete lies or they've misunderstood the point. Every desk has one of those 4 gang power strips under the desk, and not a single one of them has more than one socket free. Many are fully maxed out. In fact each desk has somebodies stuff always plugged in like a desktop PC, printer or docking station (wrong type for my laptop).

If I ask to unplug something they usually say Bob remotes in from home. Usually I have to choose between having a charged lappy or phone. Changing what I plug in is horrid because you have to crawl under and the floor is so dusty.

The place is also a complete tulip hole generally. There's even a rodent problem.

Anybody else have to put up with worse?

I always carry my own Laptop, 4 way power lead, mini hub RJ45 cable and Kensington lock. When you find a desk, I anchor myself their and refuse to move. I have even used a motorcycle lock to attach my own chair to the desk. If necessary liberate a desk from a meeting room and cable it up from a floor port.

I had one situation where a Bob was using a PC to remote from home. I moved his PC to one side, put his desk junk in a box and used his desk. Furthermore, I monitored what he was doing… in fact it was bugger all. I then switched it off. A month latter he phoned up to say he can't remote in. He was then sacked.

Often there is deliberate obstruction at various client sites so you need to think and at aggressively and positively.

[d000hg]

Bring your own 2/4-gang. Or plug your phone into your laptop to charge.

Or get a phone which doesn't need charging the whole time.

[FatLazyContractor]

I've been reasonably lucky so far at clientcos offices. Normally I'll be given a desk for the duration, and if not the office is suitably under capacity that its easy to get a spare desk or hotdesk no problem.

The place I've recently started a contract is a bit of a squeeze, but they normally have 2-3 unoccupied desks. I'm a laptop user so this would normally be fine. I'm told they have a hotdesking policy but that seems to be complete lies or they've misunderstood the point. Every desk has one of those 4 gang power strips under the desk, and not a single one of them has more than one socket free. Many are fully maxed out. In fact each desk has somebodies stuff always plugged in like a desktop PC, printer or docking station (wrong type for my laptop).

If I ask to unplug something they usually say Bob remotes in from home. Usually I have to choose between having a charged lappy or phone. Changing what I plug in is horrid because you have to crawl under and the floor is so dusty.

The place is also a complete tulip hole generally. There's even a rodent problem.

Anybody else have to put up with worse?

Previous client co had all of the above issues + Gents toilet seats tactically sprayed with urine

Urine is sterile - my arse

[d000hg]

If you're hot-desking, then asking if you can unplug something seems the issue here. Just unplug something and feign ignorance "oh, that desktop was turned on?"

[TheFaQQer]

Previous client co had all of the above issues + Gents toilet seats tactically sprayed with urine

Urine is sterile - my arse

Urine is sterile. Until it leaves the bladder.

[TheFaQQer]

Bring your own 2/4-gang. Or plug your phone into your laptop to charge.

Or get a phone which doesn't need charging the whole time.

The clients I've worked with would have needed an electrical inspection before allowing a new plug socket to be plugged in - particularly if you are plugging a 2/4 gang into an existing 4 gang.

That said, how old is your mobile phone if you can't charge it from a USB socket on your laptop?

[original PM]

we have hot desking - all was going fine until 1 department decided to triple in size without telling anyone and lo I come in and find there are no desks at all.

turned around and went home.