Is there favoritism at your workplace?

[diamondsrock]

I''m in the market for a new job as I''ve been at my current one way too long. Obviously, not a lot out there right now but I''ll keep plugging along. Trying to stay positive and just be glad I have a job!
This may sound like a dumb question, but is there favoritism, to some extent, at every workplace? The place I am at now has it pretty bad. There is one girl who is the owner''s pet and gets away with everything. No one wants to be the whislteblower to the owner so she pretty much has no supervision or accountability and makes horrible business decisions with no repercussions. If she finds out anyone is catching on and speaking out against her, they don''t stand much of a chance of being employed there long term.
At one of my old jobs, the manager had her pets, and I was not one of them, mainly because I disagreed with the way she treated people who weren''t her favorites. Therefore, I got stuck doing the crap jobs and got pretty much zero recognition for anything I did.
Just curious what your experiences are with this? Is it just part of workplace life everywhere and something I should expect at any job? I''m always one to want things to be fair and I have a hard time accepting this.

 

[eks6426]

I don't think I've ever had a job where there is not some amount of this. Some places are worse than others. I used to think that workplaces ought to be "fair" and base project assignments, promotions etc. on people's actual abilitities and hard work. But that just doesn't seem to be the reality of it. I've seen all sorts of inept people get promoted while the hard working ones and qualified ones are bipassed just because the inept employee was a better schmoozer and got in good with the boss.

I've spent 15 years of my working life being annoyed and this and finally just in the last few years came to the realization that it's just how the world of work is and I either need to learn to play the game or stop being annoyed by it. It's still a popularity contest just like the middle school lunch table.

 

[joflier]

Islanddreams is right. Every place seems to have this to one degree or another. Although some places are just over the top with cliques and favoritism. Don''t let yourself feel intimidated. You just have to jump right in and find a way to make yourself one of the favs. Its not necessarily right, but its just how the world seems to work.

 

[elrohwen]

There's a guy at my office who treats people so bad that some of the line operators (at the plant) have walked off the line. They refuse to talk to him when he's there and he has to tell them things through someone else. The upper management at the plant has spoken to his boss and asked that they don't allow him to return to that plant. He was also involved with HR over a sexual harrassment thing after saying to some of the women on his team that women shouldn't be in the workplace.

For whatever reason, his manager and the guy above her absolutely love him.

He once got a big award for a project (even got taken out to dinner with the president and VPs of the company). He did none of the work, but the other people on the team, who actually did the work, didn't get recognized at all.

A few months after the HR sexual harrassment thing (where 3 women and 1 man confirmed the story against him) he was promoted to management and now has 3 people under him (a new person every couple of months).

There are some other examples, but that one is by far the worst at my work place. The sexual harrassment-to-manager part makes me a little sick.

FI never complains about that kind of stuff at his work, so I don't know if it's something that happens everywhere, but I would imagine it does in one way or another.

 

[robbie3982]

I haven''t seen any favoritism at my current job (been here since March), but I''ve definitely experienced it from both sides at previous jobs.

 

[Skippy123]

Date: 11/13/2008 12:26:41 PM
Author: joflier
Islanddreams is right. Every place seems to have this to one degree or another. Although some places are just over the top with cliques and favoritism. Don''t let yourself feel intimidated. You just have to jump right in and find a way to make yourself one of the favs. Its not necessarily right, but its just how the world seems to work.

I agree there has been favoritism everywhere I have worked. I am sorry diamondsrock. I do think some places are better than others. I will keep you in my prayers.

 

[diamondsrock]

Date: 11/13/2008 3:52:39 PM
Author: Skippy123

Date: 11/13/2008 12:26:41 PM
Author: joflier
Islanddreams is right. Every place seems to have this to one degree or another. Although some places are just over the top with cliques and favoritism. Don''t let yourself feel intimidated. You just have to jump right in and find a way to make yourself one of the favs. Its not necessarily right, but its just how the world seems to work.

I agree there has been favoritism everywhere I have worked. I am sorry diamondsrock. I do think some places are better than others. I will keep you in my prayers.

thanks Skippy! I''ll just keep looking around for another job. Sooner or later something will come up.
I wanted to tell you how much I love your avatar! So festive!

 

[Skippy123]

Date: 11/13/2008 7:14:09 PM
Author: diamondsrock

Date: 11/13/2008 3:52:39 PM
Author: Skippy123

Date: 11/13/2008 12:26:41 PM
Author: joflier
Islanddreams is right. Every place seems to have this to one degree or another. Although some places are just over the top with cliques and favoritism. Don''t let yourself feel intimidated. You just have to jump right in and find a way to make yourself one of the favs. Its not necessarily right, but its just how the world seems to work.

I agree there has been favoritism everywhere I have worked. I am sorry diamondsrock. I do think some places are better than others. I will keep you in my prayers.

thanks Skippy! I''ll just keep looking around for another job. Sooner or later something will come up.
I wanted to tell you how much I love your avatar! So festive!

Thank you, in hangout those wonderful PS''ers are making them for you if you would like one; the thread was started by Tgal!!!
Well you are in my prayers something soon comes along friend!!!

 

[fisherofmengirly]

At my job, I don''t know that there is a "favorite," but there are several lazy, do nothings there who are never reprimanded and it makes me nuts.

There are several supervisors and then a director at the office; everyone says they have their favorites, but of the whole, we''re all treated pretty much the same. If only those do nothingers would get kicked in the butt do their jobs, I''d be pretty content!

 

[purrfectpear]

Welcome to the corporate world.

At my mega-corp, it''s quite difficult to do anything with poor performers. Management has learned to "promote" them out of the way.

We call it Screw Up - Move Up

 

[aprilcait]

There''s definitely favoritism at my work. It drives me bananas but what can I do? I think it''s just an unfortunate and unfair part of the corporate world.

 

[Dreamer_D]

Yup. Lots here. But at least it isn''t totally random, and people don''t seem to take advantage of it like the pet at your workplace seems to do. I work in an academic environment and everyone wants to collaborate with the poeple who are smart and competent, and who get stuff done, so those people are certainly the favorites.