A federal employee’s return to in-person work quickly turned chaotic as workers found themselves scrambling for desk space in an overcrowded office building.
In a viral TikTok video, user @randomvirgo20 detailed the disorganized and cramped conditions that led to tensions among colleagues, calling the situation “very much ghetto.”
“People were fighting for spots to sit—not literally, but it was a mess,” she explained.
She described how one of her co-workers, identified as “Miss C,” attempted to reserve her usual workspace by leaving her belongings overnight. However, when she arrived the next morning, an older colleague had already moved her things and claimed the seat. Management backed the decision, stating that all non-supervisory desks were first come, first served.
With more employees set to return over the next few weeks, concerns over limited space continue to grow. According to @randomvirgo20, the office was already at capacity with just managers and supervisors present, and the next phase will see an additional 50 workers entering a building that can barely accommodate its current occupants.
“Our emergency manager is sweating bullets,” she said. “The government didn’t even approve a budget big enough to get us another building.”
The situation highlights broader challenges faced by federal agencies as they transition employees back to in-person work. President Trump recently put an end to Federal employees working remotely.
Many workers, who adapted to remote setups at the height of the pandemic, have been asked to return to in-person work and are now facing logistical headaches, from cramped offices to unclear seating arrangements.
“We’re not the only agency going through this,” @randomvirgo20 noted. “They’re gonna have to figure something out.”
For now, employees are left hoping for a solution.
