Favoritism in the workplace can quietly shape who gets noticed, trusted and given opportunities. When employees believe personal relationships matter more than performance, even small differences in treatment can start to affect trust and motivation across the team.
And it is far from a rare concern. Recent research reported by Forbes shows how strongly workplace favoritism can influence employees’ perceptions of leadership and even their decision to stay with an organization. Understanding what favoritism looks like is the first step toward recognizing it early and creating a fairer work environment.
What Is Favoritism in the Workplace?
Favoritism in the workplace happens when certain employees receive preferential treatment for reasons unrelated to their performance, skills or qualifications. Personal relationships, shared interests or a manager’s individual preferences can all influence this type of treatment.
Employees naturally have different working styles, strengths and development needs, so fair treatment does not always mean treating everyone in exactly the same way. An employee may receive more responsibility, recognition or a promotion because of stronger performance or relevant experience. Favoritism becomes a concern when similar opportunities or standards are applied inconsistently without a clear professional reason.
For example, a manager who repeatedly gives high-visibility projects to a close colleague while overlooking equally qualified team members may create a pattern of favoritism.
Is Favoritism in the Workplace Illegal?
Favoritism in the workplace is not automatically illegal in the United States. A manager may make an unfair decision based on personal preference without necessarily violating employment law.
However, favoritism can become a legal issue when the treatment is linked to a protected characteristic such as race, religion, sex, age or disability. In those cases, it may fall under unlawful workplace discrimination.
What Are the Signs of Favoritism at Work?
Favoritism does not always appear as an obvious decision. It often becomes visible through repeated patterns in how managers distribute opportunities, recognition or flexibility. Some of the most common signs of favoritism at work include:
Unequal Access to Opportunities
The same employees may repeatedly receive high-profile projects, training opportunities or development experiences such as job shadowing. When others with similar skills are consistently overlooked, it may indicate favoritism.
Different Rules for Different Employees
Managers may tolerate missed deadlines, mistakes or policy exceptions from certain employees while holding others to stricter standards. These double standards can quickly create a sense of unfairness within the team.
Disproportionate Praise and Recognition
One employee may receive frequent praise or credit while similar contributions from others go unnoticed. Recognition becomes a problem when it reflects personal preference rather than actual contribution.
Unequal Access to Information or Leadership
Some employees may receive important information earlier or have easier access to managers and decision-makers. Over time, this can give them an advantage in projects, visibility and career development.
Unclear Promotion Decisions
Promotion decisions can raise concerns when employees do not understand the criteria behind them. If personal relationships appear to influence who advances, employees may begin to question whether performance really matters.
Personal Relationships Affect Professional Decisions
Friendships at work are normal. Favoritism becomes a concern when those relationships influence assignments, flexibility, recognition or career opportunities. A manager can have closer relationships with some employees while still applying professional standards consistently.
For more examples, this LinkedIn overview of workplace favoritism highlights several warning signs employees may notice in day-to-day workplace interactions.
What Are the Effects of Favoritism in the Workplace?
The effects of favoritism in the workplace can spread across the entire team and gradually shape the wider company culture. When employees see repeated preferential treatment, it can affect how they view leadership, their own opportunities and the workplace overall.
- Loss of trust in leadership: Employees may start questioning decisions when personal relationships seem to matter more than clear criteria. Research reported by Forbes found that 72% of employees said favoritism reduced their trust in leadership.
- Lower motivation and engagement: When employees feel that effort does not influence recognition or opportunities, motivation can decline. The same research found that favoritism was linked to lower morale and job satisfaction.
- Unequal career development: Favoritism can influence who gets access to high-visibility projects, development opportunities or senior leaders, creating uneven career paths over time.
- More conflict within teams: Preferential treatment can create resentment between colleagues and make collaboration more difficult.
- Higher turnover risk: Employees may eventually look for opportunities elsewhere if they believe the workplace is consistently unfair. Forbes reported that 40% of U.S. workers had considered leaving their jobs because of favoritism.
