Nepotism in the work place can be very frustrating. Depending on the size of the company and whether it is privately owned will dictate what steps you can take about the nepotism and what steps you should take to cope.
Nepotism is when preferential hiring is done based on close personal relationships. In most large companies it is forbidden but depending on what state you live in and the size of the company while it may be annoying it is not an illegal practice.
It can be very frustrating especially when it is a job that you were hoping to be in line for as a promotion. Coping with nepotism in the workplace can be a tight rope walk. Ultimately it comes down to being able to keep things in perspective.
The Talk
If you work for a larger company and you feel that you have been slighted by a case of nepotism, speak to your supervisor or the next person up in the chain if your supervisor is the problem. If you have an HR department you can file a formal grievance with the HR department.
If you work for a small business that is family owned unfortunately you should just keep your frustration to yourself and move forward because the reality is nepotism should be expected in small business. You can speak to your supervisor if they are not related to the owners because you will at least likely get a sympathetic ear but do not expect great changes.
Nepotism is illegal in many states but in “right to work states” that is states that do not have any union laws nepotism is not illegal and is often a key hiring practice which means that you do not have any legal protection and in many companies can be fired without cause.
How To Cope
It is annoying when you do not get a position that you feel you deserve and a relative or a friend of the boss gets it BUT keeping things in perspective can go a long way in helping you to cope with nepotism in the work place.
If you keep a positive perspective on your job and the benefits that your job affords you. The job market still is not that great so having a job is enough to celebrate when so many people do not. Focus on the positive points of your job.
Consider the people that you work with that you do like. Consider the people that you enjoy spending your work time with. Think of the aspects of your job that you do like and stay focused on those things instead of focusing on the nepotism.
Talking to someone outside of your job can help you to get what you need to off your chest without involving the people at work. Call a friend and discuss what is going on, sometimes just venting can do wonders for your attitude about your job.
Try to be objective. This can be very hard to do but try to put yourself in the other persons shoes. Would you take advantage of your position to help your sister out? Would you put in a good word with the boss for your niece? Consider the factors of the nepotism. While understanding still does not make the practice fair it can help to ease the pinch you feel every day.
At some point you have to be able to let it go or it will eat you up inside. Carrying around the anger only hurts you and can leave you in not a great position when it comes to your job. Unless you can afford to lose your job you want to make sure that you take steps to insure your feelings do not interfere with your job duties.
Look for the good and adopt an attitude of gratitude toward the job you have. If you get to the point where you cannot deal with the stress of it all it may be time to find a new job.
Keep It In Perspective
Your job is what you do to keep your lifestyle up. It is not your life, simply a part of it. Keep the amount of time that you have to deal with your job in perspective. Do not let it affect the rest of our life. Once you are done for the day hang up the proverbial “work belt” and move on to more pleasant experiences.
The better time you have away from work the easier you will be able to cope with work. When it gets to be too much at work get up and take a walk around to get rid of some of the stress that is building up. Again if it just gets to be too much look for another job elsewhere.