Bizarre Polices of Last Decade

Wow, what a decade it has been! There have been so many changes and updates in the HR world over the past several years; life for employers and HR professionals has probably gotten a bit overwhelming and a kind of stale at times.

Well, I am here to put a little cheer into your New Year! Let’s take a look back at some of the most ridiculous, bizarre, and just downright absurd policies and rules that employers have come up with to help run their business. Here we go!

• Stand for the Boss: Bestlifeonline.com describes a work environment approach such as this one whenever France’s ecology and energy minister walks into the room. Employees are expected to stand regardless of what they are doing as she approaches them.
• Only Mustaches Allowed: According to resumeprofessionawriters.com, a certain business gave male employees an ultimatum: maintain a full-grown mustache or no facial hair at all. Male employees could not have any in-betweens, or they were sent home.
• No Water Bottles: One business has been claimed to restrict employees from drinking out of water bottles. Resumeprofessionalwriters.com states that the company is so strict, employees can only drink from small cups and cannot drink from water bottles even during their lunch breaks. No reason was provided why this company conjured up such a ridiculous policy, but it was worthy enough to make the list!
• Dress Code Caution: USAToday stated that Swiss bank UBS has made their dress code so strict that employees received a 43-page handbook regarding the strict dress code. The handbook even went as far as including types of makeup the women should wear. So what was the bank’s reason behind all of this? If followed properly, it would enhance an employee’s personality. I think we could all agree that this bank just enhanced their own personality on this one.
• Got Cake? Do you recall watching the TV show Hell’s Kitchen? If so, you may remember a particular episode about Amy’s Baking Company. They earned a negative reputation not only from customers but its employees as well. USA Today claims that employees must sign a contract that forced them to work weekends and holidays or face a $250 cut in their paychecks. Talk about wanting their cake and eating it too!

If these didn’t make you scratch your head or have an eye twitch, here are some last few giggles from across the pond that Scoburgbanks posted on their website-

• Workplace Rule 1: Do not stick your body parts in the fryers
• Workplace Rule 2: Do not mop up the floor in the walk-in freezer
• Workplace Rule 3: Do not climb into the rubbish (trash) compactor

Hopefully, these gave you a few laughs, as most companies tend to have logical and ethically sound rules and policies. Remember, when in doubt, call HR Branches to help you create or review your company policies before you end up in the next article like this one!

^{Disclaimer: HR Branches provides general information about Human Resources. Please note that the information provided, while reliable, is not legal advice. Please seek legal assistance, or assistance from State, Federal, or International governmental resources, to make sure your legal interpretation and decisions are correct for your location and circumstances. The purpose of this information is for guidance, ideas, and assistance on general HR matters.}

by Jenn Jackson

I have a BS in Human Resources, love adapting to new environments both corporate and small business, and proud to bring my porch-sitting, chatty hospitality from Virginia to Colorado.