Favoritism at Work: How to Spot It, How to Deal With It

Have you ever felt that your efforts have gone unnoticed? Don’t worry. You are not alone. The research shows that many employees are dissatisfied due to unfair treatment at their workplace.

Even 75% have witnessed favoritism at work. A study found that nearly half of US employees believe their bosses or supervisors practice favoritism. As an example, even 56% of managers have their ‘favorites’ in mind when considering promotions.

Favoritism at work involves preferential treatment based on biases rather than merit.

Is favoritism okay in the workplace? No. Actually, there’s nothing good about favored employees, and has many negative effects on employee performance. It leads to a toxic work environment by spurring a lack of motivation between team members.

In this article, you will find out more about favoritism at work and its negative effects. You will learn how to create a fair workplace and identify signs of favoritism. This will help you navigate it in your workplace effectively while building an equitable work culture at the same time.

What Does Favoritism at Work Look Like?

First, you need to have a better understanding of favoritism in the workplace. What does it look like?

When a boss or team member unfairly gives one employee preferential treatment, it is considered favoritism at work. This kind of preferential treatment typically stems from personal connections or nepotism rather than an individual’s performance on the job.

Explicit vs. Subtle Favoritism

Workplace favoritism may take on many different forms, however, it generally manifests itself as blatant (overt) or subtle favoritism. Explicit favoritism is overt and obvious, while subtle favoritism is more discreet and often indirect, making it harder to notice.

• Explicit Favoritism Example: A manager consistently gives the best projects and promotions to their close friend, ignoring more qualified employees.
• Subtle Favoritism Example: A teacher unconsciously calls on and praises one student more often than others, gradually giving them an advantage in-class participation.

Examples of Favoritism at Work

Favoritism at work is sometimes demonstrated when a dedicated worker loses a promotion to a less worthy applicant who is closer friends with management. This is one of the most popular examples of favoritism at work. Here are more examples of workplace favoritism:

• Selective or unfair feedback and performance reviews
• Self-serving promotions or promotions at work based on personal connections
• Downplaying or ignoring the contributions of certain employees
• Unfair distribution of projects and tasks
• Preferential treatment or social exclusion during social events
• Uneven raises and benefits
• Unbalanced recognition

How Favoritism Undermines Productivity and Morale

Favoritism in the workplace creates a toxic environment that often undermines employee morale and productivity. It fosters resentment and reduces teamwork simultaneously. Moreover, it may lead to high turnover because employees who feel unfairly treated are more likely to leave in search of better opportunities and better treatment.

Over time, this weakens organizational culture, hinders innovation, and damages overall performance. A fair and transparent workplace, where recognition is based on merit, is essential for maintaining high morale and efficiency.

Favoritism doesn’t only affect employees. It can also have negative impacts on businesses and teams.

Impact on Employees

Workplace favoritism may affect employees in different ways, including:

• Reduced job satisfaction
• Decreased motivation and engagement
• Increased stress, anxiety, and burnout
• Feelings of unfairness and resentment
• Increased turnover rates
• Lack of advancement
• Lowered productivity and quality of work
• Loss of respect
• Burnout

Impact on Teams

Favoritism can also damage team dynamics and lower team productivity. Furthermore, a lack of trust in each other or their manager may cause the team to split apart over time.

Listed below are the negative impacts on teams:

• Reduced Team Cohesion – Favoritism creates divisions, leading to cliques and weakening overall team unity.
• Decreased Collaboration – Teams become less willing to share ideas and support each other when favoritism undermines fairness.
• Increased Conflict & Tension – Favoritism breeds resentment, causing friction and disrupting teamwork.
• Unbalanced Workload – Favored employees may receive easier tasks while others are overburdened.
• Distrust in Leadership – Teams lose confidence in management when decisions appear biased rather than merit-based.

Impact on the Business

From damaged reputation and reduced productivity to difficulty attracting and retaining top talent, favoritism has various impacts on the business.

Here are the most common negative impacts of workplace favoritism on the business:

• Decline in overall productivity
• Weakened company culture
• Poor decision-making
• Decreased innovation
• Damage to company reputation
• Increased legal and compliance risks (e.g. discrimination claims, lawsuits, and regulatory scrutiny)

Taking Action: Navigating Favoritism with Professionalism

Now that you know its signs and negative impacts, you should also know how to prevent and address favoritism at work. Read on to learn how to navigate it with professionalism.

• Self-Reflection: The first action you can take when fighting favoritism is self-reflection. Analyze the situation. Make sure your perception is true. Try to find the roots of the problem to make sure favoritism really exists in your workplace.
• Gather Evidence: Once you’ve identified the signs of favoritism, you need to gather evidence. This action involves collecting concrete and objective examples of workplace favoritism. That may include everything from notes and emails to observed instances.
• Direct Communication: If the relationship allows, discretely communicate with your manager. Avoid accusatory language, as it can backfire. Focus on specific behaviors and their impact instead. Be open about how it impacts you at work. Approach with caution when giving feedback to your manager and standing up for your ideas.
• Seeking Support: Consider seeking support from mentors or trusted colleagues for guidance and validation. Make your manager aware of the situation rather than filing a formal complaint. This can reduce negative impacts.
• Document Everything: It is always a good idea to record occurrences of favoritism at work. The more instances of favoritism you document, the better. This documentation can be of crucial importance when you initiate discussions with the HR department or senior leadership. It will serve as a foundation for addressing favoritism in your workplace.
• When to Escalate: If the previous actions didn’t help, reach out to human resources. Talk to HR professionals about the impacts of favoritism on your work. Only escalate the situation when direct communication fails or in case of a hostile work environment.
• Professionalism is key: Throughout this process, you should strive to maintain your professionalism and attitude. While this might be discouraging and frustrating, it is essential to navigate favoritism with professionalism.

Legal Perspective: Consulting an Employment Attorney

While workplace favoritism is an unethical and misguided approach, it isn’t against the law. It’s also not uncommon for managers to favor some employees for special tasks. If they give them preferred tasks to share a hobby, for example, this isn’t illegal.

Sometimes favoritism may become illegal. For instance, discriminating against an employee for his or her protected characteristics (like race, gender, religion, age, or disability) is against the law.

It is also not legal to castigate workers for not tolerating physical, verbal, sexual, or emotional harassment. Violating employment contract terms or company policies is another illegal form of favoritism.

Aside from that, employees are not allowed to retaliate against employees who organize a union drive or file complaints. In any of these scenarios where the situation is serious, it is recommended to consult an employment lawyer.

Building an Equitable Work Culture  

Before we jump to conclusions, let’s see how employees and their employers or managers can create a fairer workplace together.

For Employees

• Seek out career development opportunities that will improve your job satisfaction
• Be a positive influence on your team and culture
• Focus on your performance and contributions
• Advocate for yourself

For Employers/Management

• Foster an inclusive culture that values merit and contribution over personal connections
• Establish clear channels for reporting unfair treatment without fear of retaliation
• Conduct regular bias training for managers and supervisors
• Implement transparent performance evaluation systems
• Offer clear career advancement paths

Conclusion

If you don’t know how to move forward, seek support. In addition to talking to HR professionals or employment lawyers, you may also consult an employee leasing company. Our PEO experts can help streamline the employment process by finding the best candidates without spending months.

We can also help in addressing workplace favoritism and building an equitable work culture. Partner with us today and explore the benefits you can get from our employment agency.

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