Some companies penalize initiative due to some misguided belief that it costs them money.
Example: the site I work at has a stack of air filters for the ductwork that will never be used as management honestly believes that taking a filter off the stack and using it as advised somehow costs money.
Yes, they believe that utilizing an already purchased filter costs money.
So when a member of maintenance changed an air filter, he got screamed at for somehow costing them money.
By replacing a filter with one already bought and paid for on hand.
So there sits an entire stack, useless.
Until they get listed as excess and thrown in the trash.
So do many infants. Elderly and conservatives next?