Nothing raises a red flag faster at a new job than employees being forced to buy their own uniform.

So when one new hire was told his homemade pouch wasn’t allowed and the approved one cost nearly fifty bucks, he complied by being as inefficient as humanly possible.

Keep reading for the full story!

Want me to buy your tacticool gear on my first day on the job? No, I don’t think I will.

A few days ago, I started work at a new job, and one element of it is various small objects (a towel, tape, radio, barrel brush, etc.) that come in handy frequently enough that most employees wear cargo pants or a pouch similar to a dump pouch—a large fabric pouch with a drawstring.

Now, I regret taking this job in large part because of the atmosphere, and these pouches are just another aspect.

The new hire describes the uniform in question.

Tacticool, forest green, most folks with them put them on a weapon belt, etc.

I had previously made a small fabric pouch that fulfills the same purpose but looks considerably more homemade—bleach-stained pants leg cut off and sewn over with a scrap of flannel for a closure.

He was quickly told his just wouldn’t do.

I wore this pouch on my first day and was almost immediately told not to wear it.

Well, what am I gonna do when I need tape, a radio, rag, etc.?

I was told it’s not their problem and to figure it out.

So he ended up wasting a ton of time by not keeping his tools on him.

Well, I put all this crap backstage, and now whenever a customer needs any of that, I go backstage and grab it.

It doesn’t take but a minute, but it adds up.

Soon, the actual customers start to notice.

By the second hour of that same shift, a customer asked me, “Why don’t you have one of the pouches for all that stuff?”

“Because they don’t provide those, you have to buy them, they’re $45, it’s my first day, and I’m pretty broke. I apologize for the inconvenience.”

Then the bosses finally start coming around.

Shortly after this, a supervisor asked why I kept going backstage.

Reiterating my previous points, I was told, “Fine, I guess you can wear your homemade pouch, but only until you get paid.”

Spoiler: I’m not spending almost fifty bucks on a nylon pouch.

You should get paid to do the job, not the other way around.

Commenters chime in with their two cents.

A uniform is something the employer should be providing.

Every workplace has their annoying quirks.

This behavior is actually against the law in some places.

There’s often a cheaper alternative available.

Some employers have way too much audacity.

Funny how fast “not our problem” becomes everyone’s problem.

If you liked that story, check out this post about a group of employees who got together and why working from home was a good financial decision.