(no subject)

[vicarz]

I 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."

Comments

[alumiere.livejournal.com]

Amazingly stupid people you work with. Showing you more positive feedback is the right thing for your boss to do, not the primary definition of favoritism (which is "Noun: The practice of giving unfair preferential treatment to one person or group at the expense of another.") nor discrimination (An individual need not be actually harmed in order to be discriminated against. He or she just needs to be treated worse than others for some arbitrary). How can they work in employment law and not know the meaning of those words?

It depresses me that idiots throw around words in a negative context (those words both have neutral meanings, but it's clear that's not what your co-workers are using). Actions and words have a real impact on the cases that are actually discriminatory, as your previous posts have shown - because so many people claim favoritism or discrimination without merit you've gotten to the point that you expect most cases to be the same, and seem surprised when due diligence shows they're true. And if you weren't so good at what you do/fair (like others who may be lazy or bored or...) I think those cases wouldn't get fair hearings.

[vicar.livejournal.com]

Actually these people are smart - though they have issues. I'm sure my account sounds absurd, and that they would each have their own opinion and interpretation of their behavior - and likely some choice comments about mine (especially if they heard my opinion on their's).

Sometimes negative is correct. They, like me, have likely on partial information so the assumptions fill in the gaps to help or hinder.

Ok really I think they're mostly nuts...but I guess I can't say that I'm not. I'm just not as secretive or angry about it.

[joanarkham.livejournal.com]

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

I want to learn to be one of those people. Seriously. I've been told, several times, that I have to do this-or-that stupid task (party planning, communications team, etc.) because they can trust me to be mature and smart. Meaning they don't trust the others. Yet their checks cash the same as mine. Being the favorite around here just means more work...which I wouldn't even mind if it was relevant to my skills. I'm just the doormat.

[vicar.livejournal.com]

Yes but - promotions do not go to the laggards. I've often talked about how there is an inverse relationship between the amount of sick leave you use and how likely it is to move into mgt. I don't mean in that baby, illness, disability, discrimination way - I mean the person who uses all their sick leave on Mondays and Fridays as soon as it accumulates because "it's their's to use as they please" don't make it to the next steps.

So today it may be the same paycheck, for more work, but if you want to move up it's very helpful to be known as not-insane.

I have the crazy advantage of working in a pilot pay-for-performance project. I'm getting real raises for the efforts I put in (but I'm not applying to mgt) (yet).

[joanarkham.livejournal.com]

True in theory, not in fact. The CFO had his terrible admin promoted so he could get a contractor instead. The manager who had nothing to do (because her work was shoddy) got more staff while the branches that were covering for her got shorted.

No one defends fed workers more than me, but this particular office lives down to some bad stereotypes...and those of us who are "favorites" cover for the slackers and get resentment from them for it.

[vicar.livejournal.com]

That sound gross. You need to work with these folks - not always pleasant, but idiots are more often than not moved along. We fire a LOT of people.

But not many managers. Hmm.

[djpsyche.livejournal.com]

But what if you DON'T want to move up? What if the last thing you want is to be actually held responsible for the shoddy work of your former colleagues, now reports?

Hypothetical. Just saying, not everyone wants to be rewarded with a promotion.

[vicar.livejournal.com]

Agreed. I'm a whore for attention...I mean recognition, so being known as reliable works for me. I do get dragged down when I see others not doing as much - or where I try to bring the whole team up they try to cause chaos.

I don't pretend this sort of thing only happens in government though. If this was true, less people would be watching "The office" every week (UK or US versions).

[rottenlilgirl.livejournal.com]

You have just described my current work situation exactly. I have a similar work situation with my boss and my co-workers. Are people really that dense?

[fitfool.livejournal.com]

Nice to hear that being a team player and conscientious employee can actually further your career.