Workplaces need rules; if not for employee safety, then at least to ensure people can do their jobs smoothly. Nevertheless, workers tend to hate rules that management imposes unnecessarily. Dress code rules are a common annoyance, with 44% of workers claiming they’d quit if the code didn’t align with how they present themselves.
Yet some rules get implemented because one or a few people just don’t know how to be a person the right way. These are stories about ridiculous work rules caused by someone’s mistake or sheer ignorance. They come to you from an online thread where one netizen asked, “What’s a rule at your job that exists purely because one idiot ruined it for everyone?” From no open-toe shoes or shorts in the office to stealing trays of food during work events, these dumb dumbs just had to go and ruin it for everyone.
#1
I worked at a daycare where someone was drinking on the job so they told us we had to have clear water bottles. Because THAT solves the problem!
If you think the opacity of the container is the only thing keeping your employees from drinking on the job, maybe hire better people.
If you think the opacity of the container is the only thing keeping your employees from drinking on the job, maybe hire better people.
22points
#2
No more working from home because a coworker decided to not even bother to log in and pretend to work. And apparently somehow thought no one would notice.
I actually worked at home and loved it. We all got punished for her being lazy.
I actually worked at home and loved it. We all got punished for her being lazy.
22points
#3
At my old job, the company used to cater lunch for people’s birthdays. The person whose birthday it was would pick a restaurant, and the company would pay for everyone’s lunch. We were a small office of only about 12 people, but the person in charge of ordering would deliberately order almost double the amount of meals we actually needed so she could take the extras home.
Eventually, she wasn’t even trying to pass them off as leftovers. When the food arrived, she would immediately take the extra meals, hide them in her office, and then distribute everyone else’s orders. Management eventually caught on to what she was doing.
Needless to say, that was the end of the company-paid birthday lunches.
Eventually, she wasn’t even trying to pass them off as leftovers. When the food arrived, she would immediately take the extra meals, hide them in her office, and then distribute everyone else’s orders. Management eventually caught on to what she was doing.
Needless to say, that was the end of the company-paid birthday lunches.
21points
#4
Retail job went from “just don’t have holes in your jeans and make sure your shirt doesn’t have swears printed on it” to business casual (slacks and button down shirt at minimum) because too many people showed up in pajamas.
17points
#5
Told my two reports if I was out of the office, I didn’t mind if they went home a little early, meaning like and hour or so.
Had to go to a conference an hour away for a few days and they both stayed home the whole time. My boss walked by my department the first day and was like “WTH?” lol.
We had a really good thing going and now there’s eyes on us!.
Had to go to a conference an hour away for a few days and they both stayed home the whole time. My boss walked by my department the first day and was like “WTH?” lol.
We had a really good thing going and now there’s eyes on us!.
17points
#6
About 20 years ago my entire 13-story building was evacuated three times over a five or six week period because of burnt microwave popcorn setting off the fire alarm. Microwave popcorn was permanently banned after that. (So technically it might have been the result of three idiots, not one.).
17points
#7
We had an account at the grocery store across the street for buying coffee and snacks for the break room.
Then the new guy decided to put all his groceries for the month on the account. That ended that real quick.
Then the new guy decided to put all his groceries for the month on the account. That ended that real quick.
17points
#8
As a security measure, everyone was supposed to lock their laptop before leaving their desk (say, to go to the bathroom). As a fun way to make it stick, if anyone found an unlocked laptop they’d quickly change the background to a picture of David Hasselhoff and/or send an email from that laptop to the whole team promising to bring donuts for everyone the next day. We called it “getting Hoff’d”.
It was awesome until one guy without a sense of humour got Hoff’d and instead of learning a lesson went complaining to their boss’ boss’ boss that it’s unfair to have to buy donuts just because they forgot to lock their laptop.
Yep, end of an era.
It was awesome until one guy without a sense of humour got Hoff’d and instead of learning a lesson went complaining to their boss’ boss’ boss that it’s unfair to have to buy donuts just because they forgot to lock their laptop.
Yep, end of an era.
17points
#9
At my old job, we had a rule that nobody was allowed to take leftover food home after staff events. It sounded ridiculous until I found out why.
One guy apparently used to take the entire tray of food home. Not a plate. The whole tray. Then he started showing up early to events just to pack food into containers before everyone else had eaten.
Management eventually made a blanket rule that leftovers had to be thrown away.
So instead of telling one guy, “Dude, leave some food for everyone,” they made 40 people watch perfectly good food go into the trash.
One guy apparently used to take the entire tray of food home. Not a plate. The whole tray. Then he started showing up early to events just to pack food into containers before everyone else had eaten.
Management eventually made a blanket rule that leftovers had to be thrown away.
So instead of telling one guy, “Dude, leave some food for everyone,” they made 40 people watch perfectly good food go into the trash.
17points
#10
In my previous job, people in my team were going to get an extra wfh day. That didn’t happen because one individual was baking cakes for her side hustle during work hours. Showing all the evidence on her instagram.
17points
#11
No shorts to be worn. Due one idiot wearing short shorts and showing everyone [too much]. Was a traumatic experience having lived through it. He has left the rule remains.
16points
#12
No open toed shoes. A coworker with ugly feet scarred a manager so badly they banned it.
Report
15points
#13
About 15 years ago I worked on an old growth survey project for the Forest Service. They made it very clear that if we ate in the vehicle while we were driving and were caught, we would be fired.
This is because a former employee had been driving a windy road next to a river, choked on his chips, and plummeted into the river.
This is because a former employee had been driving a windy road next to a river, choked on his chips, and plummeted into the river.
15points
#14
My company offers lunch - including a salad bar, sandwiches, pizza, a weekly special, sushi on Thursdays, food trucks, etc - for free. Retirees were formerly allowed to swing by and get a free lunch.
Well one guy took it to an extreme and would take more than any one person needed on a weekly basis.
CEO had enough and ended the benefit for all retirees.
Well one guy took it to an extreme and would take more than any one person needed on a weekly basis.
CEO had enough and ended the benefit for all retirees.
14points
#15
No Roller skates on plant.
Ammunition factory and some legendary gentleman that worked night shift brought in his Roller skates one evening to be more efficient.
Ammunition factory and some legendary gentleman that worked night shift brought in his Roller skates one evening to be more efficient.
14points
#16
I worked at a place that had a rule that you couldn't bring bows, arrows, or crossbows on the premises. Apparenty, some of the shop guys had set up targets in the woods behind the building, and were firing out one of the rear emergency doors on their breaks.
14points
#17
One company decided to put a mini-golf in the floor so people can relax and talk and have a meeting while doing something fun. The idea was great. Until somebody, because there is always somebody, decided to flex his range skills and launch the ball 20 ft over the heads of the people working.
The next day the mini-golf was an artificial grass space with pillows.
The next day the mini-golf was an artificial grass space with pillows.
Report
14points
#18
No bladed box cutters (only the little ceramic nub ones). Some girl reached blindly into a LABELED box that had a CLOSED box of razors in it and wigged out and filed a report. All our workhorse ergonomic box cutters were banned.
We worked in a warehouse where we opened hundreds of boxes a day.
We worked in a warehouse where we opened hundreds of boxes a day.
13points
#19
We can’t use the break room stove because someone lit their food on fire on the stovetop after walking away from it.
13points
#20
We had to start signing out tools because one guy kept taking them home and forgetting where he put them.
13points