Lollipop: override security policies (specifically lock screen/Exchange/Office 365)

When I used Android 4.4 (KitKat) on my Nexus 5 I could ignore certain security policies such as a requirement to have a PIN code to unlock the lock screen. After upgrading to Lollipop and the move of Exchange e-mail from the separate E-Mail application to GMail this is no longer possible. Are there any workarounds? E.g., when I used Android 2, there was a hacked version of the E-mail app apk floating around that told the server it enforced the security policies but in fact ignored them.

I have seen a lot of similar questions, e.g.,

How can I override the Device Administrator security policy so that I can disable the lock screen?

ActiveSync/Exchange security policy

etc but they are all for older versions of Android.

(For everyone that is gonna whine about security policies in my employment agreement, I demanded, and it got approved, a clause that guaranteed me to have root privilegies or equivalent on all my personal IT equipment. My manager accepts this but the IT department is in a different universe. Taking this issue/the IT department to court for breach of contractual agreement is, for obvious reasons, not an option.)