10 of the many rules

Below is a list of 10 rules I had to follow at my first job out of college. This list doesn’t represent the “top ten,” rather 10 randomly selected by my memory. I was an editor for a government contractor working on federal aviation regulations in Washington D.C. Being that I was fresh out of school and desperate for work, I had few expectations other than a regular paycheck. My immediate boss was cool, understanding and helpful. Her boss (the owner) was a wretched micromanaging beast who made my life a living hell. Direct interactions with her forced me to cry more than once on the job. I worked there from July 1997 to January 1999.

10. No moving or rearranging your office furniture by yourself, without asking permission.
9. No changing your screensaver (“because it takes up too much memory”)
8. All employees must answer the phone by the third ring. No use of voicemail during business hours.
7. No logging on to the Internet to check personal email. (Only 3 people in our office had work email accounts for external use.)
6. No loud laughter in the kitchen. (I was actually reprimanded behind closed doors because of this.)
5. Do not greet your co-workers by saying “How’s it hanging?” (Another reprimand.)
4. Limit personal calls during the work day.
3. Must be at work, at your desk by 8:00 for the 8:05 rounds.
2. No jeans on casual Friday. (Casual Friday was not a weekly event. It happened only on her whims.)
1. Proper undergarments must be worn. (This statement actually appeared in the company manual.)