Denied Swipe In for wearing Sandals

Yesterday, I went to the office to log in. When I tried to swipe in, I was denied access because the security team said that wearing shoes is mandatory from Monday to Friday. I asked the security guard when this rule was implemented, and he claimed it had been in effect for the past one month. This didn’t make sense to me because I last swiped in on 25th November while wearing sandals, and no one stopped me.

Then another security person joined the conversation and said the rule had been in place for the past two weeks, not one month. When I asked where the official communication was, he said that HR had already sent an email and that team leads were instructed to inform their teams. But I never received any communication from HR or my TL.

I requested an exception just for that day because I would have had to travel 20 km back home just to change into shoes. I also mentioned that I had been unwell for the past two weeks, which is why I had taken an exception to work from the office. Despite explaining all this, the security head refused and insisted that I get an email from HR. It was already 8:00 PM on a Friday. Which HR team works at 8:00 PM on a Friday? I told them the same, but they still said they couldn’t do anything without an email and that I must return wearing shoes.

I honestly don’t understand how they expect employees to deal with such situations. It’s fine if they want to enforce a dress code, but where is the communication? When I asked again, they said that boards were installed in front of the office. This is not acceptable. What exactly are they trying to achieve with this approach?