Company Creates Ridiculous Policies for Lateness and Sick Leave, and It Completely Backfires on Them

Maintaining workplace discipline has been a dream of many managers, but it is seldom achieved. There is a simple answer for this – they try to enforce ridiculous rules that make people want to fight back and find ways around them.

Sure, they hold endless meetings and focus groups to see what the employees think, but they never take their opinions into account when creating the rules. The battle continues.

But it shouldn't be a battle. It should be a compromise between the staff and management, beneficial to all.

A workplace disciplinary policy should lay out clear standards for employees and the repercussions that will be imposed if the rules are broken. On paper, it appears to be a good thing; it protects the organization against false accusations and ensures that all employees are treated equally.

Isn't it a win-win situation? Perhaps somewhere.

Alternative_Hunter34 doesn't work at a place like that. They posted on the popular subreddit r/AntiWork a few days ago about how their company handles late and sick staff, and it's evident that it's a lose-lose situation.

Let's take a look at this story. Managers, please take notes on what not to do.

Ridiculous punishment policies can ultimately backfire on companies, and they mostly do.

CuriousMarc (not the actual photo)

OP shared a ridiculous late policy from his company

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If I know I will be charged for 15 minutes, I might as well make good use of it—every second.

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So the company increased the 15-minute pay reduction to one hour. Surprise, surprise—no one was late by under 55 minutes.

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The focus group brought no results. Of course, it's because the company wouldn't listen to the employees.

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Well done, management.

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Now, the sick leave.

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The absence policy is ridiculous and makes people revolt.

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Employees will try to make the most of it.

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Three days or 18 months—it's the same.

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The focus group (yes, again) brings no results because management doesn't care to listen.

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The company is not satisfied...

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Management has changed the policies. Again.

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New policies are discussed...

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Now, OP’s company is not bad at all, and people are generally happy:

“At the time of leaving my previous job nearly ten years ago, this company was doing well and growing steadily,” Alternative_Hunter34 explained. “They had ample job opportunities, and I walked in with ease. Essentially, I was drawn in by inertia—the path of least resistance. The job would be fine if not for the management situation. As I mentioned in a reply to one poster, the job is well paid. Above minimum wage by a significant degree, and we have been steadily well paid since I joined.”Alternative_Hunter34 isn’t planning on leaving the company. “As my company well knows, they offer the best-paid, entry-level, no-skills jobs in a wide radius,” they said. “We all moan, we all rant and rave, but most of us will be in the next day, week, and month regardless, and without breaking step, we will fight to keep the jobs we complain about should we come under redundancy or disciplinary action.”

Yup, depending on the country...

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According to Redditors, ridiculous punishing policies are common:

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So instead of losing five minutes of someone's work, they lose an hour.

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You can’t control people...

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Named, shamed, and boycotted.

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Management would have probably accomplished more with a friendly approach.

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Humans are human.

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Incentives work better than punishment.

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The house always wins...

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Problem solved:

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OP admits that they’ve fallen into a money trap. In other words, they are not completely satisfied, but the money is good, and the job is easy.

Leaving it would require effort, courage, and stepping out of their comfort zone. So, people stay.

And the managers are aware of that. No one is taking any radical steps, and the status quo seems to suit everyone.

But for how long?