Equal Opportunity Employer. Don't you love the sound of those words? If only they actually meant something. Many companies like to boast that they are equal opportunity employers and they may be to an extent yet we often see examples to the contrary.
Nepotism is like the ever-renewing phoenix rising from the ashes. Most companies would deny the allegation of nepotism even when there are clear examples of it in their midst. Good employees often get overlooked for promotions they well deserve while relatives or friends move up the ladder quickly and easily.
For instance, I know of a woman who was an employee of a nearby store where I shopped quite often. She had worked there since the store's opening and was an excellent employee. She was hardworking, pleasant and efficient. Her co-workers liked her and so did the customers.
When a manager position became available she was told she was being considered for the position. Co-workers and customers alike were shocked when someone with no experience was hired for the position instead. Interestingly, the new manager turned out to be the store manager's son's girlfriend.
My son works for a company where the boss's son is also employed. Of course, the boss's son gets privileges the other employees don't. For example, he gets to pick his days off and what hours he wants to work. Everyone else has to go by the schedule. Not to mention, if he wants to work more hours another employee's hours get cut to accommodate him. He quit once, came back and was rehired with no loss of seniority. He was then promptly promoted over employees that had more seniority, more experience and better skills. Other employees have complained to no avail.
Now if these aren't clear cut cases of nepotism I don't know what is. Unfortunately, there are many people that are victims of such unfair practices as these. There are some companies that are painfully aware of situations like this taking place. Those that attempt to combat unfair practices such as nepotism have implemented measures such as not hiring relatives. Although this does lessen the problem of nepotism it does not eliminate it entirely. In fact this practice is also viewed as unfair to an extent.
It seems there is no completely satisfactory solution to nepotism and other unfair work related practices. While an employee should be judged on job performance, skill, education, attendance and dedication, in some cases we find that these factors may have little significance in the larger scheme. Equal opportunity can equal a sad state of affairs. Someone once said, “It's not what you know but whom you know.” Unfortunately, that still holds true today.
