Micromanager Ends Up in the Cross-Hairs of a Poorly-Worded Write-Up After Scrutinizing the Wardrobe of the Company's Most Talented IT Guy

Author image for Jesse Kessenheimer
Jesse Kessenheimer • Writer and Editor
Oct 6, 2024 9:00 AM EDT

There's nothing worse than getting your outfit nitpicked at work–especially when you're not even in a client-facing role. This all-star IT guy taught his micromanager a lesson in corpo-etiquette after making his own rules in the back-of-house. Because when there's nobody to judge your outfit besides a couple of servers, an old coffee machine, and your dusty ol' laptop, you might as well dress for comfort. 

However, the micromanager in this story decided to muck up the dynamics of a department where he didn't belong. After a long-standing manager found a newer, better job with another company, there was a leadership vacuum in the IT department downstairs. Without a thought, the position was filled by a brown-nosing, nitpicking manager who decided that he wanted to change the place up to fit HIS idea of the ideal computer department. But u/richie65 didn't want to see his 'office attire' get reduced to unSUITable discomforts. Read on for the whole story (and eventual firing) of a micromanager with no sense for fashion.

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  • 01
    So I'm not capable of doing my job, unless I am wearing 'Office appropriate attire'?
    via Syda Productions

    This image is for illustration only, and the subjects are models; the image does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 02
    Office appropriate attire L This was about 5 years ago. Setting the stage: I had been with this (massive global) company ~one of its manufacturing divisions~ for about 7 years...
    via richie65
  • 03
    I was tier 3+ IT support, mostly behind the scenes stuff, and online meetings with folks. On-call as well. The guy who hired, Steve Department Director, was great!
    via richie65
  • 04
    I was, and still am a jeans, and tee-shirt (I have like 200+ silk screened tees. Nothing offensive, but pleasantly entertaining). Steve decided to exit the corporate world, I did not want his job, so... (Massive global) company found / hired a new Director:
    via richie65
  • 05
    J and I got along well, I thought, but then I started to see that he was intimidated by my skill set, and ability to resolve issues with either a Powershell script I already had, or by a command line - Very quickly fixing issues, in a matter of seconds, using methods that he could not understand - He was a GUI person.
    via richie65
  • 06
    J started looking for things to discipline me for... Here we go - J decided that my wearing tee shirts was "unprofessional" Me: "What do you mean by 'Unprofessional'?"
    via richie65
  • 07
    J: "It give the impression to others, that you don't respect them, and they don't think they can trust you to do your job correctly" Me: "Others? Who? Who thinks I can't do my job?"
    via richie65
  • 08
    J: "Look, I'm not going to argue this, you need to come to work in 'Office appropriate attire', period." Me: "So. I'm not capable of doing my job, unless I am wearing 'Office appropriate attire', not allowed to do my job unless that is how I am dressed?"
    via richie65
  • 09
    J: (Bluntly, and dismissively)" That's it." Me: "Then I need to add this kind of specific detail to this 'write- up'."
    via richie65
  • 10
    ~ Yeah, he was putting it on paper - so I added that to my comment - "Management determined, explained to me, and I now understand that I am not able to perform my work related tasks in a professional manner unless I'm wearing 'Office appropriate attire""
    via richie65
  • 11
    Then for about 3 weeks, slacks, and polo shirts... On a Friday night, I get a call at about 11:15 pm (I'm on call). There is an issue affecting multiple production lines... None of the computers are connecting to the network... can't print labels... blah, blah, blah.
    via richie65
  • 12
    My plan comes into effect, Full circle ensues. I tell the production supervisor that I can't do anything about it (really I just needed to run a script, that bounces DHCP on a domain controller, but I digress.), because
    via richie65
  • 13
    I am not wearing 'Office appropriate attire' (he knew what I was referring to), and all of my work clothes were at the dry cleaner, and that I will pick them up on my way to the gym, Monday morning. That blew up tremendously, as expected...
    via richie65
  • 14
    And J calls me early Saturday morning - Where I (Bluntly, and dismissively) tel him that this issue is his problem not mine... He was the one who disciplined me and insisted that I was not able to do my job unless I was wearing 'Office appropriate attire', and that
    via richie65
  • 15
    it is documented that I must be wearing 'Office appropriate attire', in order to do my job, and that this will be happening on Monday morning after I pick up my clothes from the dry cleaner. Me: "Your rules buddy, not mine! Have a nice weekend."
    via richie65
  • 16
    J: "Then tell me how to fix this!" Me: "I'm not even wearing pants right now, can't do work stuff." J: (angrily hangs up) Monday, I come in prepared for battle.
    via richie65
  • 17
    With HR, J, and the plant manager in the same room, I spell out how this is going to work... (as best as I can recall...) Me: "If you don't like this, let me know now. If you folks don't think I can do my job wearing a tee shirt
    via richie65
  • 18
    and jeans, after doing my job exceptionally well, for 7 years, wearing a tee shirt and jeans. Then this changes when J shows up... I promise you that what I am wearing is not the problem, J is. If you see it otherwise, explain it to me"
    via richie65
  • 19
    HR, and plant manager: "Huh... What?" Me: "HR, don't play stupid, you saw that write-up, and you filed it accordingly" Plant manager: "What!?"
    via richie65
  • 20
    I explained the write-up to Plant manager. Plant manager says that is the stupidest thing he's ever heard, and ultimately blasts J and HR. Plant manager reassures me that this will never happen again, the
    via richie65
  • 21
    write-up is garbage, and that if I have any other problems, to let him know. He asks me to fix the production line issue. Pop-up my laptop screen, log in, run a Powershell script and say: "Should be good in a few minutes"
    via richie65
  • 22
    About 6 months later, I suspect that J was up to some unscrupulous stuff, and found all kinds of proof in his email... Sent that off to Plant manager... J was terminated the next day.
    via richie65
  • 23
    KimNOTKardashian BEST. LINE. EVER. Me: "I'm not even wearing pants right now, can't do work stuff." Bwahahahahahahahahahaha!!!
    via KimNOTKardashian
  • 24
    redhairedgirl4 Me: "I'm not even wearing pants right now, can't do work stuff." This is EPIC! You just became my new best friend!!! Love it!
    via redhairedgirl4

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