u/Relative-Doubt3343

I work in midsize firm, and an industry that basically needs ethics declarations and training all the time, a massive HR team, formal processes for everything, etc.

Our team in the firm is small however. Basically there has historically been no oversight on what management in this team do - as long as the work gets done no questions are asked by upper management it seems. It looks like people in the team basically hired their friends from outside to be part of management, so they're all mates.

A few years back they brought in more people to help, myself included, who they are not linked to. Whilst I've been there I worked with one of them and this person did barely any work themselves and billed their "time" on work that I actually did. I felt had no place to speak up, given the team was then very small and management were close friends. So that just gives a demonstration of the lack of oversight.

The team is growing and becoming more "official". But what's happened now is that one of the managers has brought in a young family member with absolutely no work experience, and has taken the family member under their wing. The family member was actually supposed to work with someone else but that seems to have been overridden. This family member is basically getting special treatment and clearly marked for promotion ASAP, whilst others who have been there for much longer, have more than a decade of work experience prior to this job, and world-class accreditations, have not been given any chances to progress. This particular manager is a good person and basically seems to care about fairness, so this has kind of been a surprise to see it from them.

My co-workers are livid and disillusioned and I am now working with coworkers who feel used, steamrolled, and are very unhappy. But I know they won't speak up.

I have a history of being the person that speaks up, has a strong need for justice, and that's often been to my detriment, but I've worked in some seriously toxic workplaces prior. This one is less toxic it seems, and has more official controls in place given it is a huge firm.

Also that manager is a reasonable person on the face of it. It's clear that they care about being a "good" manager. And I am wondering to myself that they have a massive blindspot and just haven't noticed the optics of the situation and considered how it's making others feel? I feel like I'm living in an upside down world to be honest, that no one is noticing this.

Like, I don't mind if this young person gets opportunities if it is with merit; if they can handle the work then by all means. But that others are not being considered for the same opportunities is really not right.

Is this something in UK firms that happens and people turn a blind eye to?

What should I do about this? Let it go, or say something...?

I don't want to make a formal grievance or anything, given we are still very small team and I don't think it's necessary to go official. But just something along the lines of a tap on the shoulder and an extra eye over what's happening in the team.

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