preferential treatment in federal hiring

Because putting up with harassment is a condition of getting job benefits, employees may have a valid sexual harassment claim, whether or not they were directly subjected to harassment or went along with it. For example, if some employees receive better assignments or other job benefits because they put up with a manager's harassment, the other employees may still have a legal claim against the company. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the federal agency that interprets and enforces the laws prohibiting discrimination, has said that favoritism may be sexual harassment if it's based on submitting to a manager's sexual advances. For example, if a manager favors employees who are her college buddies, who are fans of the same baseball team, or who love the same band, that is not illegal discrimination. On the other hand, favoritism that's based on other factors may not be discriminatory, even if it's a sign of bad management. 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. If workplace favoritism is based on protected characteristics, then it is illegal discrimination. Under federal law, for example, it's illegal for employers not to hire someone because of his race, to refuse to promote women, to relegate employees with disabilities to low-paying positions, or to lay off employees based on age. Illegal discrimination happens when employers make job decisions based on employees' protected characteristics -traits that federal, state, or local governments have decided should not be the basis for employment actions. If favoritism is rooted in discrimination, harassment, or retaliation, however, it crosses the line from poor management to illegal behavior. No law prevents companies from having lousy managers or running a workplace like a schoolyard. It depends on why employees are being favored or disfavored.

And favoritism leads to lost productivity, as employees who aren't getting the plum assignments spend more and more time gossiping and griping about how unfair the system is rather than doing their work.īut is favoritism illegal? Not always. Once employees see that benefits flow from being on the manager's good side -rather than from doing a great job -there's little point in working hard. There's no question that favoritism is a bad management practice: It breeds resentment, destroys employee morale, and creates disincentives for good performance.

Preferential treatment in federal hiring