What was normal in your workplace in the noughties that would be outrageous now

[Shhhhivegotasecret]

My example - all the men going off to continue business meeting at a Stringfellows leaving all the women behind…. Would be the stuff of tribunals nowadays, back then it was 🤷‍♀️

I worked in travel and 1st May was known as tights off day! We weren't allowed to wear tights with our uniform from 1st May til the end of September/ October as it was 'summer uniform'.
When I worked abroad, we had to wear our blazers at the airport even in 40 degree heat unless the manager, who was sat in an air conditioned terminal agreed we could, and then we'd all have to take them off.
Last one, I worked for a company called Polka Dot Bikini and once had to wear a bikini and sarong all day at a trade even to promote the brand! Polka dot of course!

Civil servant from 1990-1994. We had a trolley lady morning and afternoon, a heaving smoking room with regular breaks. Friday lunchtime was spent in the pub, then we went back there when the office closed.
The Xmas parties were outrageous and one year there were strippers; one group of women and another of men in 2 separate rooms! Often the workplace was very tacky, lots of office gossip and drama, but I’ve still never had a better group of colleagues.

Working for insurance company and women had to tender resignation when they married. One girl had hers accepted on eve of wedding day. If they liked you it was turned down and you stayed.
Shops didn't employ pregnant women.
You kept quiet for as long as possible.

Being told I couldn't do a certain job as I was a woman
Being called a spastic by my boss.
Having a brush handle rubbed between my legs then the man sniffing it!

This still happens in my company.

If you were on you knees the boss used to come over and pretend to undo his zip saying while your down there!

In my part time pub job they played the free minutes of tv porn channels

Definitely smoking at your desk and very mucky (and hilarious) talk in the staffroom

Had loads of fun in my job with a bunch of women who gave just as good as they got and we had tons of laughs with the delivery guys, warehouse workers. We got out of loads of crappy jobs as the guys used to say don't worry ladies, we'll do that. Sounds sexist now but we were happy to let them do grunt jobs.

Things have improved nowadays and lots of the women have been replaced by graduate trainees of both sexes (not that you need a degree and not that they necessarily do a better job), but everyone is treated with respect.

I still like my job but thinking about it, I would like to revisit 20 years ago again just for the laughs, not being frightened to open my mouth, not seeing a sodding pronoun and having the ladies toilets back again. Thing is once I was there I might not want to come back again 🙁

in the early 2000’s woman of equal professional standing taking the men their 10 0’Clock tea to their desks. Christmas dinner day, women had to return to the office and the men stayed in the pub, so they technically just got an extra half days leave. Luckily a few younger assertive ladies like myself kicked that shit to the kerb!!

Giving diazepam to people undergoing laser surgery, they were being dished out like sweets.

I remember phoning up my new workplace to see if they allowed trousers and they did, but the fact I felt I had to ask before I bought a new suit :)

When I started work we were specifically told no safari suits.

The fact that this was stipulated must have mean someone tried to wear one to the office😁

I worked with a man who wore a safari suit in the summer. I’d have liked to have had that rule tbh. He looked horrific.

Men with tattoos were a'ok. Even if they were vulgar or sexual. I'm a woman with tattoos and that was totally unacceptable so I had to wear the special modest uniform, lest anyone see the totally inoffensive flowers and stuff on my arms. Circa 2006, in a supermarket chain that no longer exists.

One of my work ‘perks’ circa 2008 was access to a service where you could book a retired person to come and sit in your house to wait for deliveries..!

I think it was about £15 a day, with work paying the rest

Actually I've just realised this said noughties not nineties. By the 00s you could absolutely wear trousers to work and people had stopped smoking in offices.

But this post reminded me of the stupid boss who used to moan because I left on time at 5pm to collect my son from nursery. He never mentioned the fact I got in at 8 rather than 9! Only extra hours in the evening counted.

Actually I've just realised this said noughties not nineties. By the 00s you could absolutely wear trousers to work and people had stopped smoking in offices.

Your experience is not universal. As multiple other posts on the thread show

Smoking throughout the day, in an office
The tea lady who came round with trolley every afternoon, with drinks, cakes and crisps.
Massive computers (probably 3ft tall).
Having a 3 hour maths and English exam and then the interview to get the job in the first place

I was thinking that about smoking - although the total public indoor ban came in in 2007, I'm pretty sure no one was smoking in offices since at least late 90s. I started working in 2001 and no smoking was allowed in that office, nor do I think it was normal anywhere.

I agree good for you. Bugger that😊

I agree, it's sad now. 😔

Smoking room

Pub at lunchtime on a Friday

Raucous drunken after-hours parties involving sex in cupboards and snorting coke off desks.

I worked in a primary school.

Working in the civil service in the 1970s, you didn't get sick pay if you were ill whilst pregnant.
So you could break your leg playing football and get sick pay but only if you weren't pregnant.

Mid-90s, my high school had a special Sixth-Form Smoking Area outside, with benches, a rain shelter and fag bins! It was considered one of the perks of being a sixth-former 😁