On stupid rules and quick wins
Why every boss can benefit from asking employees what most infuriates them
Interrogate the internet about the most ridiculous rules people have experienced at work, and the stories roll in. The lab assistant instructed to label the expiry dates on all chemical samples, who was reprimanded for not writing when a bottle of sand would go off (to comply, they put in a date 65m years hence). The accounting firm where only partners were allowed to have plants over a certain height. The company where employees were required to submit requests to maintenance if they wanted the height of their office chairs to be adjusted. The baroque limitations on how often people are allowed to go to the lavatory.
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This article appeared in the Business section of the print edition under the headline “Stupid rules and quick wins”
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From the November 30th 2024 edition
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