When you need this
Every company has rules, and most of them live in a handbook nobody reads until they need it. How many days can you work from home? Do you need a receipt for a taxi? Can a visitor come up without a badge? You'll ask about policies when you're new, explain them when someone else is, and occasionally ask for an exception.
The useful grammar here is permission and obligation. "Are we allowed to...?" asks about permission. "You're supposed to..." describes the rule, often with a hint that people don't always follow it. "You have to" and "You need to" are firm. When you explain a rule to a coworker, soften it with the reason, because a rule with a reason sounds like advice, and a rule without one sounds like a warning.
Phrases
asks if something is permitted
the official rule, which people don't always follow
a firm rule
the rule comes from the company, not the person
the document with the company's rules
do your job from your own home, not the office
rules about what to wear at work
tell the company in advance
have a manager say yes officially
allow something the rule doesn't usually allow
advice to follow a rule even if nobody checks
Say it out loud
Tap a sentence to hear it. Say it after the voice.
Practice · 3 min
Say the line that fits. Situation on the left, one natural line on the right.
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Say it today
Use it once in a real conversation before tomorrow. Out loud counts, even to yourself.