I WAS recently called into my department head’s office and given a formal reprimand because I have been experiencing problems with tardiness (arriving to work five, 10, or 15 minutes late) and making personal calls at work.
The room in which I work has three cubicles, which include mine, a co-worker’s, and my supervisor’s. We’ll call her Lisa. Lisa also acts as supervisor for my co-worker, whom we’ll call Eddie. His actual direct boss works remotely, and is only available by phone and e-mail.
Since receiving this reprimand, which was mortifying, I have made a huge effort to arrive at work on time. However, I’ve found myself in an increasing state of resentment as I continue to observe Eddie strolling into work 10, 15, or 20 minutes late almost every day. On one occasion, he only worked five-and-a-half hours, and took a long lunch. I also hear Lisa’s personal calls throughout the day.
I feel like I had the right attitude in responding to this reprimand, and I wanted to step up and prove myself, but it’s becoming harder to maintain this feeling of positivity when I observe my co-worker and boss doing the exact same things I was reprimanded for.
Maggie

Maggie,
Sometimes success in the workplace has little to do with merit. Instead, it’s like cliques in school. What matters is who is liked by whom, and who plays the best social game. That’s a given.
The second given is that human beings detest unfairness. People do bad things, like stealing, simply as a protest against what others are getting away with. You are perfectly justified in objecting to the unfairness in your workplace.
The third given is pointing a finger at others is never a winning defense against rule violations. If you violated a rule, you violated a rule. That’s the way people in authority view it.
So try this: Don’t look at your supervisor and co-worker; look at who has provided your job and what they expect. Go back to your job interview and what you promised. Focus on that. Ultimately, hard work and performance will set you apart and lead to reward.
We would guess that you are a younger worker, say, still in your 20s. We say that because tardiness and playing hooky are characteristics of younger workers. There is no need to beat yourself up over it. Just correct it. It will make your life a lot simpler.
Wayne & Tamara