Getting ahead because you're either prettty or a kiss-ass

by Noni
(Durham, NC - USA)

One example of favoritism at my workplace involves a 22 year old beauty who has all the curves in the right places, and she looks like a million bucks! However, she does not work hard at all, makes many mistakes, is continually flirting and winking with all the guys. Therefore, if any of us other girls need help with jobs the guys are supposed to help us with, we don't usually have it, because they are falling all over themselves trying to see who can help her first!

The second example would be the fact that I have worked at this place for almost thirteen years, and in that thirteen years, I was getting my "cost of living" raise yearly, until they decided to change the format and give us raises based on accomplishments and merit. If this were true, then I would have continued to receive my raises the last three years. However, because I don't "kiss-ass", and because I'm not a knockout beauty, (although I look much younger than my 55 years of age, and not that bad, so I'm told), I do not get raises, mostly because I have "in a round-about way" told the boss he is playing favoritism toward certain people. I am a very outspoken person, and I don't like being cheated or treated differently. I approached the conversations with "kid gloves", but it only made him react in outrage, saying that he "DOES NOT PLAY FAVORITES"! I did not continue to argue this point, and I was told that I was not getting a raise because of my attitude! I work very hard for my age, and I end up doing my job, as well as the job the men are supposed to be doing for me, such as heavy lifting and such, but the work goes unnoticed, unless, of course, it comes from the beauty queen or the kiss-ass!

I have spent too many years there, and in this economy, I think it would be foolish to throw that many years away, like caution to the wind, but my position is becoming to the point of being unbearable, and when I try to approach the higher ups, they seem to side with the supervisor, and I get nowhere! There are now people who have only worked there a little over a year making more money than I am, and I have been giving them my best for 13 long years! How am I supposed to feel? When I am getting ready for work in the mornings, I start to cry, because I am so depressed, knowing what kind of day it will be because I have a supervisor who plays favoritism, and there is NOTHING I can do about it! I am 55, as I quoted earlier, and I feel it is much too late in life, and I have dedicated myself to this job for too long, to throw my time away, and try to find another job! I feel like I am sinking in quicksand! It hurts soooooo much!