Every workplace needs some rules. They are what prevents employees from clocking in late, getting drunk at their desks, and for the most part, they are designed to ensure productivity. However, sometimes rules cross the line into absurdity.
Reddit recently asked its users for examples of absurd rules that were enforced in work or school environments. The result ended up being thousands of replies from people everywhere, with examples that ranged from no sodas outside to safety goggle protection when using staplers. From Business Insider and Reddit, here are 10 of our favorite rules in workplace environments that quite possibly cross the line from necessity into crazy land.
1. No Illegal Beards
A “legal” beard is a certain length and if you want a moustache, there are rules regulating the combination of both a beard and a moustache. If you happen to decide to grow a beard, you need to leave work for a couple weeks until it has grown to a legal length. And do not under any circumstances, show up with mutton chops.
2. Only Moustaches Allowed
At this job, the choices are either no facial hair at all or a full grown moustache. If you happen to be in between facial hair phases, you are required to leave work until you can return with a full moustache. No half staches allowed.
3. Do Not Eat Leftover Food
It has been mentioned that a great deal of food in restaurants is wasted. In this particular example, the employee was reprimanded for letting co-workers take home leftover food at the end of the night. Instead, it was to be thrown in the dumpster and when asked what would happen if employees took it from the dumpster, she was told she should report them.
4. Under 25% Fluorescent Shoes Only
An employee was sent home because he had shown up to work wearing his new green Chucks and was also told to never wear them to work again. The reason was that the shoes were more than 25% fluorescent.
5. Carrying Boxes Will Not be Tolerated
An employee was eventually fired for carrying around too many boxes of paper. The rule was that all boxes must be pushed around on a dolly, even when carrying boxes of paper to refill the copy and/or fax machine.
6. No Hats Even in the Winter
Many businesses also do not allow hat wearing, but this example happened to take place in a warehouse. No employees were allowed to wear hats in the warehouse, even in the winter time.
7. No Popcorn…Or Else
“Where I started working about two months ago, there’s a serious, strict ‘no popcorn’ rule.” Apparently this rule not only included popcorn that was cooked and brought in from other places but popcorn popped in the office as well. The reason given by the boss had something to do with the difficulty in talking on the phone while eating popcorn.
8. Evaluate the Models but Not On Attractiveness
A booking agent whose job was to evaluate males and females on their potential to model noted that the employee manual explicitly barred evaluating the models based on attractiveness.
9. The Un-Referee
A replacement referee for 6 and 7 year old soccer was restricted from making calls of any kind. This included goal kicks, corner kicks, out of bounds calls and even if one kid hit another. It was explained that children need to “learn the game themselves” and “negative reinforcement” would ruin the game for them.
10. Underwear Must Be Worn At All Times
One rule at a company was that undergarments must be worn at all times but not visible. Apparently going to work commando was not permitted. However, one might wonder how to verify one part of the rule without breaking the other.
There are many other strange rules that companies and schools enforce. If you have some free time, check out the thread at Reddit.
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