Petty Things Banned From The Workplace

Aongus Von Bismarck · 06-03-2015 6:59pm

While I happen to think that most beards are hideous and unkempt things; I thought the decision to ban beards for all front office and client facing staff was a rule too far. A small number of my colleagues had a beard, and I agreed that guidelines on the length and style of beard would have been more appropriate than an outright ban. There is no comparison between a neat and tidy beard, especially on a man with the facial structure and gravitas to wear one, than some long thing with knots/beads/curls that scream laziness.

I didn't feel so strongly about it that I'd bring it up at a team roundtable. It just seemed slightly silly.

YFlyer · 06-03-2015 7:17pm

Candie wrote: »

A petty busybody bean counter who works in the office told me my t-shirt was inappropriate for work and actually tried to send me home to change, even though she works in a support position (it was a day when I was in my office alone and I do dress accordingly when I've to be in front of anyone). She added that cartoon t-shirts were particularly unwelcome, although she has NO authority over me and no hard dress code exists. My boss had words with her and told me to ignore her, so I have, and both of us take great pleasure in seeing how close we can push her to the edge. He's come in in baggy shorts and baseball caps, and our mission is to find him an hawaiian style shirt like Matt Taylors. That would make her spontaneously combust.

Every chance I get I come in in another cartoon T-shirt as I've a bit of a collection. I've shown up in everything from Care Bears to He-Man and She-Ra. I hate the days I've to wear a suit now, it feels like she's winning.

Keeping her opinion to herself is killing her, which makes me quite happy.

wear that shirt that the engineering guy had on who landed the rocket on the comet.

YFlyer · 06-03-2015 7:19pm

Aongus Von Bismarck wrote: »

I've tried unsuccessfully to have sneakers and uncollared shirts to be banned from our offices. In fairness most people stick to a professional dress code, but you have the odd few who insist on dressing very scruffily!

The IT heads?

06-03-2015 7:20pm

YFlyer wrote: »

wear that shirt that the engineering guy had on who landed the rocket on the comet.

It wouldn't look good on me, since it's a mens shirt. As I mentioned, my boss and myself are trying to find a similar one for him to wear.

He's come in in baggy shorts and baseball caps, and our mission is to find him an hawaiian style shirt like Matt Taylors.

Cool_CM · 06-03-2015 7:23pm

Not banned, but a company that I used to
work for specified in their employee handbook that all employees had to wear underwear whilst at work. I'd love to know the story behind what caused it!

YFlyer · 06-03-2015 7:26pm

Candie wrote: »

It wouldn't look good on me, since it's a mens shirt.

I love when a woman wears my shirt. Always looks good

Specialun · 06-03-2015 7:35pm

We were bannedfrom bringing in our phone chargers..

Cuddlesworth · 06-03-2015 7:36pm

Agricola wrote: »

Without doubt health and safety. There was a permanent fold out wet floor sign in the mens room in a job I was in afew years back. It was never taken down! Companies can never be too careful when it comes to their accident prone staff! :rolleyes:

In one of the large places I worked, I was one of the first sent on a H&S workplace lifting course in house. 5 hours in room with 10 others being told how to lift a empty box off a variety of surfaces properly.

A women on the course failed. For 5 hours I watched a man tell her how to lift a box. And for 5 hours she failed in every aspect. I later discovered that the lady in question had sued the company for back problems claiming it was from lifting light boxes. She had been awarded a considerably large settlement because of poor workplace procedures. The course was in response to her lawsuit and she was in the first class due to it.

Keep this in mind, it was deemed the companies responsibility to teach somebody how to do one of life's most basic skills. This was a women who in 35 years of adulthood had never once bent her knees to pick up something. Ever. And was awarded money for that sheer monumentus stupidity. And he disability could in no way be directly attributed to her workplace activities. And who, in 5 hours, could not be replicate the action of bending her knees under direct supervision on an increasingly exasperated instructor.

