When the Boss Favors the Slacker

Experience has taught me that when you are a competent worker and the slacker receives favor from the boss, it can make your life miserable. You have to examine the situation and decide for the sake of your emotional and mental well being if the job is really worth it.

Competent people have very little tolerance for incompetence, especially when it is rewarded. When you put forth your best efforts every day, handle your responsibilities, get your work done on time, you get a tremendous feeling of frustration when, not only is it not acknowledged, but the boss points to your one trivial mistake Then the slacker- the one who was in your way- the one who coasted all day, gets a pat on the back for something small and insignificant.

Having several jobs during the years, I have been in this situation and have learned that it wears on your self esteem and messes with your mind, causing you to doubt yourself. Your resentment grows, making you bitter and it will reflect upon your personal life. You could even find yourself trying to sabotage the slacker trying to expose them for what they truly are, only to have it backfire on you.

I have experienced all of these things. Changing jobs was a major step. I had a family depending on me and felt like I was being silly for allowing the situation to bother me. For several weeks I tried to let it go over my head, believing I could deal with it, convincing myself that it didn't matter. My paycheck was what mattered and if the slacker wasn't there, I would still have the same duties.

When we suppress strong emotions for any length of time they will manifest in other ways. Family and friends had to sit through my endless ravings about my job and how the slacker coasted through the day. I took these feelings to bed every night and couldn't sleep, making me moody and unpleasant to be around.

Ultimately, I ended up quitting after making a big scene at work, telling the boss and the slacker how I felt about them. And to my surprise, two of my coworkers walked off with me. I found another job within just a few days and looking back on it all, I wondered why I stayed as long as I did.

Years later, I found myself in the same situation. I had worked for the company for about three years when the slacker was hired. It was the same as before. The slacker came in late every day and was the first one to leave at the end of the shift. He knew every trick in the book for coasting through the day and quickly gained the boss's favor. Two weeks later, I quit. It wasn't an easy decision but past experience had taught me that in the long-run, I would be much better off.

The slacker knows how to push work off on other employees while kissing up to the boss and most of the time, the boss has no idea that it's happening. If you say anything about it, the boss usually questions the others. If no one backs you up, you look like a trouble making backstabber. Try getting a good reference after that. You won't.

Therefore, if you can see that the slacker isn't going anywhere and you know you won't be able to tolerate the situation much longer, the best course of action would be to try for a transfer or relocation. Worst case scenario, find another job then submit your letter of resignation.