31 of the Dumbest Rules People Have Encountered at Work

‘Had to wear a full safety harness even though there was nowhere to attach it to’
31 of the Dumbest Rules People Have Encountered at Work
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Workplaces have rules and regulations for good reason. Employers requiring you to wear steel-toed shoes and not leave tripping hazards in front of the deep fryer ensure the safety of everyone involved. Of course, once the people in charge get a taste of that control, those rulebooks have a way of fattening dramatically over time. First it’s no Instagram on the work computer, and next thing you know they’re installing a keylogger.

As such, Redditors shared some of the most incredibly stupid rules they’ve ever found themselves subject to at a job. Everything from good old fashioned micromanagement to full-on physical impossibilities is covered. 

Read on and be thankful that you hopefully don’t have this specific shit to deal with on a daily basis.

1y ago 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 | 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
Denveckles . 1y ago 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. | was a minimum wage cashier at a grocery store. Was a pretty funny Doctors appointment that followed.
Vivid-Soup-5636 . . 1y ago 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
stephanonymous 1y ago Edited 1y ago I worked at a skating rink when I was 14-18. Typical day shifts were from 12-7 when the place was open for birthday parties and such. Halfway through the shift, if they decided it wasn't that busy and they might not need you for the second half, they'd ask you not to clock back on from your lunch break. Then you had to wait, off then clock, for up to an hour sometimes, for them to decide they for sure didn't need you and you could go home. If you left without the manager
RoseWould 1y ago People who discover a spill have to stand next to the spot until maintenance comes back with a broom/mop. As the only one working maintenance I got bitched at in this order: there's a spill, you need to go get the mop. Why did you go get the mop? You are supposed to stand next to it. When I said maybe you should hire a second maintenance person then. The look on her face everytime I said this was priceless.
coreynj2461 . 1y ago If someone was banging on the door before opening time we had to let them in. How about no: im getting my computer up and running, making sure the waiting room is tidy, getting my coffee and taking a shit. That door isnt opening until our office hours begin
Ready_Shock_7462 . 1y ago 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.
kit_kat_barcalounger 1y ago A friend just told me they would have cake in the break room for birthdays, but the time spent celebrating (awkwardly standing around with a slice of cake) would have to be made up at the end of the day.
doseofsense 1y ago 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.
mikewalkwalk 1y ago 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.
Lulu_42 1y ago I worked at a center that cold-called people on behalf of a two-year technical school. So basically telemarketing. In a room no one was in but all of us making the calls. I hated it, but I was a broke kid and it paid $2 more per hour than anywhere else. Only women were hired to work there and, after I was hired, they told me there's a dress code and I had to wear a skirt. I ended up quitting soon after because I became convinced someone had cameras or mirrors for upskirt pictures. It just
. 1y ago . Edited 1y ago 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.
PM_UR_NUDES_4_RATING . 1y ago 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.
seanofkelley 1y ago In my very first adult type office job, | was responsible for ordering catering. The first time I ordered, I got sandwiches and salads. I got a green leafy salad and got chewed out by one of the VPs. She explained to me that eating greens in front of clients made us look weak and | was only to order macaroni and potato salads (which | guess show strength?)
LauraPa1mer 1y ago I asked for a different calculator at work because the one I was using didn't have all the functions I needed and the woman in charge of supplies denied me and told me the one I was using was fine. Then I left work and cried in my car and went to Walmart and bought a fucking calculator.
dwenglish . 1y ago I worked in an office where we were not allowed to take notes on yellow legal pads. Only spiral-bound notebooks were allowed.
. 1y ago | 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 have a cold or the flu.
AnOnymousAnal ® 1y ago 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.
AskinggAlesana 1y ago When I was working at Ross as Loss Prevention we weren't allowed to touch the shopping carts, ever. Even though we are stationed near where they go and plenty of idiots will just walk up to the front door, take their shit and leave the cart blocking the entrance. If i took the 5 seconds to walk over there and put it away I get in trouble because i'm leaving my post. Instead I have to tell the head cashier to either go move them or have another associate move them, even if it's super busy. Ridiculous
NickDanger3di 1y ago When I worked as a recruiter in the HR department of a major corporation, | spent hours a day approving and forwarding resumes of qualified candidates on to this one hiring manager. Just to create a paper trail of her considering them. Meanwhile, she had the people she wanted to hire, all totally unqualified friends or referrals of friends or relatives, also apply. She then would call me on the phone and give me the names of the unqualified dolts to ensure I also forwarded them for her consideration.
BriannaGem . 1y ago I once had a job where we had to ask permission to use the restroom, even during breaks
Resident_Dinner_5258 . 1y ago Had to wear a full saftey harness even though there was no where to attach it to at all
llcucf80 1y ago The way we were supposed to answer the phones. My last job was at a hotel and while I won't give the entire script it was supposed to say along the lines of it's a beautiful day at (hotel), when are you planning your wonderful vacation. No, I didn't say that, plus more than half the time people already made reservations and likely had follow up questions or was calling about something else, it was so stupid to say that. I refused
I LeatherHog . 1y ago - We had to directly confront shoplifters. Like go up and get in their faces Shockingly, a coworker got stabbed
Heffe3737 1y ago Was working at an Office Depot briefly (I quit after less than a week). One morning, not a single customer was in the store. I asked the store manager if I could straighten up the front of the store til a customer came in. No. You have to stay behind the register so it looks like we're prepared in the event a customer comes in. Literally supposed to just stand there like a robot. I went to lean against the wall. Manager calls from the back room after seeing me on camera, No leaning. You have to
Batetrick_Patman 1y ago Worked at a soul sucking call center where your bathroom breaks were deducted from your 15s. And if you did get up and go to the restroom (this was a wfh gig) you'd get a teams message after 30 seconds saying are you ok why aren't you taking calls we have calls holding get back in ready.
Defiant_Island_9060 . 1 1y ago I once came in late to work, by literally 1 minute. My manager called me at 9am on the dot, as | was walking up the stairs to enter the office. I got a warning for not answering her call to inform her I was walking up the stairs.
BoredToRunlnTheSun 1y ago If they ran short of people to work, and they managed to get you on the phone, you had no choice and had to come in if they asked. It was required. But if you didn't pick up the phone, they couldn't prove you got the voicemail and they would keep searching for someone. I was not on an on call shift at the time.
. 1y ago I was working as a historian and we published government documents sorted by year, commented. I was done with 1974 and wanted to start 1975, my lazy boss told me I could not start until she finished her part of 1974, so I didn't do anything but watch movies and write my thesis on paid time for 6 months.
Famous_Lab8426 a 1y ago I used to work at a daycare. The kids were not allowed to scribble. If they were going to color they had to be attempting to color inside the lines. | did not enforce that rule. I'm not gonna stop a three year old from scribbling.
Unusual-Afternoon837 . 1y ago 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 | 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.

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