34 Ridiculous Rules People Endured at Their Jobs

‘I’m a lifeguard... and not allowed to use a whistle…’
34 Ridiculous Rules People Endured at Their Jobs

Workers aren’t exactly swimming in rights these days. Unless you’re part of one of the country’s increasingly rare unions, you’re pretty much at some at-will employer’s beck and call. Furthermore, if your boss happens to be a little weird, you’re probably going to have a couple guidelines that feel unnecessary at best, and vaguely psychotic at worst.

Working-class Redditors discussed the weirdest rules they’ve ever had to follow while on the job, and they go far past things like wearing funny flair at a chain restaurant, into requirements that feel like a form of psychic warfare. 

Keep reading to find out how much worse work rules can get than just having to use Microsoft Teams.

redemption_songs ® 8y ago At my old job, HR held a meeting to tell us that there was too much swearing on the sales floor. Someone raised their hand and pointed out that swearing is very common in our industry and that is the way that our customers speak. HR later sent out a memo explaining that swearing should be limited to conversations with clients. It was amazing.
gshell . 8y ago If you are stuck in traffic on the way to work, you must email the CEO. Phone calls and texts are not permitted, only email.
XOAN 8y ago | used to work at a place in which my boss implemented a no more than 2 glasses a day water policy. What a | ignored this rule and complained directly to our CEO and the matter ended later that day. What was weird though was the majority of people actually followed the rule and some even shopped me up to HR about 'breaking the rules'. I left not long after that because not only was my boss a bellend, but if my colleagues were going to hr over me drinking water, then I obviously couldn't trust
jamaidens 8y ago Had a workplace time our bathroom breaks and deduct them from our allotted 15 minute breaks or lunch. We had to go see the office manager to get a key to open the restroom. As soon as we left his office he would start a timer... when you got back he would stop the timer and tell you how much time you needed to deduct from your lunch or next break. They watched our breaks like a hawk. Also, if you made a mistake they would stand over you and time you while you fixed it and
McNuggetsBitch . 8y ago Business casual dress code even when i i work at home. (They skype me to check)
bondsman333 . 8y ago Dress code policy is just dumb at my work. Different positions have different requirements. Even though we all work in the same office. My favorite rule though is the one on shorts. We can wear shorts on Fridays between memorial day and labor day. However the shorts can't have pockets on the side. It was written to discourage ratty cargo shorts. But the way in which it is written allows me to wear gym shorts. So I do.
Monkeytuesday 8y ago . Edited 8y ago Once worked at a place where some miniboss decided that since UPS trucks don't turn left, we shouldn't either. | don't know or care how well that worked out for UPS, but this was a god damned ambulance company with a 911 contract. I will turn left if and when I fucking need to turn left.
Historiun 8y ago Old job of mine in a warehouse. Our stations were pretty far apart, so when we'd listen to music we'd all usually have our own stuff playing. Not a problem since you could barely hear the neighbors music. Well, the CEO didn't like hearing multiple songs when walking through the warehouse. Не made a rule that we all either had to listen to the same music, or none at all.
rando_schmuck 8y ago We got a new vacation policy where you could take UNLIMITED time off. When he announced it, we looked at the big boss like he had a dick growing out of his forehead; all the while he assured us that if we wanted vacation, to take it. Really! A little bit afterward, he changed it to discretionary time off meaning that if your boss approved it, it was ok. Then it changed to 160 hours should be the max and if you go over 200 hours then you probably don't need to work here.
 8y ago I once needed a pen. Figured this was a reasonable ask. Went to the supply closet on my floor, which was locked. Asked the floor's admin, she told me to go to the main supply room in the basement. Went to the basement and explained my situation of needing a pen. They told me all requests for supplies must be approved by my department head. Problem is, being new, I'd never met my department head. She also worked in San Francisco (I worked in Milwaukee), so I needed to send an email both introducing myself, and asking
drvinaymuc . 8y ago a Edited 8y ago If you had to take a leave on monday or friday so that you have an extended weekend of 3 days instead of 2, it was counted as 3 days leave (counting in saturday and sunday). Deal with that!
Whosyabobby 8y ago If you are 1 min late it is a tardy. If you take a half day nothing goes on your record. I was told to just take a half day if you are going to be late because they straight up fire you for tardies. Also if you clock out early it is a tardy. If you have to go to the doctor on lunch break and it is going to take and hour and ten min, take the rest of the day off. Weird.
Haligan74 . 8y ago Fireman...our Risk Management department decided long ago that poles were too risky for us. So we use the stairs. We have poles. Anyway, now the newest rule is no free weights....as in NO free weights to work out, stay fit. Go into burning high rise- absolutely, walk around the station carrying 40lb dumbells...too risky
PhantomTaco84 . 8y ago We aren't allowed to wear jackets unless they are purchased from the resort gift shop with the hotel name logo on it. They are $50+ and we don't get reimbursed, but it's the price you pay to stay warm in the cold months.
khendron 8y ago Former job: There was trouble when I (officially) moved desks and my new desk had a phone with call display. Apparently call display phones were allowed for people at a certain pay level. Your pay level also governed the height of your cubicle walls. My manager's solution was to promote me.
