Actually, a clean desk makes way more sense to me. Some people leave confidential papers out or old food containers everywhere. That's a real problem. Keeping your stuff tidy just means you're organized, not planning an exit. HR jumping to that conclusion says more about office paranoia than anything else.
Lol, that's peak office misunderstanding right there. I read a whole thread on Reddit about how minimalist setups make coworkers think you're on your way out. It's wild how ingrained the idea of a 'busy' desk is in office psyche.