What To Do When Work Feels Unfair

There’s nothing worse than when you try hard at your job yet end up feeling like you’re being overlooked or treated differently. You show up on time, meet deadlines, and even go above and beyond in your job, yet it never gets noticed. Sound familiar? You’re not the only one. Luckily there are some things you can do about it without making things worse for yourself.

Identify the problem

The first thing you need to do is identify the problem. You can’t really take any action until you know exactly what it is. Is it that you feel you never get any credit for what you do? Or do you always seem to get stuck with the jobs nobody else wants to do? Maybe you feel you’re always left out of opportunities. Before any action can be taken, you need to be absolutely sure of what’s going on so you can explain it to your boss if you need to.

Say something

Nothing good is going to come from stewing in silence about your issues. Sure, you might have told Janet across the hall about it, but that’s not really taking any action. Your best bet is to speak to your boss, but make sure you approach it in the right way. Try not to let your emotions get the better of you. Be calm, clear and factual. Instead of playing the pity card with something like “nobody likes me”, point out facts like “I wasn’t included in the last meeting even though it’s my project.” They may not have noticed anything was happening!

Know your rights

Even if you’ve got what seems like a fair manager, it’s always important to know your rights. For example, if you’re dealing with something much more problematic like discrimination or an injury in the workplace, you might not feel like you’re being treated fairly. This is where it’s more than just workplace favorites. For example, if you have been hurt at work but don’t feel you’re being taken seriously, you might need to appeal a denied workers’ comp claim. Knowing your rights makes it much easier to stand your ground rather than buckling.

Get back up

If you are unfortunate to be in a position where your manager does seem to be taking favorites, try and think about who else can help. Most companies, even small companies, have some sort of HR department that you can speak to. If you’re in a union, you can turn to them to step in on your behalf. Sometimes something simple just like having someone with you to keep you strong makes tackling the whole process a lot easier.

When to give in

Finally, giving in should never be an issue, especially when it comes to fair rights at work. However, if after trying the above things don’t change, or even if you’re finding your mental health a battle at the moment, it’s not worth your health or sanity to stick around. Consider looking for other job opportunities because you deserve to be somewhere that treats you respectfully.