Home » Spotlight • US business news » Weird Things Bosses Banned In Their Workplace
https://www.whatjobs.com/news/what-news-topical/from-using-the-word-mate-to-drinking-coffee-these-are-strange-things-bosses-have-banned
If you own a company, you're the boss.
You're perfectly within your rights to introduce whatever weird and wonderful workplace rules you like, as long as they're within the boundaries of the laws of the land.
Introducing stringent rules may rub your staff up the wrong way and lead to an exodus, so be warned.
These business owners have banned simple things such as coffee just because they don't like it.
Here are some of the strangest and absurd things bosses have prohibited.
Read More: Three People Who Are Famous For Being Terrible At Their Jobs
Matt and Nat is a handbag and accessory business that makes its products using only vegan materials.
If you're a meat lover, you had better leave that packed lunch at home because having meat on the premises is strictly not allowed.
The business director mandated that only vegetarian food is allowed to adhere to its eco-friendly mission.
If you're from the UK or Australia, using the word 'mate' is like culture.
An Australian hospital has banned the casual greeting of calling someone "mate."
The boss believes that: "This type of language should not be used across any level of the organization such as employee to employee or employee to client."
But mate isn't the only saying on the list of words banned; "darling," "love," "sweetheart," and "honey" is prohibited.
Considering the amount Australians use the word, ie, at the beginning of most sentences, this must be quite challenging.
Hopefully "Aww look" isn't also prohibited.
Looking to boost your online brand? Create your FREE business profile at WhatBiz? here.
More than 1 billion people in the world drink coffee every day.
However, if you worked for certain hospitals across the UK, you'll need to find an alternative to keep you awake throughout the day.
The head of clinical support banned staff from drinking tea or coffee in public areas of hospitals.
The reason is that "members of the public are frustrated by long waiting times during clinics and for appointments and are inflamed by seeing staff members enjoying hot and cold drinks at the reception desks."
So if you absolutely can't live without caffeine, you better do it in private.
This one seems quite draconian, there aren't many people in the UK who think NHS nurses and staff are lazy, and the idea of not being able to have a drink seems rather extreme.
Need Career Advice? Get employment skills advice at all levels of your career
Research has shown all the health benefits of moving throughout the day.
And a company called Iris Ohyama took this to the next level.
Iris Ohyama is a Japanese plastic manufacturer.
For the last decade, the business has banned using computers at desks.
Instead, they have to use shared PC workstations where you can only stand up.
Sparrows Group, owned by Richard Branson, hasn't banned milk altogether, but he banned how milk was used.
Staff are allowed to use milk in tea or coffee but are forbidden from putting any on cereal.
"There is well in excess of 100 pints of milk distributed between our facilities each day," the company wrote in an email to all staff.
"The milk purchased by the company is for use with tea or coffee. The use of this milk for cereal is to cease with immediate effect."
With moves like this, you can see why Branson is able to live on a private island in the British Virgin Islands.
Follow us on YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook
