Work Family and...Bonus Hams?

Work Family and...Bonus Hams?

From Drinks After Work with Shannon and Deb by Shannon Tipton

March 19, 2026 · 27 min · Episode 21

About this episode

Shannon and Deborah discuss the toxic aspects of workplace culture, including favoritism and the Peter Principle, while offering strategies for navigating these challenges.

Pop the tab on something cold and settle in — it's time for another round of Drinks After Work! This time, we're talking all about: Corporate swag vs. actual bonuses (spoiler: we want the money, not the blanket) Why "we're all family here" is a giant red flag in job postings Workplace favoritism and the halo effect — when one person can do no wrong The Peter Principle: promoting people until they're incompetent When entire departments become the favorites (looking at you, Sales) How to survive (and maybe thrive) when you're not the chosen one In this episode, Shannon and Deborah tackle the toxic "we're all family here" culture, workplace favoritism and the halo effect, the Peter Principle in action, and department favoritism where Sales gets golf trips while you fill out a PO for a pencil. But it's not all doom and gloom — they share strategies for surviving when you're not the favorite, from cross-department collaboration to the "ask forgiveness instead of permission" approach, and remind you to hold onto the real workplace relationships that actually matter. So sip, swig, or chug — and get ready to: Recognize the red flags of favoritism and fake family culture Figure out how to…

People in this episode

Hosts: Shannon, Deborah

Topics covered

  • workplace culture
  • favoritism
  • Peter Principle
  • cross-department collaboration
  • workplace relationships

Keywords

  • corporate swag
  • bonuses
  • halo effect
  • workplace dysfunction
  • real relationships

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Sales

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