Whose Job Is It to Water the Office Plants? And Why Is There a Garden Gnome Involved?

Somewhere in the open-plan jungle of every modern workplace, a drama unfolds in slow, leafy motion. What starts as an innocent addition, a fern in the corner, a few succulents on desks, evolves into something…darker. Office plants. Wholesome? Yes. But also a surprisingly thorny topic when no one wants to water them!

Who should be responsible for the plants in the office? Should employees be forced to take turns? And what happens when management disguises it as a “team-building” exercise and suddenly it's your turn to water the plants.

The Gnome...

Office Plants: A Green Idea With Grey Areas

Bringing plants into the workplace is a well-documented win. They improve air quality, reduce stress, boost productivity, and make the place feel less like a sterile box of deadlines. Here’s where it gets tricky. In many offices, this task is unofficially passed to the most nurturing person on the team. But sometimes, management formalises it, introducing “plant duty” into weekly rosters. Enter: The Gnome...

Yes, I actually worked in an office where a garden gnome was passed from desk to desk to symbolise who is currently on plant duty. What started as cute, quirky and “fun” becomes passive-aggressive performance theatre.

When “Team Building” Becomes Team Shaming

Forcing plant care onto employees under the guise of “team bonding” quickly stops being bonding when someone forgets to water Kevin the Monstera. Now Kevin is drooping, everyone notices, and suddenly it’s a thing! What began as “just water the plants once this week” spirals into:

1. Messages:“Reminder: It’s your turn. Kevin looks sad.”

2. Schedule police.

3. Unspoken judgement when someone lets the Fern dry out.

4. “Plant shaming” when someone dares to question why they’re involved in the first place.

Let’s be honest—some people just don’t like plants. Or dirt. Or the responsibility of keeping something green alive while juggling deadlines. And that’s okay.

"I hate houseplants. I despise them. I had to be my parents' caretaker, I have a baby, and my husband is needy, and I have a high-maintenance dog, and I DON'T WANT TO TAKE CARE OF ANYTHING ELSE." - Employee Feedback conversation on Reddit

It's more than just a plant problem

When office plants become a metaphor for culture clashes, it’s time to re-examine priorities. What seems like a small, harmless task can become a source of stress, resentment, and workplace tension. And nobody needs that—not you, not your team, not even Kevin the Monstera.

Why Rostered “Chore” Tasks Can Cause Workplace Stress

The idea of psychological reactance goes all the way back to 1966, when a researcher named Brehm found that people don’t like being told what to do, especially when it feels pointless or outside their control. When someone’s freedom to choose is taken away (like being forced to do low-value tasks), they often push back or feel frustrated. Even though this theory is decades old, it still rings true today and helps explain why rigid task rosters can cause stress at work.

Gallup research consistently shows that employee engagement drops when people feel their time is being spent on low-value tasks that don’t make use of their skills or strengths. And when employees are pressured into optional activities (like engagement surveys), trust erodes, lowering genuine engagement and increasing frustration and fatigue.

And this can have the reverse effect of what HR/Employee Engagement teams are trying to achieve...Actively disengaged workers cost organisations between $483 and $605 billion annually, highlighting how disengagement (stemming from low-value tasks or feeling forced) severely impacts productivity.

Best Practice Instead of Forced Rosters

So come on, Managers, HR Professionals, and Employee Engagement teams, let’s think outside the pot plant. The data is clear: not everyone wants to be plant-shamed or have a gnome mysteriously appear on their desk. Just because it’s quirky doesn’t mean it’s engaging. It’s time to ditch the forced fun and rethink the rules. Look at the surveys. Listen to your team. Engagement isn’t about gimmicks, it’s about respect, autonomy, and meaningful connection.

• Opt-in/Opt-out systems: Ask for volunteers or rotate tasks based on preference.

• Gamify or incentivise: Turn it into something fun or rewarding.

• Transparency: Make the “why” behind the task clear (e.g. creating a nicer space for all).

• No Shame: remove the eye rolling, tutting or snarky comments if someone doesn't want to take part

• Use shared responsibility models: Like “clean-as-you-go” policies rather than rigid rosters.

Next time someone says, “Let’s make this a fun little team bonding moment,” ask: Does everyone actually want to bond over this? Because otherwise, it’s not a team exercise it's a game of gnome-based peer pressure.