HR busybody demands pregnant assistant is reprimanded for maternity clothing... because the assistant's mother (HR's friend) doesn't approve of her boyfriend

Brad Dickson • Managing Editor

Nov 29, 2022 1:00 PM EST

We grow up naively believing that rules exist for a reason. It isn't until we're older that we realize that some rules exist because someone— just…decided that it was so, even if that deciding person wasn't qualified or didn't possess the brainpower and insight necessary to make said decision. This results in a whole lot of stupid rules that are blindly followed just because it's a rule. Meanwhile, said stupid rule followers couldn't make an actually informed, ethical, or empathetic decision to save their life. Bonus points here for the fact that these people are also the ones deciding to question things that they also aren't qualified to be questioning.

If that's confusing, let's lay it out as such: DON'T question decisions backed by research and years of study; DO question the stupid dress code that Becky in HR made because she was bored one day and needed something to do.

Well, when it comes to stupid rules and policies… reprimanding a pregnant worker for wearing maternity clothing certainly makes the list. Especially when said enforcement of policy is being driven by personal motivation; trying to use your professional position to strong-arm a friend's daughter into talking to her again might just be a fireable offense.

Anyways, keep reading for this bizarre tale of misused HR authority. For more HR hijinks, check out this clingy coworker who reported her unwitting mentor to HR because they got sick of their endless bombardment of questions.