It is in every manager’s interest for employees to feel comfortable at work. And for the working atmosphere, too, the odd personal touch at a tidy desk can definitely be beneficial, as numerous studies show. An regularly updated photo of the children, for example, gives colleagues a reason to talk about something other than the new payroll software for once. A small club badge invites a chat about how the Bundesliga team performed over the weekend. As with almost everything in life, though, it is the amount that makes the difference between “good for the atmosphere” and “bad for your career”.
The desk as the employee’s calling card
Because just like tidiness at work, personal items can be a tricky subject: the boss will certainly notice the condition of the workspace and draw conclusions from it. No manager is likely to object if an employee puts up a plant, a few photos or one (!) fan pennant. Even here, however, there are exceptions that new employees in particular should find out about as quickly as possible, before, for example, installing a disco ball above the desk or crocheting around the office chair. One possible reason for exclusion is customer traffic in the office; on this issue, companies often follow their own policies, which naturally have to be observed. And even if there are no such rules, it does no harm to take a careful look around the department or even in the manager’s office: if the boss and colleagues have personal items on their desk, then a little decoration will generally be allowed. If you want to be sure, simply raise the subject.
The office as a calling card
In principle, an office - especially an open-plan office - is also a calling card that says a great deal about the company's character. Is there a cosy atmosphere with plenty of room for individuality, or a perfectly styled, clearly structured working environment where personal traits or needs take a back seat to the work schedule? Desks, too, can reveal something about an employee's character: anyone who decorates their workstation discreetly and with a flair for style probably enjoys being in the office. Anyone who "decorates" their desk with little more than work utensils or lunch-break leftovers such as mustard sachets or fast-food napkins is probably keen to get home. Ultimately, the desired appearance also depends on the sector the company operates in. The accounting department of an insurance company will look very different from the creative workshop of a fashion design agency.
The same applies to your desk: It's all about the right balance
As always, it's all about striking the right balance. Employees whose desks look like a tacky souvenir stall on the party strip are more likely to be seen by managers, colleagues and potential visitors as chaotic, unprofessional or sloppy. If a colleague has little more than a computer and a sheet of paper on their desk, the obvious impression is that they might be dull, uncreative or even unproductive. So the rule is: armies of collectible toy figures, fleets of Matchbox cars or collections of cuddly toys belong on a shelf at home; your own desk lamp, a framed family or holiday photo, or a well-kept office plant, however, can certainly go on the desk. According to studies, a workspace designed in this way can even boost creativity and is therefore often appreciated by managers as well.
Desk decor as a legal issue
But what is the position under employment law: are employees entitled to design their workstation as they wish? The clear answer is yes and no. The issue has two sides because a manager's right to issue instructions can clash with an employee's personal rights. For example, the employer is likely to be in the right if customer contact is involved. After all, employees also represent the company to customers through the appearance of their workstations. In an open-plan office, matters of personal taste may be less pronounced, but they are still clearly open to challenge. The boss has the least room to interfere in a private office that customers would not normally ever see.
Nor should it. That, at any rate, is the conclusion reached by the authors of studies describing how a decorated workspace can also help employees identify more strongly with their job. There are, of course, limits to this, for example if someone might take offence at the decorative items. The Playboy pin-up of the month has no more place on the pinboard than a phallus bottle opener in the pen holder or double-entendre slogan postcards on the monitor. Such things are considered sexist and therefore clearly discriminatory. If an employee complains about offensive material on the next desk, the boss must step in.
Clothing, shoes, cosmetics or handbags
Cosmetics, shoes and handbags have no place in the workplace either. Of course, it is helpful to keep a second set of clothes at the office, and no manager is likely to object to that. The storage location, however, is another matter. Clothes should be stored in such a way that they are not visible. If there are no wardrobes available in the office, a desk drawer can certainly be turned into a mini clothes depot. Nail varnish, hand cream, toothbrushes or deodorant sprays also have no place on the desk and should be kept out of sight. Other personal items, such as the current book a commuting employee reads on the train to work or sunglasses, can normally be kept on the desk surface.
And what about plants in the office?
There is generally nothing wrong with large plants in the office either (see also the article Plants in the office). As a basic rule, fresh greenery improves the air in the office and adds attractive visual accents that have been proven to relax the eyes. There are also hardly any people who would consider a plant unattractive. Even so, the same rule applies here: ask first. Particularly in borderline cases, for example if someone wants to bring in a man-high yucca palm or the rubber plant inherited from Aunt Gertrude, it is better to ask the boss and colleagues for their consent beforehand. With flowerpots standing on the floor rather than on the desk, care must be taken to ensure they are not placed in escape routes and therefore in breach of fire safety regulations.
Moving office furniture only with the boss's approval
The line between decorative workspace design and interior design intervention is crossed, by the way, when furniture is moved around. Employees are not allowed to interfere with office layout by moving their desk, placing their office chair on the other side of it or even repurposing a shelving unit as a room divider. If, for example, an employee puts up an entire wall of bookshelves, that too is not possible without the boss's prior permission. Incidentally, such conversion work becomes discriminatory if furniture or storage units are positioned in such a way that you no longer have to see the colleague at the next desk.