I'm sure this is going to be an unpopular opinion, but as we face a very uncertain future at 2U, I think the company needs to stop hiring spouses and family members of current employees. This is the first company I've worked at that allows it, and I've seen firsthand and heard secondhand about enough issues to know this practice needs to end. No matter what, there will be favoritism and conflicts of interest, even if they are working in very different departments. It's hard for managers to pursue any type of discipline for folks on their team if that person has a spouse or family member in a leadership position. Spouses and family also advocate for each other harder and more often, and even if they don't work in the same department, there are still ways to give your family member advantages over their peers. Like right now managers and directors are networking like crazy to keep their families safe in the event of more layoffs. They are working harder for them than they are for anybody else, regardless of merit. I'm sure we all would if we were in their shoes. But that doesn't make it right or fair, and it's created an uneven playing field where some people have a built-in advocate at higher levels, and the rest of us are on our own.
Nepotism is all fun and games until the company you work for is in financial trouble, layoffs are inevitable, and some people have a better shot at staying simply because of who they know and not because of how much they contribute.
6 replies (most recent on top)
@dth+1qqy3DYx You’re right, having to deal with it at a lower level has been awful. It creates so much distrust and never should have been allowed.
A lot of people including me are just suspicious of any people that are married or related at 2U. Why does a married couple have to or even want to work at the same place? Does your spouse really have so few options that you have to get them a job where you work? No matter how you look at it it’s slimy, and they know it’s slimy, and yet they do it anyway, so you can’t be surprised when people don’t trust people like that.
@tyw+1qqy3DYx I saw it as well. But we'd LOVE to hear your story.
Do tell Post ID: @tyw+1qqy3DYx!!!!
Not only is this not an unpopular subject, it's telling that it is not as top issue as it should be!
This practice should have been shut down well over a decade ago. Just another fun and games/child's play/experimental office practice (remember the 'let's bring our pets to work' thingy?) attached to the mind and perspective of a Peter Pan CEO. It's worth noting that very few, if any, @ the C suite had family peer coworkers ( chip's wife wasn't in his work sphere...). It was always the lower posts having to deal with navigating the mine field of (peers/managers/higher ups) who's who on the daily basis.
It's a joke of an organization!
@tyw+1qqy3DYx spill the tea!
Not unpopular AT ALL. I probably witnessed the craziest nepotism story I'll ever see in the workplace while I was at 2u. It's a rampant issue.