Even when favoritism starts with small day-to-day decisions, its effects can build over time. If employees repeatedly see opportunities, recognition or flexibility distributed unfairly, the issue can become part of how they experience the workplace rather than an isolated concern.
What Should You Do If You Experience Favoritism at Work?
If you suspect favoritism at work, focus on repeated patterns rather than one decision that feels unfair. There may be factors behind a manager’s choice that are not immediately visible.
- Look for patterns, not one-off decisions: Pay attention to whether the same employees repeatedly receive better opportunities, more flexibility or different treatment without a clear professional reason.
- Ask for clear criteria: If you are passed over for a project, promotion or development opportunity, ask how the decision was made and what you could do to be considered in the future.
- Document specific examples: Keep track of situations that concern you, including what happened and how similar situations were handled for others. Concrete examples make it easier to discuss the issue objectively.
- Raise the issue constructively: If the pattern continues, consider speaking with your manager or HR. Focus on specific decisions and their impact rather than making assumptions about someone’s intentions.
- Seek an outside perspective: A trusted colleague or mentor can help you look at the situation more objectively and decide how to approach it. A mentor who is outside your immediate reporting line may also offer useful perspective on career options and next steps.
The goal is not to prove that every unfair decision is favoritism, but to understand whether there is a consistent pattern and respond based on clear examples rather than assumptions.
How Can Organizations Prevent Favoritism at Work?
Preventing favoritism starts with reducing the role of informal preferences in workplace decisions. Organizations can do this by making expectations clearer and giving employees more consistent access to opportunities.
Build Transparency Into Workplace Decisions
Promotions, recognition and project assignments should follow clear criteria that employees can understand. Managers should be able to explain why a decision was made based on performance, experience or relevant skills.
The same applies to development opportunities. Training, stretch assignments and leadership exposure should be visible to a wider group rather than shared mainly through informal networks.
Reduce Bias in Managerial Decisions
Managers may not always realize when personal preferences influence their choices. Training can help them recognize potential bias, while broader DEI in organizations practices can support more consistent and inclusive decision-making.
Structured performance reviews, documented criteria and input from more than one decision-maker can reduce the influence of individual preference.
Create Equal Access to Development Opportunities
Career growth should not depend on who already has the strongest relationship with a manager or senior leader. A clear employee development plan can help organizations define development goals and make growth opportunities more structured and transparent.
Structured mentoring can support this by connecting employees with mentors based on their goals and development needs rather than existing personal relationships. Organizations should also provide safe channels for employees to raise concerns when they notice repeated patterns of unfair treatment.
The goal is not to prevent people from forming strong relationships at work. It is to make sure those relationships do not determine who gets the best opportunities.
Favoritism vs. Mentorship: What Is the Difference?
Favoritism and mentorship can sometimes look similar from the outside because both may involve one employee receiving more attention or support. The key difference is why that support is given and how accessible it is to others.
Favoritism gives someone an advantage because of personal preference or an existing relationship. Mentorship, on the other hand, is designed to support an employee’s development through guidance, feedback and knowledge sharing.
A mentoring relationship becomes more equitable when employees have transparent ways to access it. Structured mentoring programs can help organizations move beyond informal networks by connecting employees with mentors based on development goals, interests or experience rather than personal proximity to senior leaders.
In short, strong workplace relationships are not the problem. The issue begins when access to opportunities depends on who someone knows rather than what they need to grow.
Final Thoughts
Favoritism in the workplace can affect much more than individual relationships. When employees believe that opportunities depend on personal preference rather than clear criteria, trust in leadership and confidence in career development can quickly weaken.
Organizations can reduce this risk by making decisions more transparent, helping managers recognize bias and giving employees fair access to development opportunities. The goal is not to treat everyone exactly the same, but to make sure that recognition, support and career growth are based on relevant needs and contributions rather than personal preference.
