Advice: "My boss treats me well, but treats my coworker like crap. Should I say something?"

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Dear Quota Team,

I’m a junior media seller and have had a great relationship with my senior sellers and managers. They treat me well and give me good projects to work on and grow my skills. 

I recently found out that the senior sellers treat a coworker in my position completely differently. They don’t make themselves available to talk to her, give her endless tasks with no help and get mad when she asks for a helping hand. 

When I voice concerns about workload they always offer to help. More so, they treat her with the utmost disrespect verbally and over emails. When I heard this, I lost a lot of respect for them and my trust in them decreased. Short of going to HR, what else can I do? I hate seeing my coworker cry in the office because people don’t give her the respect she deserves?  

Concerned in New York 

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Dear Concerned,

It sounds like you’re a kind and thoughtful coworker – a bit unusual in the cutthroat world of business. 

Since this is something you feel strongly about, you should start by talking to your coworker directly to find out how she feels. You'll find out whether she’s comfortable with you bringing it up to management, or whether she prefers that you keep the conversation and your feelings to yourself. 

However, if you do end up voicing your concerns to management, be ready for the very real possibility that you could lose your job. 

But if you feel this way about your superiors and the company culture, you may want to consider looking for something that aligns better with your values – if this is an option that’s available to you.

The other option is to say nothing, swallow your pride/emotions and continue to advance your career at this company. It seems like they have high expectations for you, but based on your concerns, it doesn't sound like those expectations go both ways anymore. 

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