HR HELEN: My desk, my rules?

Dear HR, I keep getting ‘hints, or strongly recommended’ to tidy my desk, but it’s organised chaos to me. Can I tell them to back off, or does HR really have a clean desk policy?  

Hold your horses, Lola Young (who said HR isn’t clued up on the latest trends?). 

Oooooh yes, the matter of desk cleanliness is an age-old battle as well-known and possibly as contentious as the Battle that’s been making headlines this week. If anything, I welcomed the idea of a pause in the latter this year, if only because it would put a stop to the annual, “Can we have a day off?” questions… But that’s a battle for another day.

Back to your issue. The clean desk policy.

This is, in essence, about finding a balance between personal workspace preferences and office expectations. While you might thrive in what you call “organised chaos”, your colleagues and management may see something closer to “absolute disaster”.  But the point is this isn’t just about whether your desk is a mess. This is about security, compliance, and protecting both your job and the company. 

Firstly, check if your company has an official ‘Clean Desk Policy’. Many workplaces do, especially those handling sensitive information. If such a policy exists, then yes, HR can, and will, ask you to tidy up. 

But even if there’s no official policy, consider this: would you want customers, clients, or senior management walking past your desk only to be greeted by empty wrappers, half-eaten food, and piles of paperwork that is not as structurally sound as the Eiffel Tower?  

Whether you like it or not, your desk is a visual representation of you and, to some extent, your professionalism. A cluttered desk might suggest: 

• you’re busy 

• you’re overwhelmed. 

• you’re disorganised. 

• you don’t care about your workspace (or hygiene). 

That’s the personal bit. From a company standpoint, there is a much more serious concern: data protection.

Safeguarding company data, sensitive client records, financial reports, or employee information are lost or leaked, the consequences aren’t just internal. 

Data breaches can result in massive fines under GDPR and other data protection laws, and there’s also the risk of reputational damage, as security lapses can erode trust and harm the company’s image. 

There’s also a job risk for you. If you’re found negligent, you could face disciplinary action – or worse. 

In a nutshell, it’s not just about looking tidy, it’s about protecting information that, if lost, could cost the company money and you, your job. 

So, can you tell HR to back off? No. Keeping your workspace clear of sensitive materials isn’t just a request, it’s a requirement, so why not try and get ahead of the issue? A little spring cleaning now could save you (and your company) from a much bigger mess later.