Company rejects candidate over 'bizarre' distance policy, internet is still processing

A job candidate was left both amused and baffled after a company rejected his application, not because of his qualifications, but because his previous office was located just “approximately 600 meters” away from theirs.

The candidate shared his unusual experience in a post on Reddit’s r/IndianWorkplace forum, titled, “Rejected because my previous company is only 600 meters away from their office.”

In the now-viral post, he revealed that despite the company liking his profile and work experience, his application was ultimately rejected due to an internal policy tied to confidentiality and data security.

Sharing a screenshot of the rejection email, the candidate wrote that it was “the most funny rejection mail” he had ever received. He joked that the company had seemingly gone as far as measuring the distance between the two offices, writing, “They actually measured the distance.”

While he found the reason bizarre, he also appreciated the honesty, saying it was at least different from the standard “we moved forward with other candidates” response.

In the email shared in the post, the company clarified that the decision was based on policy and not on the candidate’s capabilities. The message read, “We liked your profile and experience. However, due to internal management policies related to confidentiality and data security, we are unable to move forward with your application at this time, as your previous company is located approximately 600 meters from our office.”

The company further stressed that the rejection was “not a reflection of your capabilities or professionalism.”

The candidate chose not to reveal the company’s name, explaining that he did not want to create unnecessary problems for either side. Instead, he shared the story simply because he found the situation too unusual not to post, quipping that the “corporate world is amazing sometimes.”

Take a look at the post here:

The post triggered debate online, with reactions ranging from disbelief to cautious understanding. Some users mocked the reasoning, with one person saying that in many office complexes, employees from multiple companies often work just a few feet apart, making a 600-metre restriction feel outdated and excessive.

Others, however, pointed out that such policies may not be entirely unreasonable depending on the industry. Some suggested that companies dealing with highly sensitive information, regulated sectors, or proprietary technology sometimes enforce strict hiring rules to avoid potential conflicts of interest or intellectual property risks.

A few users also observed that software-as-a-service (SaaS) firms and companies with sensitive codebases could be particularly cautious when hiring developers from nearby competitors, arguing that fears of confidential information being shared might explain the unusual rejection, even if the exact distance requirement raised eyebrows.