'AITA for banning my coworker from my desk?' 'He was drooling on MY armrest.'
"AITA for banning my coworker from my desk because of his 'emergency chair naps?'"
Alright, strap in, because this one’s about to get absurd. So, I work in an office where, for some reason, having a comfortable chair is like finding gold. A few months ago, I decided to invest in a super comfy ergonomic chair for my desk. You know, to save my back and make my workday slightly more bearable.
Then, there’s Todd (not his real name, but trust me, he’s a Todd). Todd has this habit of wandering around the office like he’s on a break 80% of the time. One day, I catch him napping in MY chair. I thought it was a one-time thing, maybe he just needed a quick power nap, so I let it slide. But then it became a daily occurrence.
Every time I step away for a minute—bathroom, grabbing coffee, whatever—I come back, and there’s Todd, dead asleep in my chair, drooling on MY armrest like he pays rent here.
So, I confront Todd, and he’s like, “Oh, sorry, dude. Your chair’s just really comfortable. I can’t help it. It’s like a sleep magnet!” I tell him it’s weird, and he needs to stop using my workspace as his personal nap station. He laughs it off and says, “Come on, it’s just a quick nap. You’re not using it.”
I thought that would be the end of it, but NO. Todd keeps sneaking in, and now I’m paranoid about leaving my desk, afraid I’ll find him there mid-snooze. I finally snapped and told him straight up, “Stay out of my chair or I’m reporting this to HR.” Now he’s acting all hurt, saying I’m overreacting and should just “chill out.”
I guess he’s giving me the cold shoulder now—probably because he can’t nap in my chair anymore. So, AITA for laying down the law and evicting Todd from my chair naps?
Here's what top commenters had to say about this one:
DryChard3003 said:
NTA! Dude, your chair isn’t an Airbnb for Todd’s naps. If he’s so attached to it, maybe you should start charging him ‘nap rent.’ Honestly, next time he’s snoozing, just slowly wheel him over to HR’s office and see how well he naps through that!
Spare-heir said:
Todd’s weird. You are NTA. Did you buy the chair with your own money? You should charge him for wear & tear. Jk, but seriously, him drooling on your personal chair is gross.
Zornorph said:
I would literally dump him out of my chair the next time I found him napping in it. Like right on the floor. NTA of course.
bluepuffgirl said:
NTA. Todd’s behavior is beyond inappropriate, especially in a professional setting. It's not just about him taking naps in your chair; it's about him invading your personal workspace and disregarding boundaries. You invested in that chair for your own comfort, and Todd’s repeated “emergency naps” are disrespectful and unsanitary (drooling on your armrest? Ew).
FSmertz said:
NTA. Beyond his rudely usurping your chair, the bigger issue is that you could be viewed as facilitating his napping during working hours. Like, who naps at their desk beyond a quick very occasional lunchtime 40 winks with earphones on? This isn't a HR problem, it's a management problem and an employee non-productivity problem.
DawnShakhar said:
NTA. I understand you bought your chair yourself. That means it's your private property. Todd has no right to take it, ever. From now on, if he tries it, wake him up by shaking him and telling him to move. If he protests, take it to HR. This is unacceptable on his part.