'[I was] wildly conspicuously overdressed': Employee wears formalwear to a casual office after a micromanager complains about his dress code-compliant clothing, ends up getting his boss demoted by the CEO

After working for years in a casual-dress office, this employee decided to make a splash with his wardrobe, proving a point about an insufferable micromanager with nothing better to complain about than his clothing. 

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  • Working in a dress-code environment can be oppressive. Forced to wear uncomfortable, fitted clothing just to appease the aesthetics of your company's branding isn't conducive to productivity; it's just a means of controlling your employees. Since I started working from home, I've found that I'm far more productive when I'm wearing sweatpants over the fitted slacks of my previous job, and when I can cozy up, loosen my waistband, and lock in a bit, I'm not only a better worker, but a more prolific employee. 

    While some folks thrive on the office hierarchical nature of wardrobe formality, this office employee was more interested in using his clothing as a sign of defiance. After dealing with his micromanaging boss for years, attempting to decode his cryptic critique and his passive-aggressive tendencies, the original poster of this story found the perfect way to get payback. 

  • ཡི༣༠༽ ༧༽༼ཇ་མ་ཤང་
    via Nicola Katie

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

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  • "I wore a suit to work and got my supervisor soft demoted"

    I'm posting mainly because I'm not a passive-aggressive type and I'm in disbelief that this actually worked. Ever since I started at my job a few months ago, my supervisor-we'll call
    via zzdelmarco
  • him Josh has been micromanaging me. When I'm the subject of criticism (which is often), I try to give him the benefit of the doubt and ask him to clarify. What are your expectations?
    via zzdelmarco
  • What specifically should I have done differently? Josh's responses are always vague, often something to the effect of "Just do better." I even had a meeting with Josh and HR to address this, but to no avail.
    via zzdelmarco
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  • Yesterday, Josh comes to my desk to tell me I need to dress better. Now, I work at a small company, and the vibe is unusually casual. A not-insignificant number of people come to work wearing jeans, hoodies, t-shirts, and/or
    via zzdelmarco
  • baseball caps. I have never worn a hat to work, and I make a point of wearing a button-up shirt with a collar every day. This particular day I was wearing a long-sleeve button-up flannel, chino pants, and Adidas gazelles. Other days I wear loafers and dress shirts that are tucked in.
    via zzdelmarco
  • Cheezburger Image 10500455168
    via fizkes

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

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  • So, I ask Josh to clarify. Should I be wearing dress shoes? Dress shirt? Tucked in? What specifically do you want me to change? Josh tells me I just need to dress better and that I should talk to HR for clarification. So I go in to
    via zzdelmarco
  • HR and ask, what is the dress code? I get a standard answer: pants, close- toed shoes, no sleeveless shirts, etc. I ask, have I ever worn anything to work that poses a problem? HR says no, you're fine.
    via zzdelmarco
  • Because I'm mad, and because my repeated efforts to resolve this kind of problem had gone unheeded, I decided to be petty. The next day (today), I showed up to work in a full suit. It's one I keep for events like weddings, so it's
    via zzdelmarco
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  • fitted and I look really sharp in it. It's also wildly and conspicuously overdressed for the office I work in. I had several interactions with people coming to my desk to comment on my outfit and ask what the occasion was.
    via zzdelmarco
  • When anyone asked (only if they asked), I told them I had been told to "dress better." This was always met with disbelief and incredulity. Two people even said they like the way I dress normally. When anyone asked
    via zzdelmarco
  • me who the order came from—again, only if they asked-I told them it came from Josh. I was expecting to pull my little stunt for a week just to prove a point, and
    via zzdelmarco
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  • then go back to wearing what I had been wearing before. Word got around the office fast, apparently, because the CEO (Josh's direct boss) came to my desk later in the day to tell me I would be reporting to him now, and that he'd be having a talk with Josh about this
    via zzdelmarco
  • and other issues. It's important to note that I was Josh's only underling, so he effectively went from being a supervisor to just a regular employee. I'm on a bit of a high now, I think I'm going to come in to work tomorrow wearing a different one of my flannels!
    via zzdelmarco
  • krakatoa83 Wear a tux tomorrow and demote the ceo.
    via krakatoa83
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  • Wild Butterscotch977 Clearly being a supervisor didn't suit him
    via Wild_Butterscotch977
  • DiscordPF Perfect MC. Glad the CEO was reasonable and seems to like you.
    via DiscordPF
  • Ok_Set4685. Now that's the malicious compliance I live for. You should wear a top hat and gloves just to spite Josh if you see him not being dressed to par
    via Ok_Set4685
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  • NF6X Hooray! Tomorrow is pajama day!
    via NF6X

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