Favoritism in the workplace
Favoritism in the workplace is one of the most popular career topics on the Internet based on what I’ve seen. On my other career website, it’s one of the most popular pages I’ve written so I’ve written several of them!
In my experience, the favoritism people are experiencing – the fact that they’re feeling like they are being treated less fairly than other individuals – often goes back to a few different common factors:
1. Owners and managers who become friendly with certain staff.
2. Family-owned businesses where the family members come first.
3. Businesses where the management hire their friends and then give them preferential treatment.
In some businesses it’s very easy to see how favoritism in the workplace towards some staff – to the detriment of others – can be a problem. Imagine you’re working in a sales environment where the best leads or business is given to certain staff and you’re one of the select few.
Another example relates to scheduling shifts (ie. restaurants and bars) where certain desirable shifts are given to some staff and not others.
These are a few of the common complaints I’ve heard from people. The question of course becomes “what can I do about it?”
At the end of the day, your specific situation will usually determine what recourse if any you have. So does your options of course….
In other words, what other options do you have in terms of employment? Is it really a job worth fighting for? Certainly you don’t want to run and quit every job that causes you some grief but alternatively you also have to weigh your options and figure out if you really want to fight for your right or simply move somewhere better, if such a place exists.
To read more about favoritism in the workplace, check out this earlier post.