quartpint 8y ago We have to do all of our paperwork at least three times. There is a copy of it in our personal folders, a copy online, and a copy in our store folders. Not only does it waste time and paper, but forgetting to do one has gotten people fired. They did the other two identical pieces of paperwork confirming that yes, they did take out the trash and yes, they did check the store voicemail, but how dare they forget to do the third piece of identical paperwork. Our weekly visits from corporate revolve around whether or
throwaWaY2113232444 . 8y ago My workplace doesn't let you use the word problems. Instead, we have to say challenges if something is wrong. As a problem is a negative word, and challenges promotes the fact that there is room to fix said problem...
kat_rob a 8y ago Former job at a law office: One of the partners sent an email to the entire staff that employees were not allowed to gossip in the building. What was everyone gossiping about, you ask? Oh, said partner was divorcing his wife and sleeping with one of the associate attorneys in the firm. But, you know, don't gossip.
rhino43grr . 8y ago Edited 8y ago All the extra toilet paper in the building has to stay in a single closet where it can be overseen by the toilet paper queen. I heard her shrieking the other day when she discovered someone had hoarded one spare roll of toilet paper upstairs so the people who work upstairs wouldn't have to walk down multiple flights of stairs when the toilet paper ran out.
Im_A_Boozehound . 8y ago Edited 8y ago Many years ago I was a vacuum cleaner salesman. There were songs about this particular brand of vacuum cleaner and how awesome it was. Every morning, we had to sing these songs as a group. In fairness, it was a pretty quality item. EDIT: It was Kirby. Didn't mean to be subversive, just didn't think anybody would care.
TypewriterKey 8y ago When I was in the military I saw a buddy of mine sitting outside crying. I went and consoled him best as I could - apparently he was just depressed and unhappy. After he was feeling a bit better I went to go and find someone to tell them what was happening. They knew. In fact, he had been crying so much lately that they had instituted a 'no crying at your desk' policy - which is why he was outside.
icecreampopncereal . 8y ago If we want to take a full 5 day week off we need to use 2 vacation days, 1 personal, and 2 more vacation days. Can never use 3 vacation days straight!?!?
ImJustSo . 8y ago Edited 8y ago I drive valet. The company handbook says you're never allowed to back up. Ever. You absolutely cannot do the job without reverse. It's impossible. It's in there because of liability and our insurance policy. This way it can always be the valets fault if an accident occurs ever.
AlkorCineast . 8y ago We can't ask others if they want to come grab a coffee in the break room.
 . 8y ago All recreational activity is forbidden on company time & resources... Except fantasy football.
 . 8y ago . Edited 8y ago Two weeks after I left my previous job a memo went round saying people aren't allowed to look out of the windows at work anymore. It's a big ass glass building.
staydizzycauseilike . 8y ago We have a lock on the first aid kits. So if you just need a band aid for a cut, you have to get the key from the Safety guy. Which in turn makes it a reportable accident with mountains of paperwork and investigations. We use an unbelievable amount of duct tape now.
a dead man 8y ago Edited 8y ago I used to work for Amazon in Ireland and their toilet breaks were crazy. Maximum of 10 minutes a day but also a max of 20 minutes per week. You had to change the status on your computer so everything was recorded and some managers would call you out on it and even go as far as threaten your job. I had an understanding with my manager and told him if i need to take a shit then im going for it. Like any good manager he just told me that as
sheriffjbunnell 8y ago Empty inbox My boss was an inbox Nazi, like if you had old emails in there he would flip and make you respond to them or delete them. Apparently you shouldn't have anything left at the end of the day, deal with them or delete them. Jokes on him though, I just made a subfolder marked personal and everything went in there Get fucked Bill you old wanker
Poison-Song 8y ago There was an issue where there was too much 'socializing' going on on the factory floor, particularly when people were working while sitting down (false - skewed supervisor perception), so they made everybody stand. When that presented ergonomics problems, they brought in these weird chairs that made you sit at a slant, had no backs, and no wheels, so they wouldn't cause distractions.
notsofastandy 8y ago Edited 8y ago I don't know if it's standard, but I worked at a place where HR wasn't allow to tell us if someone was fired. It was a big enough place that you might not immediately realize someone had left and, when you found out, you weren't supposed to ask why. So, if you wanted to know if they were fired, you asked, Was there cake? Which was to say that, if the person had retired or left pleasantly after a number of years, they would be given a party with cake. If they were fired,
Negativefalsehoods 8y ago We can't personalize our work space. There are no nameplates on anyone's workstation either. No pictures, no mementos, nothing but work stuff. It is bad enough we are jammed into an open floor plan and have to spend many hours at our desks, but then to deny us the ability to make it more enjoyable? Petty.
clemente769 . 8y ago . Edited 8y ago Im a lifegaurd... and not allowed to use a whistle...
CoolioDaggett & 8y ago I'm a teacher, so | have a million stupid rules I have to follow. But the worst one is that my performance evaluation is based on student improvement on the STAR literacy test. I teach wood shop.

Tags:

Scroll down for the next article
Forgot Password?