Regardless of the many federal and state laws that prohibit discrimination in the workplace, decades of evidence indicates that favoritism is alive and well in many companies. From providing more opportunities to certain employees for career training or development to giving them better performance reviews without justification, managers and supervisors across the nation practice favoritism every day. Worse, some employers recognize these unfair practices as wrong and detrimental to the overall work culture, but continue playing favorites anyway. If you suspect your boss favors certain employees over others and this mistreatment has negatively impacted your life, review the information

Employers can violate employment law in a variety of ways. Common violations include neglecting to hire a qualified candidate because of their gender identity, passing someone over for a promotion due to their religion, refusing to approve protected medical leave, or punishing employees for reporting illegal activities. Such unethical actions severely limit opportunities for workers who deserve them. They also create a reverberating impact on the entire work environment. Seeing others benefit—not from merit or ability, but from being on the boss’s “good side”—lowers morale, disincentivizes productivity, and breeds resentment. When Does Favoritism Become Illegal? Although it is unfair and