'No one wants to look [at] hairy man-legs': Dude complies with new workplace summer dress code by shaving his legs

Author image for Brad Dickson
Brad Dickson • Managing Editor
Jun 30, 2023 9:00 AM EDT

If there's one thing that every organization on this earth loves… it's stupid strict rules that have no business existing in the first place—usually coming from a middle manager who decided to write and enact a new policy without ever asking others with more insight and experience for their input. Bonus space on the bingo card here for this manager also being someone either freshly promoted on a power trip or brand new to the organization and trying to look like they're doing an effective job at managing.

This story has all of these qualities, a dumb new policy being enacted by a clueless manager who wanted to have things their way despite having no clue what it was they were really doing. Luckily, this worker was able to maliciously comply with their dress code… ensuring that the manager never had to look at hairy man legs ever again.

Read on for this brilliant malicious compliance. Next, check out this new dress code that drove workers to band together and wear the same ugly shirt.

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  • 01
    Shoe - "Shorts are unprofessional because no one wants to look as hairy man-legs."
    via Arturo Mendez
  • 02
    Font - Posted by u/Yellow_Triangle 65 55 Summer and office dress code LOC Summer is here and temperatures are approaching +85f degrees on the hotter days. I'm located in northern Europe which means that this shit is hot for us, and to top it off the humidity is off the charts. Leave a cold beverage out on the table for a minute or two and it is condensing as hard as I'm sweating. Puddles underneath and all.
    via u/Yellow_Triangle
  • 03
    Font - We don't have aircondition at my office and probably never will have. When the weather gets like this the office turns into a steam sauna, or at least a close approximation. And there is nothing we can do about it. We survive it the best we can by wearing less clothes. At normal temperatures we wear the typical professional garb, but when the temperature rises, it is typically light dresses and skirts for the women, and shorts for men. The unspoken rule was to Just keep the designs profes
    via u/Yellow_Triangle
  • 04
    Font - However this year shorts are suddenly a problem. If you have never experienced the glory of arbitrary rule changes before, then I envy you. With that bit of context, Summer Legs, will get on with the malicious compliance.
    via u/Yellow_Triangle
  • 05
    Font - What happened is we got a new manager during the start of the year, and apparently this new manager has new manager ides. Without warning a couple of days into "steam sauna at work season" the new manager decided that shorts were unprofessional, and in short order he ordered the men in the office to go back to wearing heatstroke inducing long pants.
    via u/Yellow_Triangle
  • 06
    Font - No meetings, no talking with the people in the office first, no different alternative. Just "here are your new guidelines. Have a nice day." kind of situation. Sent out over mail of course, shortly before end of day. The new rules were to take effect immediately.
    via u/Yellow_Triangle
  • 07
    Font - Now I was non too pleased by this, and come next day I find out that neither were the rest of the men in the office. Mostly because each and every man went from being uncomfortably hot, to now sporting his own little steam oven, and in the privacy of his pants, steaming a two buns and two eggs combo. Grumbles were had all around.
    via u/Yellow_Triangle
  • 08
    Font - It should be said that when I think something is unfair I can get a bit confrontational, and I won't take "just because" as a good enough explanation. Basically I don't play nice with arbitrary rules. As such during the first day after the rule change I found a moment to press the new manager for the real explanation. As such things have a tendency to do, after a bit of back and forth I was finally presented with his reason... "Shorts are unprofessional because no one wants to look as hai
    via u/Yellow_Triangle
  • 09
    Font - I honestly didn't know what to say to that at first, because how do you argue against stupid? Stupefied was most fitting way to describe my state of mind after that bomb. As I went on with the rest of the day I tried to figure out how to get this insane rule changed, because I sure as hell was not going to suffer more than necessary during the whole of summer.
    via u/Yellow_Triangle
  • 10
    Font - I went to my buddy to get his take on it, and to no surprise he agreed with my take. The new manager was just power tripping or similarly changing rules for no good reason. Now the question became how to get under his skin and pull him down a peg or two.
    via u/Yellow_Triangle
  • 11
    Font - If you have never dealt with the type of person the new manager is, then I can tell you that showing disrespect to their authority is the best way to get under their skin and pointing out their stupidity publicly is the easiest way to enact change. Of course with the additional added benfrit of painting a target on your own back. After a good half hour my buddy had helped me cobble a plan together and off I went to set it into motion.
    via u/Yellow_Triangle
  • 12
