Some rules are just asking to be messed with.

What would you do if a manager insisted everyone turn on their cameras for video meetings, even though your team usually kept them off?

Would you quietly comply?

Or would you find a way to make that rule so uncomfortable that they might think twice?

In the following story, one remote worker faces this very decision and decides to have some fun.

Here’s what he did.

Video Attendance Is Required.

We’re still mostly remote at work, with more and more coordination done over chat. Meetings are mostly audio and shared screen.

One unpopular program manager has begun asking everyone to turn cameras on “for better communication.”

He called me out today, and I discovered a lovely bit of maliciousness.

He found the perfect outfit for the camera.

I turned my camera on, and we immediately discovered why TV announcers dress simply. I was wearing a golf polo with fine horizontal stripes.

Every time I moved, a moire pattern danced across the screen.

It was the most obnoxious, attention-grabbing thing I’ve ever heard.

Cue five minutes of razzing me about my shirt.

I spent the rest of the meeting fidgeting in my chair.

I can’t wait for next week’s meeting. I have several more shirts with similar patterns.

Wow! Wonder what the other people thought.

Let’s see how the fine folks over at Reddit relate to this story.

This guy attended a meeting from the bathtub.

He’d probably get in trouble for this one.

This reader turns off other people’s videos.

It’s animal heads for this reader’s coworker.

That’s such a great plan!

It’s subtle, yet oh so annoying.

If you liked that post, check out this post about a woman who tracked down a contractor who tried to vanish without a trace.