If you are ready to report your employer’s violation for unfair or discriminatory treatment, submit your complaint to your company’s Human Resources Department. If your company does not have an HR department, you can report the unfair treatment to anyone with authority over you such as a supervisor, assistant manager, or manager.
Full Answer
What happens when a colleague gets preferential treatment at work?
It's a bummer when a colleague gets preferential treatment because she's the friend of the boss. You might notice that she receives special favors, such as choice work assignments, a better work schedule or the newest computer in the office.
Do siblings get preferential treatment in the workplace?
Children aren’t the only ones who complain about siblings or classmates getting preferential treatment. Adults in the workplace make the same accusation when the boss promotes a colleague with an “inside track” or OKs prime vacation time mostly for staff with children.
When does preferential treatment lead to a hostile work environment?
When the preferential treatment is so noticeable that it causes anger among employees, this can lead to a hostile work environment. Under federal and state laws, employees have the right to work in a hostile-free business environment. Preferential treatment can – over time – create a hostile work environment and lead to high employee turnover.
How do you deal with a boss who is favoritism?
In cases where the boss and the employee are good friends or have personalities that click, the boss may not see his or her favoritism as unreasonable. Sometimes, just bringing it to the manager’s attention can solve the problem. Once aware, the manager can work to treat employees more fairly.
Can I report a manager for favoritism?
Many workers' rights laws prohibit employers from retaliating against employees who exercise their rights under the laws, by making an internal complaint, filing a charge with a government agency, or filing a lawsuit. If a manager disfavors employees for these reasons, it could constitute illegal retaliation.
How do I deal with an unfair treatment from my boss?
If you are being treated unfairly in the workplace, there are a number of steps you can take in order to protect your rights:Document The Unfair Treatment. ... Report The Unfair Treatment. ... Stay Away From Social Media. ... Take Care Of Yourself. ... Contact An Experienced Lawyer.
How do I complain about favoritism at work?
Talk to an attorney. In extreme cases, if you feel you are being discriminated against for illegal reasons, you can potentially take legal action against your employer. But first, you should identify the illegal action and talk to the EEOC.
Can you sue a company for preferential treatment?
If your preferential treatment for friends and family makes other employees feel like they can't receive the same promotions or treatment, you could face a lawsuit for discrimination. Federal law prohibits workplace discrimination based on gender, race, national origin, or religion.
What is considered unfair treatment in the workplace?
Some of the most common examples of unfair treatment at work include: Spreading false rumors about coworkers. Neglecting a promotion or pay raise due to a race, gender, or other non-work-specific trait. Sending offensive emails or texts regarding an employee.
What is it called when an employer treats you unfairly?
Discrimination. Even if you do not have an employment contract in place, there may be other legal grounds for holding your employer accountable for unfair treatment. One of the most common areas of the law protecting employees from unfair treatment at work is in the area of employment discrimination.
Is favoritism illegal in the workplace?
Favoritism as Illegal Discrimination If workplace favoritism is based on protected characteristics, then it is illegal discrimination. For example, if a manager promotes only men or gives the best assignments and shifts to employees who share his religious beliefs, that would be discrimination.
Should you complain to HR about your boss?
If the boss is aware he or she is violating policy or is acting poorly and knows it, then you should contact your HR department and raise the issue there. If HR and your boss do not make changes, you may have a legal right to take action.
How do you deal with preferential treatment in the workplace?
Speak up. ... Be able to say no. ... Whenever possible, share the lime-light, Payleitner says. ... Keep it professional, Taylor says. ... Remain trustworthy, Payleitner says. ... Don't accept the benefits of favoritism. ... Figure out if you're really a victim. ... Speak up.More items...•
Is preferential treatment illegal?
If an employer, manager, or supervisor treats an employee differently because of their age, disability, race, religion, gender, or sex, the preferential treatment or favoritism is illegal.
Is being singled out at work discrimination?
Differential treatment based on "protected class," such as race, gender, religion or nationality, is where you get into legal trouble. The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) describes disparate treatment – being singled out at the workplace because of your protected class – as illegal.
Is favoritism an ethical issue?
One of the most basic themes in ethics is fairness, stated this way by Artistotle: "Equals should be treated equally and unequals unequally." Favoritism, cronyism, and nepotism all interfere with fairness because they give undue advantage to someone who does not necessarily merit this treatment.
Legal Grounds for Reporting an Employer
So how do you know if the situation you are experiencing or witnessing is a reason to submit a report to the Department of Labor? The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) enforces laws that protect employees from unfair treatment and harassment at work. These include:
How to Report an Employer to the Department of Labor
Regardless of whether you are an applicant, current employee, former employee, or a part-time, seasonal, and temporary employee, you can file employee complaints about an employer if you believe your employment rights have been violated.
Drawback: Not All Employers Are Subject to EEOC Laws
Before you go to the Department of Labor, it is important to take note that not all employers are covered by the EEOC-enforced laws. Coverage varies based on the minimum number of employees, business type, and alleged violation:
How To File an Anonymous HR Complaint With DoNotPay
Employees should not be treated unfairly. But how do you file an HR complaint when the respondent is your boss? The HR department won’t be able to take action if they are unaware of the violation in the first place. Filing a Human Resource Report is critical to taking action and standing up for your rights.
How to deal with preferential treatment at work?
