'No talking during lunch breaks': Employees share the most ridiculous rules they had to follow in their workplace

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Bar Mor Hazut • Senior Editor
May 31, 2024 12:00 PM EDT

We all know that managers and employers can come up with the wildest rules so that they might feel like they control their employees on the job. Even if it is simply nonsense, managers will do everything in their power to create an unpleasant working experience, all because of their own insecurities. 

This Reddit threat is the perfect example of this kind of micromanagement and need for control over employees. The rules that you are about to read are so ridiculous, we cannot blame you if you feel the need to laugh. Some employees had to bring in a doctor's note to be allowed to drink water, some employees weren't allowed to lock their doors, and some had to ask for permission to go to the bathroom. All because managers have no idea how to actually manage their employees.

Scroll down to read more stories of bizarre rules employees had to follow on their jobs. After you are done reading, scroll back up and click here for a story of an employee who found an envelope with $5000 in it while at work.

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  • 01
    "No talking during lunch breaks"
    via Canva
  • 02
    What's the most ridiculous rule you've had to follow at a job?
    via u/OkCommunication5404
  • 03
    curryp4n. 2 days ago At one my earlier jobs, I had to follow a lunch bell like I was in school. Except I worked in the lab and sometimes the testing I had to do made me miss the lunch bell and so I would eat later. People reported me. So I ended up delaying testing to meet the lunch. Production went down a lot, but at least I followed the lunch bell
    via u/curryp4n
  • 04
    Racheltrysyew • 2 days ago No talking during lunch breaks.
    via u/Racheltrysyew
  • 05
    • mophile 1 day ago My buddy mowed grass for the city, at noon they would stop working and take lunch in whatever park they were at. People called the city to complain that they were slacking so they changed the rules. At noon they would pack up their stuff and
    via u/mop***ile
  • 06
    drive across town to the city warehouse and then take their lunch break. Now instead of a 30 minute break they spent 20 minutes packing up and driving, then a 30 minute break, and then 20 minutes driving back and unpacking. All so they looked busy.
    via u/mop***ile
  • 07
    Denveckles 2 days ago • I was once told I wasn't allowed to drink out of a water bottle while working without a doctors note saying that I needed to. I was a minimum wage cashier at a grocery store. Was a pretty funny Doctors appointment that followed.
    via u/Denveckles
  • 08
    Vivid-Soup-5636 · 2 days ago I got in trouble for having my 16 yo daughter walk behind me while having a zoom meeting. By my manager who had her 7 yo walk in, ask a question of said manager at which time she stopped the meeting to answer her daughters question. I was actually written up for mine. I quit on the spot after being written up and went on a tirade against the manager. No regrets
    via u/Vivid-Soup-5636
  • 09
    RoseWould 2 days ago People who discover a spill have to stand next to the spot until maintenance comes back with a broom/mop. As the only one working maintenance I got bed at in this order: "there's a spill, you need to go get the mop". "Why did you go get the mop? You are supposed to stand next to it". When I said "maybe you should hire a second maintenance person then". The look on her face everytime I said this was priceless.
    via u/RoseWould
  • 10
    coreynj2461.2 days ago If someone was banging on the door before opening time we had to let them in. How about no: im getting my computer up and running, making sure the waiting room is tidy, getting my coffee and taking a That door isnt opening until our office hours begin
    via u/coreynj2461
  • 11
    OkCommunication5404 OP 2 days ago Sounds like kindergarten than a workplace
    via u/OkCommunication5404
  • 12
    No-List5793 2 days ago . edited 15 hr. ago "We are going to need you to be on call every other weekend, but you will not be paid for that" I left shortly after.
    via u/No-List5793
  • 13
    Resident_Dinner_5258 · 2 days ago Had to wear a full saftey harness even though there was no where to attach it to at all
    via u/
  • 14
    • kit_kat_barcalounger 2 days ago A friend just told me they would have cake in the break room for birthdays, but the time spent "celebrating" (awkwardly standing around with a slice of cake) would have to be made up at the end of the day.
    via u/kit_kat_barcalounger
  • 15
    Ready_Shock_7462 · 2 days ago Worked at a bakery where if we were there, doors had to be unlocked. Even if the store was closed. Even if we had no food. We also weren't allowed to tell customers if the store was closed.
    via u/Ready_Shock_7462
  • 16
    doseofsense 2 days ago I worked in an upscale flower shop during college and we weren't allowed to sit, even when the store was empty, which it was for the majority of the day, since most people called in. So all the chairs were essentially decorative because we had to 'look busy' for the customer that wasn't there I guess.
    via u/doseofsense
  • 17
    mikewalkwalk. 2 days ago At one job, we had a rule where no one could adjust their own office chairs. If you needed it higher, lower, or tilted differently, you had to submit a maintenance request. This wasn't just annoying; during busy periods, it could take days for someone to come adjust your chair. It felt absurd sitting uncomfortably while waiting for 'authorized personnel' to make a simple adjustment.
    via u/mikewalkwalk
  • 18
    dwenglish 2 days ago I worked in an office where we were not allowed to take notes on yellow legal pads. Only spiral-bound notebooks were allowed.
    via u/dwenglish
  • 19
    seanofkelley 1 day ago In my very first adult type. office job, I was responsible for ordering catering. The first time I ordered, I got sandwiches and salads. I got a green leafy salad and got chewed out by one of the VPs.
    via u/seanofkelley
  • 20
    She explained to me that eating greens in front of clients made us look weak and I was only to order macaroni and potato salads (which I guess show strength?)
    via u/seanofkelley
  • 21
    Anonymous/ • ⚫ 2 days ago women had to wear foundation, lipstick, mascara, eye liner, eye shadow, blush, earrings, rings, bracelets/watch, hair flair, necklace, and manicured nails. men: tucked in shirt, no neck beard, don't stink.
    via u/Anonymous**
  • 22
    BriannaGem · 2 days ago I once had a job where we had to ask permission to use the restroom, even during breaks
    via u/BriannaGem
  • 23
    funktopus 2 days ago I had a boss that told us we're taking to long in the bathroom and that they would be locked and we would get the key from a manger. I told him that the offices are unlocked and I will be going there for my bathroom breaks. The bathrooms were not locked ever.
    via u/funktopus
  • 24
    llcucf80 2 days ago The way we were "supposed" to answer the phones. My last job was at a hotel and while I won't give the entire script it was supposed to say along the lines of "it's a beautiful day at (hotel), when are you planning your wonderful vacation."
    via u/llcucf80
  • 25
    No, I didn't say that, plus more than half the time people already made reservations and likely had follow up questions or was calling about something else, it was so stupid to say that. I refused
    via u/llcucf80
  • 26
    Famous_Lab8426 · 2 days ago I used to work at a daycare. The kids were not allowed to scribble. If they were going to color they had to be attempting to color inside the lines. I did not enforce that rule. I'm not gonna stop a three year old from scribbling.
    via u/Famous_Lab8426
  • 27
    PM_UR_ 2 days ago _4_RATING. Thankfully this is from a friend and not me, but a friend who did office work explained to me this unwritten rule that nobody left the office before their boss did, despite them having set working hours.
    via u/PM_UR_**_4_RATING

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ask reddit boss workplace-stories employee manager job retail tales-from-the-workplace retail worker reddit story entitled customers workplace Reddit funny entitled people
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