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May. 4th, 2011 07:31 amI hear a lot of accusations of employers and managers favoring some employees over others. I've experienced it myself - and as a manager ENGAGED IN FAVORITISM. Work blends over social issues into the need to accomplish a mission. Today I've been accused of being the favored child here with my boss. Really? Let's look at this.
Friends?
Socially we are ok. We both work out, and swap gym stories a lot. We feel a kinship over our missions in the gym - feeling the same pain, reaching and having setbacks for the same goals (though his are like mine x2), and experiencing the same issues. At the same time, we're miles apart on issues related to gay and religion (the first time I told him to fuck himself was based on his homophobic religion-based comments in the office) (he's changed his stated attitude for the much-better since then (or I wouldn't talk to him at all)). I consider him a friend today, but he's also the boss.
The accusers:
I have hostile and rabble-rousing coworkers. One is always late (and hiding the fact), another refuses to talk to anyone else and screams (literally) when any questions appear about the quality of her work, another is making demands and sees the job as what taxpayers can provide him, another is secretive to the point it's hard to tell what he is working on...the short version being - each is holding their cards to their chest and "in it for themselves." In short, while they do their jobs - they might do the bare minimum they can get away with, defend zealously any accusation that they could or should do more work, freak out over any mild critique of their work, and yet expect they are all "outstanding" performers. Any failure to call them each the best is met with allegations of discrimination and favoritism.
On the other hand, I am a team player. I offer to help my coworkers. I aide people outside our workgroup, sometimes even off the clock. I am the only litigator who sends a weekly report to the boss outlining what I did and need to do / dates to meet. I subscribe to ER/LR newsletters and send group emails of significant case law developments. I frequently shoot up the chain of command issues of possible import - with great tact and good responses. I'm frequently the recipient of thanks from outside our group and chain of command. Even outside of work, I'm serving the community through my work on the condo association.
Favoritism? Sure - bosses favor those employees who execute their instructions successfully without griping, who require the least work or monitoring, and who gain measurable successes for the workgroup. If that looks like friendship, or even blends into it a bit, that's not the same as discrimination on illegal bases. In fact, a failure to discriminate on these bases would be unfair, unlikely, and dysfunctional for the organization.
It is discriminating - better employees are "liked."
Friends?
Socially we are ok. We both work out, and swap gym stories a lot. We feel a kinship over our missions in the gym - feeling the same pain, reaching and having setbacks for the same goals (though his are like mine x2), and experiencing the same issues. At the same time, we're miles apart on issues related to gay and religion (the first time I told him to fuck himself was based on his homophobic religion-based comments in the office) (he's changed his stated attitude for the much-better since then (or I wouldn't talk to him at all)). I consider him a friend today, but he's also the boss.
The accusers:
I have hostile and rabble-rousing coworkers. One is always late (and hiding the fact), another refuses to talk to anyone else and screams (literally) when any questions appear about the quality of her work, another is making demands and sees the job as what taxpayers can provide him, another is secretive to the point it's hard to tell what he is working on...the short version being - each is holding their cards to their chest and "in it for themselves." In short, while they do their jobs - they might do the bare minimum they can get away with, defend zealously any accusation that they could or should do more work, freak out over any mild critique of their work, and yet expect they are all "outstanding" performers. Any failure to call them each the best is met with allegations of discrimination and favoritism.
On the other hand, I am a team player. I offer to help my coworkers. I aide people outside our workgroup, sometimes even off the clock. I am the only litigator who sends a weekly report to the boss outlining what I did and need to do / dates to meet. I subscribe to ER/LR newsletters and send group emails of significant case law developments. I frequently shoot up the chain of command issues of possible import - with great tact and good responses. I'm frequently the recipient of thanks from outside our group and chain of command. Even outside of work, I'm serving the community through my work on the condo association.
Favoritism? Sure - bosses favor those employees who execute their instructions successfully without griping, who require the least work or monitoring, and who gain measurable successes for the workgroup. If that looks like friendship, or even blends into it a bit, that's not the same as discrimination on illegal bases. In fact, a failure to discriminate on these bases would be unfair, unlikely, and dysfunctional for the organization.
It is discriminating - better employees are "liked."
