‘I Would Immediately Quit’: Boss’s Implements New Rule For Remote Workers, And What They’re Required To Do Every Five Minutes Is Infuriating

A new workplace rule for remote workers has made people angry online after it was shared on TikTok. The rule, called the five-minute policy, says that employees must tell their team every single time they step away from their desk, even for bathroom breaks or getting a coffee.

The email was shared by the TikTok account @sayitonrecord, which posts bad workplace messages. In the email, a boss writes to a worker about a late chat reply, saying, “We have the 5 minute rule, I just wanted to check in to make sure everything is okay and to remind you of our policy.” The email goes on to tell the worker to let the team know before stepping away for any reason, including using the bathroom, so the team stays on the same page and nothing gets missed.

People watching the video were not happy about it. One person, @staymish97, said what many others were thinking by writing, “I would immediately quit. I’m not a child and won’t be asking to go to the bathroom in my own damn house.” The response shows a growing problem between bosses who are having trouble with remote work and workers who think these rules go too far.

Malicious Compliance Might Be The Answer

Many people also asked if this kind of strict watching actually helps workers do better. User @lakenlakenlaken said that task switching is proven to decrease productivity, explaining that having to check chat all the time while working on something and worrying about being watched actually makes work worse instead of better.

But some people had fun ideas for dealing with the pushy policy. Just like TikTokers went viral with their honest review of Arby’s steak nuggets, one person, @valegal43, told workers to use malicious compliance and tell their bosses every single detail, including diarrhea, constipation, and menstrual cycles. Another user, @fancy_griptape, joked about sending detailed updates about bathroom visits with photo proof.

This idea made sense to people who have health problems that mean they need to take breaks often. As @herbancowgirl said, the way their manager would get updates every 5 minutes would end this policy pretty quickly. The point is clear that flooding bosses with constant, very detailed messages about bathroom stuff might make them change their mind about watching remote workers so closely.