ULPT: My wife's job banned social conversation

Posted by slydyr24205@reddit | UnethicalLifeProTips | View on Reddit | 38 comments

My wife works at a sewing machine repair shop. Until recently it was a pretty tolerable place to work. Now the regional manager has begun handing down a lot of restrictive policies - the most recent is prohibiting the employees from social conversation while working.
Any tips to throw this back at them?

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laplongejr@reddit

the most recent is prohibiting the employees from social conversation while working.

Discuss about salary and work conditions then.
That's work discussion and (salary at least) is protected in the USA.

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Chipsforlife99@reddit

I had a boss like that. She would snap at us “if we had time to talk we weren’t working hard enough” I quit after two years. Turnover was high.

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Joey-effing-tribiani@reddit

Tell your wife to put tape on her mouth every time she goes to work from now on and ask her fellow employees to do the same. Have everyone go to work with tape over their mouths for a few days and see what happens. Most likely, the manager will get the hint. If that doesn't work, make the company and their stupid new policy go viral: have someone pretend to be a random bystander that happened to be walking by your wife's work when they saw your wife and the other employees walk into their office building with tape over their mouth. Have them take pics and videos of the scene and put it on social media like "yo, are you guys seeing this? What's going on here? " . Guarantee it will attract all kinds of attention and will put the company on blast.

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Responsible-Sign2779@reddit

It may be better to ask in r/MaliciousCompliance

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Bob_5k@reddit

I think there was a recent one of literally this. And refusing to not say anything that is not necessary

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MollysTootsies@reddit

Came here to suggest this, too!

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Oreofinger@reddit

Somehow those shitbags always end up in power it’s weird.

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water_melon_honey@reddit

At least they can still chat about Singers

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senadraxx@reddit

This sounds like a job for the malicious compliance sub. You will get great ideas there

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slydyr24205@reddit (OP)

You'd think, right? They gave a couple good ideas, but mostly replied to tell me i posted on the "wrong sub" that it "wasn't for asking questions".

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slydyr24205@reddit (OP)

You'd think, right? They gave a couple good ideas, but mostly replied to tell me i posted on the "wrong sub" that it "wasn't for asking questions, just for stories".

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tourabsurd@reddit

Need to know the country. Such a rule, even if written down, may be unlawful.

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slydyr24205@reddit (OP)

USA

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fastgetoutoftheway@reddit

First, have her seduce the manager; next force him to engage in social conversation with her at work.

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nopalitzin@reddit

All the manager "can we then work remotely"

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Sea_Bear7754@reddit

Social grunts and social moans.

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BusyBullet@reddit

As others have posted, have him put the policy in writing.

And then have him define “social conversation”.

And then ask for examples.

And clarification.

Rinse and repeat.

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MomAndDadSaidNotTo@reddit

Literally all conversation is social. Have her write "management forbids conversation" on a card and refuse to talk to anyone?

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magicmulder@reddit

Have her show her boss her “emergency cards” that say “FIRE!”, “Someone call an ambulance, Sally just sowed her hand to the desk” and “Did Harry try to touch your butt, too?” and ask him if he has suggestions for more of those.

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jessewalker2@reddit

Or “let’s talk about wages” which federal law protects.

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pwniator@reddit

For now

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ReticentSentiment@reddit

"We should start a union"

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slydyr24205@reddit (OP)

Yes!

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redthump@reddit

This is good!

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brennanfiesta@reddit

Does she work in a fucking sweatshop?

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Schickie@reddit

Talk like a robot.

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YnotBbrave@reddit

We're outside chatting instead of working? Every one seem to sound the boss is an idiot but mating just maybe there was a real problem there?

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OhGodWhyKhan@reddit

Where does it say they were outside chatting? They mean while working - so having a conversation while repairing sewing machines.

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Bob_A_Feets@reddit

“Casually” discuss wages with fellow coworkers.

Document the shit out of their reaction to your protected activity, then consult an attorney about your settlement.

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ih8vols@reddit

Post company and manager name so we can all bombard them with messages!

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tingutingutingu@reddit

I don't have anything useful to suggest but just wanted to say that it is so stupid.

You have other ceos telling people they need to come back to they office because the social interaction is missing and it's needed for "culture" and productivity and then this RM song that social interaction should be limited.

So which one is it?

The answer is that the management feels the need to control and micro manage employees. It's got nothing to do with productivity.

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slydyr24205@reddit (OP)

I couldn't agree more!

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randomrealitycheck@reddit

Every person who works there need to hand in their resignation. The next step is when management tries to keep everyone on the job, you all need to stand firm in that the asshat gets fired and each of the remaining workers receive an equal cut of his salary for a raise.

There is no way the company can replace such specialized workers in any reasonable period of time.

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Less_Campaign_6956@reddit

Anonymously share this policy with his boss and his bosses boss.. they may not be aware. It's micromanagement and very controlling to make no social talk a policy.. ugh. And plan your exit strategy if this jackass boss will be around and not reassigned elsewhere..

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