I was recently speaking with a friend who disclosed his dissatisfaction about a situation that has been going on at work for some time. My friend, a rather hard and fastidious worker is one of two employees working in the front office/logistics-side of a small business. Much to his dismay, his counterpart is not only lackadaisical—spending most of the workday on Facebook and passing work onto my friend—but is the owner’s favorite employee. Without a sympathetic boss or HR department at his disposal, my friend has found himself in a rather tight spot, one with which many employees can possibly relate (though, perhaps not to that degree). I have a number of suggestions that employees stuck in situations similar to my friend’s may be able to put into practice despite feelings of hopelessness.
- Don’t make assumptions. Although a rather unpalatable idea, the workplace can be a dog-eat-dog world. Even if it may seem as though your boss gives one particular employee preferential treatment, this fact cannot be assumed—humans are expert dissimulators. Who knows, by very delicately and professionally sharing your concerns about that employee’s work ethic, you may help your boss gain a more well-rounded view of ‘the favorite.’
- Even if it may seem like a losing battle, try anyways. Things are not always as they seem, and if you have a well-kept HR department at your disposal, your boss may have no choice but to recognize your frustration. While you certainly do not want to inject tension into the workplace, not speaking up could severely affect your job satisfaction.
- Use HR as an intermediary. HR should serve as a neutral third party in workplace disputes. While you should not go to HR before sharing your concerns with your boss (insofar as some bosses might perceive such as disloyalty), if your boss fails to take your concerns seriously, it is reasonable and necessary to go to HR.
- Avoid burning any bridges. Situations such as these can be tricky. If not approached and responded to thoughtfully, it is possible that your stated lack of confidence in your fellow employee could strain your relationship either with that employee (should your comments trickle down to him or her), with your boss, or both. While no hard and fast rule for how to avoid burning bridges in such a situation exists, it is important that you tread lightly and use discretion.
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