Some workplace problems have pretty obvious solutions. Broken equipment needs replacing, employees need somewhere to eat lunch, and a little extra effort occasionally deserves more than a thank-you email. But spending money isn’t always management’s favorite option. Sometimes the solution involves a roll of cheap toilet paper, a pizza party nobody asked for, or a piece of equipment that should have been retired years ago. Employees have shared plenty of these questionable decisions on Reddit, including a few that probably cost more trouble than they saved. Here are 15 times employers found surprisingly cheap ways to deal with problems that deserved a little more attention.RedditThe Desk Finally Gave UpAn employee’s desk collapsed during the workday, and there weren’t any spare desks available. Coworkers on Reddit suggested everything from filing cabinets to upside-down trash cans.UnsplashThe Office Fridge Got a Serious DowngradeAn insurance office replaced its shared refrigerator with a tiny drink cooler and a vending machine, leaving roughly 25 employees with nowhere practical to store lunch.RedditToilet Paper You Can See ThroughOne employee photographed the nearly transparent toilet paper supplied in an office building reportedly worth $145 million. Apparently, the bathroom supplies weren’t included in the luxury budget.RedditThree Squares Should Be PlentyA workplace installed a toilet paper dispenser that released only a few squares at a time, according to employees discussing the particularly frustrating new bathroom equipment.RedditAir Conditioning Can Wait Until Sales ImproveWith the office reaching 83 degrees Fahrenheit, an employee said their boss wouldn’t fully repair the broken air conditioner until the company started making more money.RedditThe Music Player Has Seen Better DaysAn employee shared the aging device used to play music at work while complaining that the business owner was spending money on cars, vacations, and a swimming pool.RedditEven Buying a Drink Requires a DepositOne workplace replaced two drink machines with a system that temporarily held $10 on employees’ cards while cameras verified what they had purchased.UnsplashA Pizza Party Will Fix EverythingA store manager offered employees a pizza party if they collected enough customer photos for social media, despite being told the staff disliked the reward.UnsplashThe Bonus Was a Candy BarAfter employees worked weekends and overtime to meet an ambitious company goal, one Reddit user said management rewarded the team with individual candy bars.UnsplashEmployee Appreciation Came in a Snack BoxOne employee described working through three months of understaffing before receiving a box of snacks as a much-anticipated appreciation gift from management.RedditBring Your Own Safety GearAn employee of a multibillion-dollar company claimed workers were asked to supply their own high-visibility jackets, despite the protective clothing being required for their jobs.RedditThe Chairs Were Apparently Too ComfortableA gift shop manager removed employees’ chairs after deciding workers were neglecting their duties, leaving staff standing through shifts that lasted nearly eight hours.RedditThe Holiday Party Got the LeftoversAn employee recalled a company holiday celebration featuring inexpensive pizza and leftover marketing merchandise, while other departments reportedly had budgets for proper meals.RedditTwo Jobs, One Paycheck, Occasional DonutsAfter a supervisor quit, one employee said they spent months covering both positions without extra pay or temporary help. At least there were sometimes donuts.RedditSeventy-Hour Weeks Earned a Coffee MugOne Reddit commenter recalled receiving a coffee mug for working mandatory 70-hour weeks, while another mentioned a colleague rewarded with a souvenir mug from the boss’s vacation.The post 15 Times Employers Tried to Solve a Problem in the Cheapest Way Possible appeared first on Den of Geek.