A Fortune 500 company I worked for made us all sign a 10 page “ethics” statement. In it we promised, on pain of instant dismissal, not to talk about race, religion, or politics. Jokes were specifically forbidden. When I asked why the wide-eyed HR lady said, “Oh, my, you have NO idea who you might offend.”
Conversation in the workplace was to be about work related issues. I asked a guy what he was doing for the weekend. He stood, covered his look around with a stretch and whispered, “I’m taking Sandra and the boys fishing.”
The IT department of a SC university was the same way except no written policy. A certain psycho paranoid hag enforcer was the high and mighty thought police force of one.
Heaven help if you crossed her. I did and was made miserable. At one time she told me I wasn’t supposed to talk at all unless I absolutely had to.
Of course it was selective enforcement. Her main galpal did whatever, said whatever and even ran a retail business from her desk.