Workplace rules can sometimes defy logic.

Imagine being told you had to justify purchasing a simple and inexpensive item that would make your job so much easier.

This man was using Photoshop daily at his job.

He was given an IBM ThinkPad laptop with a built-in trackpad.

When he requested an external mouse, the CFO told him he had to justify the additional expense in writing.

Read the story below to find out what he did.

Justify the purchase of a mouse

I started in 1995 with a company doing a job that required me to use Photoshop.

The company laptop, IBM Thinkpad, came with a built in touchpad with the little red button sticking up on the keypad and no mouse.

This man requested a mouse.

When I requested one, I was told by the C.F.O. that I needed to write up a justification for the expense.

It was a 25-year-old company with 350 employees.

It had 8 million dollar year.

And I have to justify a $15 purchase.

He spent one hour writing a letter to justify the request.

So I justified it.

I wasted an hour writing a one-page justification explaining how I could get more work done.

They paid me $22 to explain why they needed to spend $15.

At least he ended up getting his mouse!

Let’s find out how others reacted to this story on Reddit.

This person shares an inspiring workplace story.

This person shares another memorable experience.

Here’s another ideal workplace.

Finally, this user loves how he wasted their time.

Sometimes, bureaucracy costs more than the problem itself.

If you liked that story, check out this post about an oblivious CEO who tells a web developer to “act his wage”… and it results in 30% of the workforce being laid off.