When you have to deal with preferential treatment at work, it's critical to avoid anger and resentment, even though it might be a natural response. Use the event to evaluate your position with the company. Ask yourself if you really want to work with a company that provides favoritism unfairly. Schedule a meeting with your boss and talk about your feelings – you might discover that the employee who is allowed to leave work early makes up the difference by coming in early or working on weekends. A meeting with the boss is a good time to let your boss know about your accomplishments. It's a time to take credit for your work.
Why is preferential treatment against the law?
While special or preferential treatment is not fair, it's only against the law when it is related to discriminatory practices.
Why do employers have to treat employees differently?
Discrimination. Federal and state laws prohibit employers or managers treating employees differently because of sex, gender, race, religion, age or disability. When two employees perform the same job at the same competence level, one cannot receive a higher pay raise than the other because of race or sex. While employers must be fair in their ...
What are the duties of an employer?
Employers have both legal and moral obligations to complete their due diligence to protect employees and ensure a safe and healthy workplace. In hazardous working conditions such as when a person works at a manufacturing plant, in construction or for a utility company, for example, employers must equip employees with safety gear to protect them from illness or injury. They also must provide safety training when working with machinery and personal protection equipment. Beyond safe physical working conditions, employers also have a responsibility to provide a work environment free of sexual harassment or discrimination.
What is the responsibility of an employer?
Employers have a legal responsibility to ensure a safe working environment. Federal agencies with different priorities set the guidelines for and enforce workplace safety. The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration administers the guidelines to ensure your workplace is free from physical injury and illness hazards, while the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission protects certain classes of people from hostile work environments, harassment and discrimination. When complaints fall on deaf ears, workplace safety issues usually end up in court in lawsuits brought by federal agencies or employees.
Can an employer retaliate against a worker for making a complaint to OSHA?
Employers cannot retaliate against a worker for making a complaint to OSHA for safety reasons .
Who is Laurie Brenner?
U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission: How to File a Charge of Discrimination. Writer Bio. As a native Californian, artist, journalist and published author, Laurie Brenner began writing professionally in 1975. She has written for newspapers, magazines, online publications and sites.
Step 1
Observe the situation for a short time. Write down any details you see that may support the employees' claims of preferential treatment, and ask them to write down any instances they can think of.
Step 2
Add a policy to your manual that deals specifically with favoritism. Detail the types of interactions that are acceptable in the workplace and ones that are not. If you already have a policy in place, check it over to ensure it's clear and easy to follow.
Step 3
Create a system of goal-setting for every employee. Have employees use the "SMART" goal setting system to come up with three-month, six-month and yearly goals that are specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely.
Step 4
Take time to listen to the concerns of every employee. Set up a weekly "open door" session in which any employee can come to you with concerns, or schedule a regular meeting time with each employee to discuss anything they'd like to discuss.
Step 5
Continue the dialogue with the people who have come to you to complain. Check in with them following your implementation of the changes to see whether they believe the changes are having an effect on the workplace.
Step 1
Establish an open-door policy with all employees. Encourage them to come to you with any problems or issues they have with procedures or co-workers. Let them know that they can bring up issues without fear of being reprimanded or fired.
Step 2
Address all concerns immediately. Show your employees they are valued by giving prompt attention to their problems, and always follow up to make sure the issue has been resolved. Failing to take action can pose a threat to other employees, reduce production and create an overall feeling of tension within the organization.
What happens when a manager shows favoritism towards an employee?
Nothing good happens when a manager shows favoritism towards an employee. The non-favored employees begin to feel that their accomplishments are not recognized. They get discouraged at the lack of correlation between hard work and success. Gradually, people start to disengage from their work.
What is favoritism in the workplace?
Favoritism in the workplace is when a person (usually a manager) demonstrates preferential treatment to one person over all of the other employees for reasons unrelated to performance. If Sue sells 50% more product than Jane, it’s not favoritism if Sue gets the promotion, praise, and special privileges.
Do favored employees feel uncomfortable?
But it isn’t always sunshine and roses for the favored employee either. While some favored employees obviously relish their privileged spot , others begin to feel uncomfortable. They know that they aren’t the best, yet they receive praise from the manager. Other employees stop liking the favored one, which makes it difficult to make friends ...
Do managers favor one employee over another?
It may seem strange, but some managers have no idea that they favor one employee over another. In cases where the boss and the employee are good friends or have personalities that click, the boss may not see his or her favoritism as unreasonable. Sometimes, just bringing it to the manager’s attention can solve the problem.
Childless
Single and childless employees report feeling saddled with extra work when co-workers with children take time off for family obligations. A 1996 Personnel Journal survey showed that 81 percent of the respondents agreed that single workers without children carried much of the responsibility in the workplace.
Nepotism
Hiring, promoting and showing other forms of preferential treatment toward relatives, close friends or paramours is nepotism. Problems occur when nepotism lowers morale and productivity. Employees have less incentive to perform their jobs well when they think promotions or pay raises are based on personal relationships with the boss.
Favoritism
Managers show favoritism by granting certain employees privileges and benefits over equally deserving co-workers. Employees complain, often privately, about the boss’s favorites getting plum assignments, pay raises, promotions and more courteous treatment overall. Resentment keeps workers who feel slighted from being productive.
Discrimination
Managers who deny employees pay raises, promotions and other opportunities for advancement because of race, gender, color, national origin or religion are violating Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. Federal law also protects workers against discrimination based on age and physical disability.