Locked down was probably not the right word, I'm just a normal user with no root access. It is a linux problem because the admins are trying to do something pretty sensible, not let a single user screw up the machine for everyone and restricting users is how linux achieves this, HURD took a different approach.
... but that's not a problem of linux, that's a problem of your company rules. They would put similar rules whatever the OS.