A little weird or am I overreacting? {LONG}

preppynewlywed · May 2010

Our receptionist is a little weird. Very nice, but weird.

Today we were joking about the attorneys' offices always being a mess, and she said she doesn't clean their offices ever. I told her I didn't realize she cleaned anyone's offices. She said very casually she goes through all of the staff offices/workspaces and organizes them for us as well as cleans through our trash each night before she leaves {she leaves 30 minutes after most of us}.

I've noticed the past two or three weeks that papers have been moved on my desk after I left, but I always just assumed it was one of the attorneys or that I moved them and forgot. Or maybe it was the cleaning people moving stuff while dusting. Nothing was so out of place that it was really bothersome.

However, I came in this morning and someone had done some serious rearranging. I had 6-8 piles of financial documents separated by quarter, and they were all in one pile. I thought maybe the cleaning lady knocked them on the ground and just stacked them up. I also noticed that someone had taken my lotion and cough drops and stuck them in a drawer. Apparently it was the receptionist "organizing" my office. She also told me that she takes the soda cans out of my trash bin a few times a week so I have more "trash space" {our trash just gets dumped on Mondays and Thursdays}. I think going through my trash is just gross. There are tissues, etc in there.

I'm kind of creeped out by this. I work with lots of financial information and multi-page Excel sheets that can get easily mixed up, and I don't like the idea of people going through my stuff. I also don't like that she was in my desk drawers. There is nothing private in there, but it still bothers me.

I'm not close with my coworkers, so I don't feel like I can ask if she does this to everyone. I don't know if it is just because I am "new" or if she really just waltzes through everyone's office.

I spent almost 2 hours today reorganizing the papers that she put in the pile. I have a very definitive "system" when it comes to paperwork and my desk, and I don't like when it is messed up. Even when I thought it was the lawyers doing it I was bothered by it; however, I'm not going to tell my boss not touch his clients' documents. KWIM?

So...how do I address this or don't I?

weelass24 · May 2010

Can you not just lock your desk up before you leave?

robinsokj · May 2010

I would say something. I can't think of what at the moment, but it needs to be addressed, especially since it results in more work for you

horizon1322 · May 2010

Yeah, definitely weird and then some. I would say something, especially because it's making you a less effective worker since you're having to waste time reorganizing paperwork. Just something simple like, "I appreciate your wanting to help, but if you could refrain from going through my desk and paperwork, I would appreciate it. There's a method to my madness, and it messes with my system to have things moved around."

preppynewlywed · May 2010

weelass24:
Can you not just lock your desk up before you leave?

Neither our offices nor our desks lock.

I do have a filing cabinet that locks, but it is specifically for certain documents. We're not supposed to put other things in there.

lilred86642 · May 2010

Are you able to lock you office when you leave?

If not... I would tell her how much you appreciate her effort in making things neater, but you would rather her not do it in your office. You could tell her that things are in their specific orders and that they need to stay that way.

But, it does seem odd she is going through the trash also. No need to clean the trash... its trash! I would seriously wonder what she is looking around for. Sounds like she is snooping and it needs to stop.

Just my opinion.

BrookeNicole09 · May 2010

The trash and organizing thing is weird, but as far as papers I'd ask her not to touch those as they are in a system for a reason.

joanithegreat · May 2010

Wow that is so strange/creepy/inappropriate. I would probably address it. I HATE people touching my stuff. My desk always looks like a disaster, but I know where everything is, it would really upset me if someone rearranged it.

Dee1028 · May 2010

That is strange and sounds like one of my cw's. She is constantly cleaning and organizing everything. She throws people's things in the trash and moves stuff to other areas and people are constantly looking for their things because she decided to move stuff but didn't tell anyone.

The last straw for me was when she took some papers that I had in MY mail bunk thing and threw them away.

I think you could just ask her not to rearrange your desk, explain that the stuff she "organized" was not done the way you like to work and you have to take some time reorganizing it.

armandos_girl · May 2010

That's messed up. I would say something. How is it possibly her job to "organize" your office for you?! I organize the guys files here, but that's because 90% of the time when they can't find something, they ask me to find it and its easier to find when the files aren't a mess. I also do most of their filing. But they know that and I tell them when I overhaul their files because they are a mess.

weelass24 · May 2010

preppynewlywed:

weelass24:
Can you not just lock your desk up before you leave?

Neither our offices nor our desks lock.

I do have a filing cabinet that locks, but it is specifically for certain documents. We're not supposed to put other things in there.

If the info it that sensitve, then it should be locked up. I also don't see how they would have an issue with you locking something up when you leave and taking it back out when you come back in the morning.

Mama_SAS · May 2010

I would confront her. Ask her if she piled up your papers last night and tell her that it took you 2 hours to reorganize them. Not in a biitchy way but to make the point that it is more than an annoyance. Then ask her to please refrain from 'organizing' your office.

I think if you just say 'please don't touch my stuff' she will think you're being sensitive but if you tell her how it makes more work for you then she will be more likely to get it.

preppynewlywed · May 2010

weelass24:
preppynewlywed:

weelass24:
Can you not just lock your desk up before you leave?

Neither our offices nor our desks lock.

I do have a filing cabinet that locks, but it is specifically for certain documents. We're not supposed to put other things in there.

If the info it that sensitve, then it should be locked up. I also don't see how they would have an issue with you locking something up when you leave and taking it back out when you come back in the morning.

Do you think I could just start doing locking it up without telling them then explain myself later if I must?

I am trying to handle this in a way that doesn't get her in trouble. I don't want to run to them and say "I need to lock up my papers, because someone is going through them."

weelass24 · May 2010

preppynewlywed:
weelass24:
preppynewlywed:

weelass24:
Can you not just lock your desk up before you leave?

Neither our offices nor our desks lock.

I do have a filing cabinet that locks, but it is specifically for certain documents. We're not supposed to put other things in there.

If the info it that sensitve, then it should be locked up. I also don't see how they would have an issue with you locking something up when you leave and taking it back out when you come back in the morning.

Do you think I could just start doing locking it up without telling them then explain myself later if I must?

I am trying to handle this in a way that doesn't get her in trouble. I don't want to run to them and say "I need to lock up my papers, because someone is going through them."

I would say nothing. If anyone asks, just say you lock them up at night because you are concerned about leaving such sensitive information out for the world to see.

Want a personalized experience?

A little weird or am I overreacting? {LONG}

Re: A little weird or am I overreacting? {LONG}

Choose Another Board

Search Boards