'My boss has... to deal with a pile of clothes on his desk': Dress code obsessed boss gives employees t-shirts, then changes dress code again

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Remy Millisky • Writer and Editor
Aug 25, 2023 5:00 PM EDT

While working in an antiquated shelter, this man had to continually change up his daily attire. 

U/Sucessful-Medicine9 writes that he works at a shelter that hasn't been updated much in about three decades. He writes that people still take notes on paper kept in binders, and that they have panels labelled with cards with typewriter ink on them. That's some impressively outdated technology. Despite all this clunky old tech, the OP's boss knew exactly what needed to be updated first: the dress code. 

Dress codes that are very nitpicky tend to annoy every employee. When you dress yourself for work, you dress in the manner you believe is acceptable. So it's understandably frustrating when you think you look presentable, but because your shirt doesn't have the proper amount of buttons on it, you could be written up for your attire. And especially at the OP's job, where their clothing style actually matters a lot while conversing with clients, assigning a strict dress code seems like it would just hinder the employees. 

Check out the entire story below. Some commenters even added their own awesome malicious compliance stories (I love the person who was adamant about wearing wedges to work!). Then, these brides and grooms shared the weirdest advice and funniest tidbits they heard while planning their wedding day. 

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  • 01
    Font - Comply with the 30-year old dress code? You got it, Boss. L OC Update: First of all, wow! Thank you all for so much for your support, understanding, and awards. I'm newish to Reddit and I was completely overwhelmed with the responses to this post, so I apologize if I didn't get to your comment. I've had a number of folks suggest I put up a photo gallery of barely-compliant outfits, and I would very much appreciate suggestions for how/where to do that (subreddits only, not an insta fan sor
    via u/Successful-Medicine9
  • 02
    Font - The shelter I've (30M) been working at for a couple of years now is over 30 years old, and is quite notorious for keeping things that way. The daily notes are physically kept in binders, 80's- style punitive measures are imposed on clients in conflict, and the electrical panels are labeled with cards that went through a typewriter. You get the idea.
    via u/Successful-Medicine9
  • 03
    Font - The floor supervisor (over 20 years in that position) emphasized that even though jeans were allowed, we needed to strictly adhere to the dress code. That meant button-up or collared shirts, no logos, only long pants/dresses, no hats unless you're outside, no visible tattoos, etc. In other words, dress nothing like the vast majority of the people we serve. "We're meant to dress they way they should aspire to dress," said the supervisor. I was told other staff -including staff above my pay
    via u/Successful-Medicine9
  • 04
    Font - Given my previous experience with underserved populations, I also knew this was a terrible idea. Generally speaking what people in these communities lack in financial resources, they make up for in their abilities to read people and navigate emotions. If they think you're an authority figure or acting inauthentic, many will outright write you off. And for the most part they have a great social/emotional radar.
    via u/Successful-Medicine9
  • 05
    Font - The dress code said men's shirts must, "... have visible buttons or a collar." I sewed two buttons near my hip on a plain t-shirt and wore it in. They said nothing the first time, but had a meeting where they "weren't pointing out anyone in particular" and updated that specific part of the policy to prevent me from doing it again. Next I wore capris. After all, nothing about pant length was mentioned either. That time the code was updated and we were informed via email. Still no one-on- o
    via u/Successful-Medicine9
  • 06
    Font - A few months and minor malicious compliances later, our workplace gave us logoed t-shirts with the institution's name and website on them. Hooray, we thought! We will at least be able to wear t-shirts now. Nope. After a week of several coworkers wearing the shirts they gave us, we got an org wide email that the shirts did not comply with the dress code and should not be worn during work hours. Knowing me as the office rabble-rouser, several posed off coworkers came to me independently to
    via u/Successful-Medicine9
  • 07
    Font - As a minimalist, I had no desire to hold onto a shirt that I would not wear. We had no input on the design/color of the shirts, and I simply did not need it taking up space in my closet. The most reasonable alternative would be to turn the shirt back in and explain that, so I did. Coworker #1 was moving soon and didn't need an extra thing to pack, so she also turned hers in. #2's partner hated dark green (the shirt's color), so he turned his in. This happened all they way to 25 total empl
