Stupidest rules your job has

[repsac]

Natioanlly, yes, to the screams of dismay of many English teachers...

Rapscallion

Raps, do you also shop at Athletes Foot? Personally, I'd rather not shop at a place that's named after a fungus.

[Bakerygirl]

This one isn't really stupid but it annoys the hell out of me. When we're on our breaks and we either need to go shopping or just want to hang out with other coworkers on the floor (who are on their breaks as well obviously), we can't have any non-Target items with us. That means that we can't drink or eat anything that didn't come from Food Avenue or has the Target brand on it (Market Pantry). When a bunch of us asked why, the manager said that "it's not Target brand". So even though we're on our lunch breaks (which are unpaid), we have to act as though we're still on the clock by not eating whatever the hell we want to eat.

I have been working for Target for 5 and half years and I have never heard of such a rule. I eat what I want while on my lunch break.

[Mighty Girl]

This isn't about my job, but it definitely qualifies as a stupid rule.

Bob Evans is very kid friendly, so when we go out to eat with my grandma, we usually go there instead of one of the old codger places she goes. BE has a nice kids menu, crayons and puzzles and stuffed animals, etc.

So, we're talking to one of the waitresses and she's showing us wedding pics- the general manager is really nice and we're talking to him too. I asked if he attended the wedding and he said he's not allowed. Bob Evans strictly prohibits "fraternization" between management and the employees.

Now, as far as jobs I've had-

When I worked at the Limited, we were "encouraged" (translate accordingly) to wear clothing from the store even though the slave wage they paid could barely cover it even with an employee discount.

When I worked at Jack Horner's (now out of business, ) we were told we had to buy our food there or not eat. Once again, slave wages. Plus the food was barely edible and not what I would call "fresh".

When I worked at Marc's we weren't allowed to wear jackets over our stupid little smocks no matter how close we were to the doors in the winter.

Call center job where no one ever sees you? Hose must be worn at all times.

[Ryu]

technically managers arent supposed to be friends with employees at my job too but we talk at work and some talk outside of work as well
it really is a dumb rule period

[tonydanza]

At the store I work at we have this lovely little coupn called "40% off any 1 regular priced item" but you don't need to bring a coupon to get the discount. SOOOOOOOOOOOO many people take advantage of this!!!

[pbmods]

Facing....

I work in the photo department. Up until my latest transfer (starts today... it's 3:50 in the morning right now, and my train is in 90 minutes; first thing I do when I get in the door is negotiate my new hours!), when I worked the closing shift, I was required to leave the lab about an hour before close and start facing self-serve aisles.

I could understand being required to face the camera/battery departments (lucky for me, at this store, these departments were behind the counter and therefore more or less always perfectly-faced). But a photo technician should not have to face the cooler. Nor the snack aisle, nor any other department besides camera/battery.

Not to say that we're better than the other employees, but it's Not My Department™!

[Becks]

I could understand being required to face the camera/battery departments (lucky for me, at this store, these departments were behind the counter and therefore more or less always perfectly-faced). But a photo technician should not have to face the cooler. Nor the snack aisle, nor any other department besides camera/battery.

Not to say that we're better than the other employees, but it's Not My Department™!

I agree with you, ESPECIALLY if there are other employees from those departments, who could and should be facing their own merchandise.

[Ree]

...there are other employees from those departments, who could and should be facing their own merchandise.

But, if the place isn't busy, then it gives the employee something to do other than stand and wait for photo department customers.

At our store, all employees are expected to be fairly interchangeable. They should be able to move from department to department if required, and be able to wait on a customer if they are stopped by them in any area.
Sounds pretty demanding, but it's not like they don't provide training.

[BusBus]

We have a dress code at work, which is fair enough, as we do have to maintain some professionalism with the public; however, the dress code is quite strict on shoes, even though the public cannot see our feet. So instead of wearing my clean, supportive runners, I have to wear back numbing dress shoes. Granted, I've worn flip flops and casual footwear to work on numerous occasions without a word from management, so I suspect that it's not grossly enforced.

[MMATM]

This one isn't really stupid but it annoys the hell out of me. [...] we can't have any non-Target items with us. That means that we can't drink or eat anything that didn't come from Food Avenue or has the Target brand on it (Market Pantry).

We never had this rule... until one day a coworker walked in the front door (frowned upon, as employees have a back entrance and if the customers see us walking around the counter out of uniform the boss will go berserk) carrying a Dunkies bag. Keep in mind that Dunkies is one of our main competitors when it comes to breakfast time (particularly coffee). The owner saw it, did a double take, and then said something like "What are you doing to me? You want customers to see that you'd rather PAY to eat Dunkies' food rather than eat the same stuff here for FREE?"
Luckily this coworker is the undisputed king of the part-timers, and could very easily jump up to a management position if he wanted to. But he doesn't. He also has the most seniority of anyone that still works there (besides the owners and maybe one manager).

Now there's no eating behind the counter, period.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

.

There's this wonderful product called SortKwikTM. Stupid name, but it gets the job done.

I used that stuff at my very first job when I was 16: inserting bundles of advertisements into a newspaper that went out on Wednesdays and Sundays.


The cashiers at my store also use it.

[Arcade Man D]

Must greet all customers with X seconds of them walking in.

Despite the fact that most mall arcades have only one on-duty employee. Who sometimes needs to crawl inside the games to do repairs or cleaning, or be in the office finishing the paperwork you value so much.

Agreed, and so glad the management in my district does not enforce that one. It's quite impossible to do so on Friday through Sunday, especially.

The main one I dislike, though?

Channel M (think of video Muzak, with Trivia) must be audible over arcade "noise". Never mind that that rule makes our most popular non-ticket games (like any arcade, DDR and the like) un-playable.

[Gurndigarn]

The main one I dislike, though?

Channel M (think of video Muzak, with Trivia) must be audible over arcade "noise". Never mind that that rule makes our most popular non-ticket games (like any arcade, DDR and the like) un-playable.

That rule... got bent a little. I always interpreted it as "audible over arcade noise... by anyone not playing a game. And if you're standing in the area of the speakers."

[Rapscallion]

I learned yesterday about a long-standing policy at my place. We're not allowed any red-top tabloid newspapers. For those not in the UK, these are the more crap newspapers with a target audience of those who don't like to think about what they're reading. The main reason for this is that many contain (or used to) a topless girl on page three (known as page three girls, oddly enough). The policy was brought in by a group of hard-nosed feminists.

Interestingly enough, solid rumour has it that the ladies involved in this were running an illicit lesbian porn ring at work...

Rapscallion

[ArenaBoy]

I learned yesterday about a long-standing policy at my place. We're not allowed any red-top tabloid newspapers. For those not in the UK, these are the more crap newspapers with a target audience of those who don't like to think about what they're reading.

I've read some of those things linked from the BBC site, they're quite possibly the most amusing things I've ever read. I find it more amusing at how much they bash my soccer team also, but those are great for comedy value.