Woman Takes Over Coworker's Office When She Goes on Maternity Leave, Then Refuses to Give It Back
- - Woman Takes Over Coworker's Office When She Goes on Maternity Leave, Then Refuses to Give It Back
Ashley VegaNovember 16, 2025 at 9:00 PM
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A woman took over her coworker’s office while she was on maternity leave and working from home
When the company ended remote work, the returning coworker asked for her office back — but the new occupant refused
Now, she is wondering if she is in the wrong for keeping the office for herself, despite it never being hers in the first place
An employee sought advice from the Reddit community after a workplace disagreement arose when she refused to give up an office she had been using while a coworker was working from home.
The poster explained that the situation began back in 2023, when a woman in her building named Jenn went on maternity leave.
“After having her child, Jenn took advantage of our company’s WFH program, which left her office open,” the employee wrote. “I placed in a request for the space with my manager and was given the go, so I got to leave my crappy cubicle for my very own private office.”
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That arrangement worked smoothly until recently, when the company announced that all remote employees would be returning to the office on Nov. 17, 2025. “Yeah, that sucks, I know,” she added.
Once the work-from-home employees began touring the office to prepare for their return, the issue surfaced. “When Jenn saw I was in her office, she became agitated and asked if I’d be leaving so she could take back over,” the employee wrote. “I told her flatly that I had no intent to give up the office.”
Jenn then brought the matter to management, hoping they might step in. However, the decision did not go in her favor.
“Management’s immediate decision was that I was under no obligation to move out of the office,” the woman explained. “I was approached and asked if I had any interest in returning to a cubicle, I said no, and there was no follow-up from my manager or HR as they both see the matter as closed.”
Despite the company’s stance, the situation quickly caused tension among coworkers. “Now, just a day later, I’m getting a stink from coworkers who think I’m punishing Jenn for something outside her control,” the poster shared.
According to her, Jenn also reached out personally, appealing for empathy. “Jenn has also emailed me, asking me to consider the position she’s in and that she’s already being punished by the company by being compelled to return to the building, and asking me to consider her feelings,” she wrote.
The employee admitted she sympathized with Jenn’s situation but still felt justified in keeping the office. “Sincerely, I definitely understand how much this sucks for her and everyone else being forced to come back, but I like having my own office,” she said. “I have a lot of stuff in here that I’d otherwise have to carry back home. I’d be giving up the privacy that I’ve become adjusted to, and, if I’m being honest, I enjoy actually having a nice window to look out and none of the noise of the cubicles.”
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When another Reddit user asked if Jenn had a specific reason she needed that office — such as a higher position or need for privacy — the employee clarified that wasn’t the case. “My company is weird. We have 15 non-managerial offices. When one becomes available, you may ‘bid’ on one and whoever has the most seniority and best performance metrics wins the office,” she explained.
She added that Jenn’s former office had simply become available when she left, and the employee’s qualifications allowed her to take it fairly.
“Generally, one or two offices become available every year either because of promotions or turnover,” she wrote. “So Jenn and I are no different than anyone else in the cubicles. When it became available, I got it because I asked and had the seniority and metrics to win over anyone else who’d placed a request.”
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