    via u/Successful-Medicine9
  • 08
    Font - After 5 days, the supervisor had a box with two-dozen shirts sitting in his tiny office. He actually has to keep them on his desk, and I can hear him bumping his hand against them when he uses the mouse. 3 months later they are still there. He's not dumb; he knows those shirts are an "F you" that lives in his office.
    via u/Successful-Medicine9
  • 09
    Font - He cannot donate them to the shelter due to some other ridiculous handbook rule about organizational spending, and he bikes 6 miles to work so driving them home isn't a reasonable option. He's tried putting them in general office storage, but his boss has said the shirts are the supervisor's problem since he ordered them. Currently he's just stuck. We know it bothers him, but he knows he can't bring it up since it's his own rules that prevent us from wearing them.
    via u/Successful-Medicine9
  • 10
    Font - No dress code changes so far, but the top-of-the-year meeting regarding our handbook has dress code on the table. 3 of the people who returned shirts are a part of that advisory board of 5. I'm cautiously optimistic that we'll finally be rid of of some of the dumb, short-sighted elements of our dress code come February.
    via u/Successful-Medicine9
  • 11
    Font - TL:DR The homeless shelter I work at has a dress code that drastically sets staff apart from the community we serve. I convinced several coworkers to turn in their non-compliant clothing. My boss has since had to deal with a pile of clothes on his desk.
    via u/Successful-Medicine9
  • 12
    Font - jazzb54 +3 In that kind of setting, every employee wearing the same shirt (with logo) would probably be best. It makes the employees easier to identify for the clients. 178 Reply Share Successful-Medicine9 OP It should be all or nothing for sure. The only issue I have with this is that the more formal we appear, the higher the chance it will negatively impact our rapport with clients. I like your suggestion better than current dress code, but it would be a trade-off.
    via u/jazzb54
  • 13
    Font - Justbecauseitcameup. Dress codes are among the worst. So are people who think people living in a shelter need people's nice clothes to aspire to. 490 Reply Share Successful-Medicine9 OP IKR?! Like, dude, tattoos and piercings are socially acceptable now and have been for over a decade. Get off of your high horse.
    via u/Justbecauseitcameup
  • 14
    Font - BO grocerygirlie I made this its own post a while ago, but it's my favorite MC I've done. I worked in an office in a large shipping company. We were in a nondescript office park. We had no logo on our door. We had a code for the door. Customers didn't even know where we were, but they were not allowed in the building. In the six years I was there, 0 unauthorized people tried to gain entry to the building to ship something. So, nobody in the office had any customer-facing positions at all-
    via u/grocerygirlie
  • 15
    Font - So I'd been off for a bit and came back to work in early summer. I wore the same shoes I'd worn last summer, which was a pair of dressy sandals. I was taken aside and informed that I could not show more than three toes, so I would have to get new shoes. Fine. I spent all weekend shopping for shoes. Finally found a pair that I liked that only showed three toes.
    via u/grocerygirlie
  • 16
    Font - Well, they were wedges. Apparently wedges were unprofessional and not allowed. Now, this was a wedge that matched the shoe--no cork or espadrille or whatever. I challenged it saying that high heels hurt my feet. My wedges were okay...but they had a platform. Boss says, no platforms over 1". I measured, mine were exactly 1". So then boss says that the shoe has an open back and the dress code says either open back or open front but not both. I pointed out that in the pictures on the website
    via u/grocerygirlie
  • 17
    Font - Finally, my supervisor said that I should wear other shoes tomorrow, but bring my sandals so that the supervisors could have a meeting over their appropriateness. WTF. So, I called my doctor. I had just had knee surgery a few months before. I described the shoes and the nurse said it was fine and that my dress code was ridiculous. She wrote and the doctor signed that I was permitted to wear whatever shoes I wanted. They faxed me the note and I emailed it to both supervisors.
    via u/grocerygirlie
  • 18
    Font - They were P ED. I wore those d shoes every f king day that summer, and then with tights in the winter.
    via u/grocerygirlie
  • 19
    Cheezburger Image 9802471936
    via u/idk_ijustgohard
  • 20
    Cheezburger Image 9802471680
    via u/Successful-Medicine9
  • 21
    Cheezburger Image 9802472192
    via u/tesla6969

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boss dress code jobs workplace-story uniform malicious compliance work coworkers malicious-compliance-reddit t shirts supervisor workplace Horrible Bosses bad bosses
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