Speaking Task (A rule you don’t like)

In our society, there are some basic rules that are set by government. And if we don’t follow them, then chaos and anarchy happens.

Likewise, a company sets some general rules for its employees to facilitate smooth functioning. 

In general, rules are good if they are they are made for the common good. And people benefit from them if they abide by the rules. 

But, there are times when we are oppressed by some stringent rules, and we want to flout those rules as we can’t see any benefit in adhering to those rules. 

Let me narrate my own experience. 

I work at Rampur Commercial Bank which is the No.1 Bank in my city Ahmedabad. 

There was a very energetic working environment at the bank until the arrival of our new general manager Mr. Patel. 

Mr. Patel is a very strict taskmaster. He has worked in the Army- a clerical job only. But he thinks that military discipline should be implemented in every workplace. 

So when he first addressed our bank staff at our monthly meeting, he announced that he would lay down some new rules that would increase the productivity and help the employees to achieve their targets. 

Then he read out a list of the new rules. It seemed as if these were authoritarian rules. 

There was a lot of commotion about such stringent and arbitrary rules. But, we employees were helpless.

One such rule was the compulsory dress code for the bank employees. Mr. Patel believed that white is the color that boosts confidence. So according to the new dress code, we all staff members would have to wear white dresses on all workdays. 

My colleagues were not comfortable with this new rule, as no one likes to wear the same color on every day. This bank is not a fashion house. But we are human beings and we like to wear colorful clothes.

I was also not happy about it, and I registered my protest by writing an email to Mr. Patel. But I got no reply from him.

There were two options for me. Either I could do what others were doing or wear colorful clothes just to show my displeasure. 

But, when I consulted my wife about this matter, she advised me to wait for a while. In her opinion, it is not helpful to enrage our superiors at our workplace.

And I followed her advice. It felt very awkward initially, but gradually I started liking the color white. I experimented by wearing different shades of white, and I truly enjoyed it.

But, we did not have to wear white clothes all the time. 

After a few months, Mr. Patel was transferred to another branch. And we all heaved a sigh of relief. 

Perhaps the rule was quite idiosyncratic or ridiculous. But it was not entirely wrong. It was set with good intentions, and I can’t say exactly whether it was helpful or not.