Boss sets strict dress code that they themselves are in violation, employee calls them out: 'My boss never came to me about [the] dress code after that'

Author image for Brad Dickson
Brad Dickson • Managing Editor
May 27, 2024 6:00 PM EDT

When you're in charge, it's pretty important that you follow your own rules, drinking the Kool-Aid that you've set out for everyone else to drink. Anything else would be hypocritical at best, causing dissension and demotivating those you're supposed to be leading and generally just setting a bad example. Conversely, being consistent and fair in your leadership helps foster a culture of accountability; by holding yourself to the same standards you've set for everyone else, you demonstrate the integrity of your values, along with the values of the organization. There's a good chance that every leader you've respected in your own life conducted themselves in this way.

This fast-food worker had the joy of adhering to a strict dress code that was enforced by their hypocritical boss, but when their boss tried to write them up for a dress code violation, the worker was able to deflect by pointing out that, while their own clothing actually adhered perfectly well to the corporate guidelines, their boss's did not, leading to their boss dropping the issue altogether.

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    Cheezburger Image 9928336384
    via Karsten Winegeart
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    Boss didn't follow his own dress code M I worked for a popular fast food company, I won't say the name, but it can be recognized by the sound of a single "Bong!" In its jingle. Anyway we are required to wear company brand shirts and must display the company logo on our bodies somewhere. Enter morning shift boss, I almost never see anybody from morning shift as I either
    via Mr-Bones-6150
  • 03
    evening or closing, but due to lays offs we needed a closing manger. He is incredibly nitpicky and hypocritical, and only invokes the rules when it's convenient for him. Any way my attire. that never got any write ups or talks was a company shirt, company hat, an apron, and jeans. MS boss walks up to me and talks ro me about the dress code and my "violations". Apparently
    via Mr-Bones-6150
  • 04
    the rim of the shirt was too low, my apron wasn't allowed to have pockets, but the thing that really set him off was my jeans, he said I can't have them cuffed, and I either have to cut them to size or get new jeans that fit. I tried to explain to him that I have very wide hips and jeans of my waist size are usually meant for big and TALL people and I couldn't find any jeans anywhere that had my leg length, he said "just cut them then". Later that week he made
    via Mr-Bones-6150
  • 05
    everyone sign a pamphlet that basically says "I understand the dress code and will follow it or face repercussions", fortunately this pamphlet had the company dress code written in the text. Everyone else just signed their name and moved on, but I took the pamphlet into the back office and took the time to read the WHOLE thing. My boss came in and wondered why I wasn't working, I told him "my father told me to never sign things without reading the terms first" "Just sign it" he replied "I will,
    via Mr-Bones-6150
  • 06
    over for first is all". I'm guessing he thought what I said was funny as he chuckled and walked away. But then I saw it, my saving grace, "Only dark blue. denim, black jeans or black pants, solid in color, are approved to wear as your [Company] uniform. Pants and jeans should not touch the ground, have holes, fading, embellishments, or light washes" that's everything the dress code said about jeans it said nothing that i wasn't allowed to cuff them. AND it did say I HAVE to wear a company
    via Mr-Bones-6150
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    apron too (which dont have pockets), but is never said anything I can't wear more than one apron. I proudly signed the pamphlet saying i fully understand the dress code, and i saw that my boss. was the first person to sign it too. The next day I came to work with my jeans. cuffed, my company apron on, but I wore it backwards and my usual apron on regularly, and I did tuck in my shirt as, that was dress code. A few coworkers wondered why I had two aprons and still cuffed my jeans, I just
    via Mr-Bones-6150
  • 08
    told them "Everything I'm wearing is to the letter, up to dress code". When my boss finally called me into the office and said I would receive a write up for insubordination and dresscode violation, I told him "Nuh-uh [cheeky finger wag], everything I am wearing is up to code, I thought you knew that, you signed it too I assume you took the time to read the terms of the dress code too?"
    via Mr-Bones-6150
  • 09
    He got the pamphlet out and started reading the terms and I could see him looking at my jeans, and back at the pamphlet, then back at me, then my apron, then the paper again. "Is there anything that violates the dress code?" "...no" he replied
    via Mr-Bones-6150
  • 10
    "Well then a write up would be unnecessary then for me, but I would like to point out that the dress code specifically prohibits holes in attire. And I think I see a hole right there on your shirt. And also it says pants can not touch the floor and you pants is down by your heels sir, I can see some dirt and a stray piece of lettuce on the rim of your pant leg". He looked and saw, then he shimmied his pants higher, up to his belly button
    via Mr-Bones-6150
  • 11
    "You know, if they're too long, you can just cuff them" and then I promptly left Felt pretty proud of myself for that, my boss never came to me about dress code after that
    via Mr-Bones-6150
  • 12
    mfhandy5319 • 3h ago I think back to a time when my manager quit, and arrested for bank robbery. he gave me his old work shirts. Turned out that one of them was an area manager shirt. 10 years of dedicated service. I think I was at least the fourth owner of that shirt.
    via Mr-Bones-6150
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    • DotBitGaming · 56m ago I never understood why fast food managers give a . Their life sticks so bad, they gotta go after someone else, I guess.
    via Mr-Bones-6150

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