    Font - First I got confirmation on the reason for no shorts. Basically had new manager confirm over mail that shorts were not allowed and unprofessional because of hairy man-legs. Then that evening I set to it at home, getting ready for wearing shorts to work the next day.
    via u/Yellow_Triangle
  • 13
    Font - When the next day came around I peacocked into the office wearing shorts. In no time at all the new manager was on my case, and in typical new manager style he gave me a dress down in front of my coworkers. While he did this I was fighting to not let a grin surface on my face.
    via u/Yellow_Triangle
  • 14
    Font - I think that humans are amazing in many different ways. One of which is that we don't always pay all that much attention to the details of mundane things and as such can gloss over them with ease. But once your attention has been drawn to something you basically can't ignore it or unsee it.
    via u/Yellow_Triangle
  • 15
    Font - After new manager was done stroking his ego, I broke. I could not hold in my smile anymore. With the biggest grin on my face I pointed to my legs and said "But I shaved my legs."
    via u/Yellow_Triangle
  • 16
    Font - I think that broke the new manager for a full ten seconds. He just kind of stood there taking it all in. Really looking at my legs, then looking back and forth between my legs and face a couple of times. You could see him trying really hard to make sense of what happened while my coworkers snickered in the gallery.
    via u/Yellow_Triangle
  • 17
    Font - After he kinda got his bearing again, I pointed out that the problem with shorts were hairy man-legs, and as they were no longer hairy, shorts should no longer be a problem. I wish I could tell you that it devolved into an epic melt down. That new manager was soo far up his own ass that he was immune to reason and would ignore his own previous statement about professional wear and shorts. That the power battle in the office devolved into a battle for who would get the other fired.
    via u/Yellow_Triangle
  • 18
    Font - That didn't happen. Instead after a short while, stille surrounded by the majority of the office staff the new manager declared that the men could go back to how it used to be. I haven't suffered any retaliation as of yet, and it seems that is not going to happen. Which is good. It is also the gift that keeps on giving because I keep seeing new managers eyes darting down to my manly shaved legs every now and again when I interact with him. I find it absolutely hilarious, and I am honestly
    via u/Yellow_Triangle
  • 19
    Font - I have acquired a new nickname in the office which I guess is all in good fun. Many of my coworkers have taken it upon themselves to call me by Summer Legs. TL;DR: New manager decided shorts for men were not professional enough because of hairy man-legs. I shaved and wore shorts anyway.
    via u/Yellow_Triangle
  • 20
    Font - Sassman85 Smooth move. 4.6k darkercraft Way to Schick it to him 1.2k Reply Share Reply Share Roland_T_Flakfeizer. 694 He's what one might call a Nair-do-well. ●●● Reply Share
    via u/Yellow_Triangle
  • 21
    Font - rde42 +4 I was expecting another skirt story. 1.8k bruhhzman And I was expecting a long silky women's sock 334 Reply Share 321 Reply Share Icy_Charley +2 I was expecting women to stop shaving. Reply Share
    via u/Yellow_Triangle
  • 22
    Font - Ich_mag_Kartoffeln I was once covering for an absent boss, as well as doing my own job. One of the higher ups (IdiotManager) took issue with me wearing my normal work gear, which was both suitable for my job, and appropriate to the weather (45°C outside, where I did a lot of my work). So I asked if I could show him something. And then locked him out of the building, and told him in no uncertain terms that he was NOT to remove his suit coat or even loosen his tie, as he was a manager, so t
    via u/Yellow_Triangle
  • 23
    Font - IdiotManager quickly retracted on his demand, and was allowed to go back inside. It did take me a minute to find the right key though ;). 1.2k Fuling Around +1 For the slow of wit (and, in fact, most people), the good old adage of "show them, don't tell them" holds very true. Good show! Reply Share 395 Reply Share
    via u/Yellow_Triangle
  • 24
    Font - meabbott You could have kilt this situation. 199 +1 Reply Share MistressPhoenix +3. 117 That's where i thought this was going. To be honest, i wish more men would wear kilts. They make a lot of business kilts these days at affordable prices. Hubby just started a new job and is already pricing kilts to wear to work. my heart sings. ●●● Reply Share
    via u/Yellow_Triangle
  • 25
    Font - Honest Invite_7065 +1. I'm sure I've read this before somewhere? Also, Europe, but with fareinheit and pants? 134 Reply Share
    via u/Yellow_Triangle
  • 26
    Font - AltheaLost Def keep up the shaving. You'd be surprised how much nicer it is to have cloth against your legs without your leg hair being snagged in fabric! And make sure to thank your boss for opening your eyes to how nice it is to have smooth legs!! ↑ 120 Reply Share
    via u/Yellow_Triangle
  • 27
    Font - CoderJoe1 +3 Well, he has nairy a reason to complain now. 65 Reply Share
    via u/Yellow_Triangle

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boss workplace-stories-reddit jobs toxic-workplace workplace-story manager malicious compliance work malicious-compliance-reddit managers workplace Horrible Bosses workers dress code
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