Is ‘desk bombing’ your coworkers rude?

But in a corporate work environment where you’re being judged on adequacy, particularly as a young worker, it feels nice to have more control over your responses. Emailing and messaging lets me mull over ideas and craft a thoughtful response. I can refer to a paper trail of what’s expected of me. An email or Slack message can quell the anxiety of approaching a busy manager or an intimidating superior.

It’s a lot easier to desk bomb when you’re comfortable or on the same level as your coworker. “I don’t mind when my coworkers come up for a chat,” a friend says, “but we’re all young and friends so that helps.”

Everyone’s perception of office etiquette is different.

Working and studying from home gave people an opportunity to present an idealised version of themselves, protected by the barrier of the screen. When I get a call I can decline, when I want to take lunch, I block my calendar out. I can change my status to ‘busy’ on Slack when a task needs uninterrupted concentration. You become adjusted to hammering out tasks without distractions or needing to engage in small talk.

After two years of being able to control communication, our difficulties with face-to-face interaction makes sense. The open-plan office style is undeniably overstimulating in comparison to working from home, so we can’t be surprised that people want to rejig the rules.

I try to send a “free to chat?” message before approaching a coworker who looks engrossed in work. But is communication consent in the office a practice to be condemned or celebrated? It depends on who you ask.

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The little things workers do for privacy means this consent might be welcomed. Some workers broadcast a “do not disturb” message with non-verbal cues. “I just put my headphones in and sit in the corner of the room,” a friend says. Others assert clear boundaries. “If I’m concentrating and someone comes up, I tell them I’m busy and to come back later.” Some opt for solitude. “I just hide in the toilet cubicle for 10 minutes if I need a break.”

Perhaps we need to develop more quiet spaces away from phone calls, loud conversation and uninvited complaining. But everyone’s perception of office etiquette is different. And some believe your space and time should always be available.

“If I had it my way I’d force people to come into the office,” says my friend in her 20s who works at a large consulting firm. “I like being able to have access to people whenever. There’s a guy who never comes in, and it’s annoying.”

My acknowledgment of the social anxiety of the workplace doesn’t mean I’m staunchly against desk bombing. I just think the debate is a sign something needs to shift. Work is about collaboration and understanding each other, so why don’t we extend that to workplace etiquette?

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