If we talk about Nepotism in Pakistan in general, then it's nothing but a curse that will never go away until military establishment and democrats something significant about it. Now, if I specifically talk about Nepotism in the workplace, then it’s a particular situation in both the private and public sectors. You feel bad where another employee is promoted to a new position that you deserve, and the root cause of this promotion is not qualifications but Nepotism. 

Today, in this article, I’m going to tell you how you are going to nip this evil workplace back into its bud. Storming directly in your higher-management office isn’t the way to deal with this workplace matter. You need to learn the best tactics to handle Nepotism at the workplace effectively. 

Effects of Nepotism in the workplace

Before I tell you a way to handle this dilemma, you should understand the adverse impact of Nepotism. 

If we talk about it as a whole, then we realize that when other employees are looking at one employee whose bad behavior or minimal work-experience is gone unchecked. It is because he is a brother or son of a superior, then the work environment becomes toxic. There is always a feeling that no matter how wrong that person will go at work, no one is going to fire him. Employees feel mistreated and somehow unfair. There are chances of workplace politics emerging. Before someone knows, things will go out of higher-management hands.

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If we talk about the effects of Nepotism in the workplace on a specific employee, then its best example is losing a promotion because of Nepotism. When you know that you are a highly qualified person, who deserves a promotion, then a person who is less qualified gets that position. The probable reason is he is a close-relative to your supervisor. Then it’s a situation that kills you deep inside. You feel betrayed at the workplace. Some people go under stress and take this situation to their hearts. 

How to handle Nepotismin the workplace effectively?

Here is what you can do without breaking any code of ethics at the workplace.

Keep Proper Record

One mistake many employees make is to take matters to high authority without having any solid proof. Act like a workplace cop and try to gather some documents. It doesn’t mean taking a photograph, but it means writing all the facts.

Write down the date and time when you noticed Nepotism at the workplace. You need to mention the proper context of a nepotism situation, such as when it happened and why it happened. Save this record file in your desktop as you are going to use it later.

Raise Group Voice

You heard many times about the “ME TOO” case scenario when a person of abuse couldn’t do much; however, when more than five people stand against a person with power, then good things happen. The same formula of Me Too you need to apply in your workplace. 

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When a person misuses his power, then he doesn’t do it once. He keeps following the same route unless someone stops him. So, instead of raising your single voice, try to build a group voice where other employees who feel the same way about a person or incident will stand beside you. 

You can ask other employees and then note down their remarks and comments.

Discuss Matter with a  Confidential Person

You can discuss the matter of Nepotism in the workplace with a confidential person in the HR department. That person will work as your back up when you take things to authorities. Make sure when you remain professional in your approach. Don’t bad mouth about a person because he takes your position in the company. Instead, it would be best if you focused on facts such as his qualifications, lack of knowledge and skills, and similar aspects. 

While you are talking to a confidential person in the HR department, try to keep this discussion secret. Don’t tell other employees about it because a whistleblower in the early stage can cause more harm than good to your position in the company. When a person with power gets a hint of your hate agenda, then he can use his control again to terminate your job. So, be careful and don’t talk openly about this matter.

Submit Nepotism Report 

Once you know that you have discussed everything with the HR department, then you can submit your claim against that person who is misusing his power in the company. Don’t forget to back up your claim with all the evidence and remarks from another employee. Now it’s up to HR professionals, what actions they take against the matter. 

Wrap up

The best way to handle Nepotism in the workplace effectively is to stay professional. Try not to become a vigilante in your office because other people might exploit you. If you don’t behave professionally, then it’s going to backfire you. Remember, your goal at the workplace is to excel in your career and reach the highest level of development. So, don’t act without a certain level of dignity, since it’s going to stain your employee record.