Give people an inch, and some will try to take a mile.

This employee was recalling a time when her company introduced a relaxed dress code as a morale booster. Her coworkers couldn’t have been happier. What seemed like a simple workplace perk slowly turned into something far more complicated as a few people began pushing the limits of what “casual” meant. Before long, management found itself dealing with situations nobody had anticipated.

This story is an entertaining look at workplace culture, office personalities, and how a handful of employees can spoil a good thing for everyone. You wouldn’t want to miss the full story below. Enjoy the humor, cringe-worthy moments, and the relatable lesson at the heart of it.

This is why we can’t wear casual dress every day.

More than 10 years ago, I worked in the back office for a bank, and after the 2008 financial crash, there was more work than we could handle.

Management came up with perks that didn’t cost money, like allowing casual dress every day instead of just on Fridays.

Everyone thought that was great, but they added specific rules, like no jeans with holes and any T-shirts had to be plain or company-logo T-shirts. They even gave everyone the option to buy company shirts in multiple colors for just $5 a piece.

Several people (including myself) bought many and wore them most days. At first, this was fine, but as time went on, people started wearing whatever they wanted, like old band shirts and others with holes in them.

Some people looked like they had just rolled out of bed and thrown on the clothes they found in the dark.

Coworkers started pushing the limit.

Managers said something multiple times, but most people just ignored them and kept doing what they wanted.

One prime example: I was heading to the kitchen area to make some coffee and nearly ran into another woman coming in. She was wearing a low-cut top with a deep V that went nearly to her navel, with no bra in place.

I couldn’t stop staring. This was something you would wear to a club, and even there it would have been over the top.

Despite multiple requests to adhere to the casual dress guidelines, people still weren’t listening.

Until enough was enough.

Then came the “Lion Lady,” as we called her. This was a woman somewhere between 40 and 60. You couldn’t tell her age because she loved to tan and had done so for so long that her skin, while very tan, was extremely leathery and freckled.

She had bleached-blonde hair that looked like a patchy lion’s mane (hence the name) and dressed like a high school girl, with low-cut tops and heavily bedazzled jeans. She always wore glittering tops cut low enough to show the top of her bra.

We had a nice patio area where people liked to eat lunch, and one day I was heading out there to do the same.

As I got to the door, I saw her straddling a chair with her back to the door, and her pants were cut so low that you could tell she wasn’t wearing underwear and had bleached her behind. It was really gross, and I just turned around and ate at my desk.

Management had to reconsider casual dress every day.

Unfortunately, many people saw the same thing, and she was asked to go home and change because people were uncomfortable.

This incident, and many others, I’m sure, caused management to take another look at the policy and decide to go back to Casual Friday only. Everyone was upset.

I work from home now and was just sitting here in my pajama pants, thinking about how nice it is.

We still have meetings online, and I always make sure to wear a nice shirt and a bra every day, but some people I work with don’t even do that.

They just push the boundaries as far as they can go until management punishes everyone for what a few people do. Why must some people ruin perks for everyone?

What are some people thinking? I get wearing t-shirts to work, but club dresses, ultra low-cut tops, and low-hanging pants are just too much for a workplace environment. If you’re making your coworkers uncomfortable, you’re probably making clients cringe, too. I guess some people like to ruin a good thing for everyone else.

If you enjoyed this post, check out this story about a hiring manager who is shocked by an applicant’s entitled attitude about working full time.

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Push the limits far enough, and they will eventually push back.