So at this point, I see things like wet floors signs and other H&S measures as valuable corporate tools to protect companies and identify idiots.

bjork · 06-03-2015 7:37pm

uch wrote: »

There's a Bedroom in the office I work in, in case you need 40 winks, great on a Monday when dying with a sore head

Johnson?

- from 3.30

Boskowski · 06-03-2015 7:49pm

Thankfully in my office the great regulation craze has not yet set in. We have a bit of a dress code but it basically means don't come in too scruffy. Beyond that its not really enforced.

I'm worried though it may be just a matter of time. These days legal and bean counters call the shots it seems. If it statistically saves three pound fiddy or avoids 0.4 lawsuits annually then sure its worth treating your staff like 5 years olds.

But so far so good and I'm hopeful it remains like this.

IamtheWalrus · 06-03-2015 7:50pm

Candie wrote: »

A petty busybody bean counter who works in the office told me my t-shirt was inappropriate for work and actually tried to send me home to change, even though she works in a support position (it was a day when I was in my office alone and I do dress accordingly when I've to be in front of anyone). She added that cartoon t-shirts were particularly unwelcome, although she has NO authority over me and no hard dress code exists. My boss had words with her and told me to ignore her, so I have, and both of us take great pleasure in seeing how close we can push her to the edge. He's come in in baggy shorts and baseball caps, and our mission is to find him an hawaiian style shirt like Matt Taylors. That would make her spontaneously combust.

Every chance I get I come in in another cartoon T-shirt as I've a bit of a collection. I've shown up in everything from Care Bears to He-Man and She-Ra. I hate the days I've to wear a suit now, it feels like she's winning.

Keeping her opinion to herself is killing her, which makes me quite happy.

This pettiness is what makes me loath offices.

06-03-2015 8:17pm

Aongus Von Bismarck wrote: »

I've tried unsuccessfully to have sneakers and uncollared shirts to be banned from our offices. In fairness most people stick to a professional dress code, but you have the odd few who insist on dressing very scruffily!

:eek: *Retrieves monocle from champagne* People wear uncollared shirts!?

branners69 · 06-03-2015 8:26pm

In a previous job an email was circulated by management for staff to refrain from using recreational drugs in the bathroom, someone had left a line!!!

And no it wasnt the Dail!

gozunda · 06-03-2015 8:42pm

gozunda wrote:

Falling asleep at your desk (even accidetly) was a sackable offence in one screwed up crew I did business with ...

uch wrote:

There's a Bedroom in the office I work in, in case you need 40 winks, great on a Monday when dying with a sore head

Cool_CM wrote: »

Not banned, but a company that I used to
work for specified in their employee handbook that all employees had to wear underwear whilst at work. I'd love to know the story behind what caused it!

Cool_CM I seriously wonder what individual there used to permantly sleep at their desk that necessitated a condition of instant sacking on the occasion of 40 winks !

Rothmans · 06-03-2015 9:00pm

Deleted User wrote: »

:eek: *Retrieves monocle from champagne* People wear uncollared shirts!?

It may comfort you to know that he only has to endure it on the rare occasions he comes down from his ivory tower.

06-03-2015 9:04pm

Valetta · 06-03-2015 9:07pm

TheQuietFella wrote: »

Totally understand the radio being banned from an office.

Agree.

Offices are for work, not listening to the radio.

For those who say .... Well, anything really , it's just an excuse to justify having something that can only distract from what you're supposed to be concentrating on.

By all means have a radio in the canteen, or wherever breKs are taken.

Tigger99 · 06-03-2015 9:09pm

Porn. I mean how could anybody deny somebody else pleasure?

mikemac1 · 06-03-2015 9:29pm

lol at the post of the American multinational that puts arrows on the stairs

Those arows are still there :rolleyes:

Yet they ignore important things like water on the floor outside the mailroom left by the wheelie bins. The floor is painted and a wet painted floor is trechorous. Twisted my ankle on it not long ago.

Their solution? Put a couple of wet floor signs down to cover their ass but doesn't solve the problem.

Tigger99 · 06-03-2015 9:35pm

Rothmans wrote: »

It may comfort you to know that he only has to endure it on the rare occasions he comes down from his ivory tower.

