I had the joy of observing a social worker for four days in her busy social work life, which gave me a real insight into many features of her job, and I’m sure I didn’t see half of it.  One thing that was clear however, is that she and her team are moving offices, they just don’t know where to, and they don’t know when. She told me that there’s been a ‘SOLD’ sign on the building for months, and before that obviously a ‘FOR SALE’ sign.  So they know now they’ll be moving out – but where next?

In one way it may be an easy move: as they’re all ‘hotdeskers’, it should in theory be a matter of clearing out their locker which they squeeze their desk contents into and out of each day they’re in the office, before trailing their laptop trolley case out with them as they leave.  But then there are the notices around acting as a constant written reminder that maybe they don’t quite belong, well anywhere…:

• There’s a sign in one hotdesking office, that hotdeskers are no longer allowed to use the staffroom.
• There’s also a sign that for data security reasons, confidential documents must not be left on the printer – a very valid point. – I’m unsure however whether the person typing this notice realised that the printer is located outside of the office, some 15/20 metres away. (There is a MASSIVE shredder in the room though)
• And then there’s the ‘SOLD’ sign outside the building, as well as the notice pictured above which continued with details of one department’s move.
• There was still no announcing notification of where my observed social worker might be moving to…