Get Premium
Dark mode theme is available exclusively for premium users. Learn more about the benefits of subscribing.
No fees, cancel anytime.
Dark Mode 
No fees, cancel anytime 
then open in external browser
and click "Open in External Browser" 
14submissions
Finished
“I Left Shortly After”: 14 People Discuss The Dumbest Rules They’ve Ever Had To Follow At Work
Article created by: Kotryna Br
Workplace rules are there for a reason, and few people likely have something against them when they make sense. Nonsensical rules, on the other hand, can really be a pain in the neck for employees; and unfortunately, there seems to be quite a few companies that have such a type of regulations in place.
Members of the ‘Ask Reddit’ community recently discussed rules that could be considered ridiculous at best, after the user ‘OkCommunication5404’ started a discussion about it. If you’re curious what kind of absurd rules some people have had to follow at work, too, scroll down to find their stories on the list below and enjoy.
Below you will also find Bored Panda’s interviews with the OP themselves, as well as with the originator of Teaming Science and inventor of the technology for measuring collaboration between team members, Dr. Janice Presser, who agreed to answer a few of our questions regarding workplace rules.
- Read More: “I Left Shortly After”: 30 People Discuss The Dumbest Rules They’ve Ever Had To Follow At Work
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
I got in trouble for having my 16 yo daughter walk behind me while having a zoom meeting. By my manager who had her 7 yo walk in, ask a question of said manager at which time she stopped the meeting to answer her daughters question. I was actually written up for mine. I quit on the spot after being written up and went on a tirade against the manager. No regrets.
RELATED:
#2
At one my earlier jobs, I had to follow a lunch bell like I was in school. Except I worked in the lab and sometimes the testing I had to do made me miss the lunch bell and so I would eat later. People reported me. So I ended up delaying testing to meet the lunch. Production went down a lot, but at least I followed the lunch bell.
#3
I still think requiring a doctor’s note for an excused absence is stupid. I’m not going to waste money on a doctor’s appointment, if I have a cold or the flu.
#4
"We are going to need you to be on call every other weekend, but you will not be paid for that"
I left shortly after.
#5
At one job, we had a rule where no one could adjust their own office chairs. If you needed it higher, lower, or tilted differently, you had to submit a maintenance request. This wasn’t just annoying; during busy periods, it could take days for someone to come adjust your chair. It felt absurd sitting uncomfortably while waiting for ‘authorized personnel’ to make a simple adjustment.
#6
I was once told I wasn’t allowed to drink out of a water bottle while working without a doctors note saying that I needed to. I was a minimum wage cashier at a grocery store. Was a pretty funny Doctors appointment that followed.
#8
Women had to wear foundation, lipstick, mascara, eye liner, eye shadow, blush, earrings, rings, bracelets/watch, hair flair, necklace, and manicured nails. men: tucked in shirt, no neck beard, don't stink.
#10
You cannot call the police, even when a client has already verbally threatened and physically assaulted another employee.
#11
Worked at a bakery where if we were there, doors had to be unlocked. Even if the store was closed. Even if we had no food.
We also weren’t allowed to tell customers if the store was closed.
#12
I worked in an upscale flower shop during college and we weren’t allowed to sit, even when the store was empty, which it was for the majority of the day, since most people called in. So all the chairs were essentially decorative because we had to ‘look busy’ for the customer that wasn’t there I guess.
#13
Thankfully this is from a friend and not me, but a friend who did office work explained to me this unwritten rule that nobody left the office before their boss did, despite them having set working hours.
#14
Tattoos had to be covered but our shirts were short sleeve. I have a tattoo on my right shoulder that you could see maybe the bottom 10mm of it with the shirt sleeve. I still had to wear a black armband to cover it. For 4 years I didn't, no-one said a thing, no-one commented on the tattoo ever. That last year wearing the armband, without fail at least once a week a customer would ask me about it.
You May Like 43 Work Experiences That Made People Lose All Will To Be Polite 43 Insider Secrets From Various Jobs That You're Not Supposed To Know, But Are Industry Standards Employee Denied Time Off After Covering A Crisis All Weekend: “The Stupidest Person Alive”
Mindaugas Balčiauskas
Rūta Zumbrickaitė
Dominyka Proškėnaitė
Related on Bored Panda