Yes but imaginary ivory towers are pretty much ground level.

Can I kick it, yes I can.

axel rose · 06-03-2015 9:59pm

To those of you who use earphones- how can you hear the phone ring, or a colleagues query?
I must be getting well old because I was delighted when the earphone ban was brought on our place- No one could be contacted, half of them were fiddling with their ipods at any given time, you'd be halfway through a question before you'd realise that they didn't hear a word.

Don't even get me started on the fact that I forced to hear the overflow from the crappy cheap headphones...... Ban them and burn them I say!

coffee_cake · 06-03-2015 10:05pm

We don't have radios in our office. The last division I worked in was very client based so there'd usually be a phone ringing and you'd answer anyone's phone to take a message for them at least. So no headphones either except out of usual hours
My new division I think some people do use earphones especially the IT area but I've gotten out of the habit anyway and it's good to hear what's going on around you

I don't think anything is really banned, not that I've heard of
Dress code is business mon-thurs all right

counterlock · 06-03-2015 10:11pm

Valetta wrote: »

Offices are for work, not listening to the radio.

I was told that I could listen to the radio at a reasonable volume from nine to eleven, I told Bill that if Sandra is going to listen to her headphones while she's filing then I should be able to listen to the radio while I'm collating so I don't see why I should have to turn down the radio because I enjoy listening at a reasonable volume from nine to eleven.

JoeA3 · 06-03-2015 10:21pm

I worked in a place once (US financial services company) where a global mail was sent out. The men were kindly asked to refrain from wiping the contents of their noses on the doors in the toilet cubicles and to please "clean the toilet bowls" after using them. The email was well warranted to be fair. There were some unidentfied animals working there. Friday's and Monday's (presumably after the weekend feed of Guinness) were the worst.

I heard since that sharp knives were banned from the canteen.

Baron Kurtz · 06-03-2015 10:23pm

Tilly wrote: »

I wish they would ban this radio in the office. I work with someone who hums EVERY FÚCKING SONG :mad:

Try a whistler! Ffs.

Lollipops23 · 06-03-2015 10:32pm

Cen taurus wrote: »

It does make you wonder why grown adults would be running anywhere at a normal workplace, unless someone had collapsed or something, maybe bad forward planning ?

It's not all that out there to run up for down stairs

I wouldn't be ok with someone tearing around the office or anything, but the stairs?

Yurt · 06-03-2015 10:44pm

mikemac1 wrote: »

lol at the post of the American multinational that puts arrows on the stairs

Those arows are still there :rolleyes:

Yet they ignore important things like water on the floor outside the mailroom left by the wheelie bins. The floor is painted and a wet painted floor is trechorous. Twisted my ankle on it not long ago.

Their solution? Put a couple of wet floor signs down to cover their ass but doesn't solve the problem.

Is this the same company in Dublin Citi that im thinking off ?

blueser · 06-03-2015 10:48pm

Trebor176 wrote: »

Today, myself and five colleagues in the office were notified by e-mail from the boss that radios are banned from today. Now, three of us always had radios on, never that loud, and nothing was ever said until today. The ban extends to the use of headphones and any way of listening to music.

We're the only office in the building (one of three) to have radios banned. Even the directors had no say in this and have no issues with others listening to music.

What sort of things have been banned from your workplace, if anything?

Fun
Enjoyment in doing my job
Pay rises (none since '07)
Motivation
Workers' rights (no union)
Ambition

hfallada · 06-03-2015 10:53pm

In my last job which was retail. We were told that perfume and aftershave was banned. But we had to wear deo. A manager also told one of the girls to remove her red lipstick as she couldnt look like a whore on the floor floor. There literally 3 peoples are things, we could have/do in work and things we had to do like wear Deo, a t-shirt that when women lifted their arms, side boobs could not be seen(same manager tested it on one of the girls).

Youngblood.III · 06-03-2015 11:08pm

Having an opinion, oh...no we cannot have that.

Petty Things Banned From The Workplace

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