A colleague gets the promotion you both wanted. A teammate is praised in every meeting while your work goes unmentioned. Or you notice that someone on your team has become cold and guarded since you took on a bigger project. Jealousy at work is common, but it rarely gets named, and that is what makes it costly. Left alone, it can turn into withheld information, quiet undermining, and teams that stop trusting each other. This article explains where workplace jealousy usually comes from, how to recognize it without jumping to conclusions, and what employees and managers can do to address it fairly.
What Causes Jealousy at Work
Jealousy at work usually grows from a mix of competition, uncertainty, and comparison. It is rarely about one event. Understanding the common causes helps you respond to the situation rather than to the person.
#1. Competition for Limited Promotions
Most teams have more capable people than open senior roles. When two or three colleagues are realistically competing for the same promotion, every assignment and every piece of praise can start to feel like a scorecard.
The person who is passed over may feel that their own effort has been judged and found lacking. That disappointment is understandable. It becomes a workplace problem when it turns into resentment toward the colleague who was chosen rather than a conversation about what the next opportunity requires.
#2. Unclear Criteria for Recognition and Rewards
When people cannot see how decisions are made, they fill the gap with assumptions.
If raises, bonuses, or high-profile projects are handed out without explanation, employees often conclude that the outcome was personal. A colleague who received a visible project may be seen as a favorite even when the decision was based on availability or a specific skill. Vague criteria do not create jealousy on their own, but they give it room to grow.
#3. Perceived Favoritism From a Manager
Few things fuel resentment faster than the belief that a manager plays favorites.
Sometimes the favoritism is real: one employee gets more one-on-one time, more flexibility, or more public credit. Other times it is a perception created by uneven communication, such as a manager who naturally chats more with people who share their interests. Either way, the employees on the outside tend to direct their frustration at the colleague who seems favored rather than at the manager who created the pattern.
#4. Public Praise That Is Uneven
Recognition matters, and most people want their work to be noticed.
When praise is consistently directed at the same one or two people, others can feel invisible. This is especially true in team meetings, company-wide emails, or chat channels where praise is public and permanent. A manager who praises a sales win every week but never mentions the support work that made the win possible is unintentionally setting colleagues against each other.
#5. Pay and Benefit Comparisons
Salary conversations have become more open in many workplaces, and pay transparency can be healthy.
Without context, however, a pay difference can feel like a judgment of personal worth. An employee who learns that a newer colleague earns more may assume unfairness, even if the difference reflects a different role, a market adjustment, or negotiation at hiring. The jealousy is often aimed at the colleague, although the colleague usually had no part in setting their own pay.
#6. A Colleague’s Rapid Rise
A newer or younger colleague who advances quickly can unsettle people who have been in the organization longer.
Long-serving employees may feel that loyalty and experience are no longer valued. The newer colleague may be capable and hardworking, but their success can still be read as proof that the rules have changed. This cause is common after restructuring, when new leaders bring in their own people or reward different skills than the previous leadership did.
#7. Uneven Workloads and Flexibility
Jealousy is not always about status. It can be about time and freedom.
If one team member is allowed to work remotely, leave early, or skip certain tasks while others carry the extra load, resentment builds quickly. Even when an arrangement is legitimate, such as a documented accommodation or a role with different duties, coworkers who do not know the reason may see it as special treatment.
#8. Job Insecurity and Organizational Change
Layoffs, mergers, budget cuts, and reorganizations make people anxious about their futures.
In uncertain periods, colleagues can start to see each other as competition for survival rather than as teammates. Someone who is visible to senior leaders or who seems safe from cuts may become the target of envy. The jealousy is a symptom of fear, and it usually eases when leaders communicate clearly about what is happening and what is expected.
#9. Personal Comparisons Outside of Work Performance
Not all workplace jealousy is about work.
Colleagues compare lifestyles, social circles, appearance, and even popularity within the office. A teammate who is well liked, invited to every lunch, or close to leadership socially can attract resentment that has little to do with their actual performance. These comparisons are harder to address because they are rarely discussed openly, but they still affect cooperation.
#10. A Lack of Personal Growth or Direction
Sometimes jealousy says more about a person’s own situation than about the colleague they envy.
An employee who feels stuck in their role, lacks development opportunities, or has no clear career path is more likely to resent others who seem to be moving forward. In these cases, the most effective response is not managing the jealous behavior alone. It is helping the person find a realistic route to growth.
Signs of Jealousy at Work
Jealousy rarely announces itself. People seldom say, “I am jealous of you.” Instead, it shows up in behavior, and the same behavior can have other explanations. A colleague who is short with you may be stressed, overloaded, or dealing with something at home.
Look for patterns over time rather than reading meaning into a single incident. The following signs are worth noticing when they appear repeatedly and are directed at a particular person:
- Withholding information. A coworker stops sharing updates, leaves someone off emails, or “forgets” to pass on important details.
- Minimizing achievements. Successes are dismissed with comments such as “anyone could have done that” or attributed to luck or connections.
- Taking or redistributing credit. Someone’s contribution is quietly reframed as a team effort, or credit is claimed in front of leadership.
- Gossip and subtle criticism. Negative stories about a colleague circulate, often framed as concern or humor.
- Exclusion. A person is left out of lunches, informal chats, or meetings they would normally attend.
- Reduced cooperation. Requests for help are delayed, ignored, or met with minimal effort.
- Unusual coldness or passive-aggressive remarks. A previously friendly relationship becomes guarded, with sarcastic comments about workload, praise, or “favorites.”
- Copying or competing on everything. A colleague mirrors someone’s projects or ideas, or treats ordinary tasks as a contest.
None of these signs proves jealousy on its own. What they do show is a change in behavior that is affecting the work. That is the part you can address, and it is a far safer starting point than guessing at someone’s feelings.
If you notice these signs in yourself, such as feeling irritated when a colleague is praised or wanting to downplay their success, that awareness is useful. It gives you a chance to address the underlying cause before it shows up in your behavior.
How to Address Jealousy at Work
The right approach depends on your role and on whether you are the target, the manager, or the person feeling envious. The steps below work in roughly that order: start with facts, address behavior, then fix the conditions that keep jealousy alive.
Start With What You Can Observe
Before acting, write down what has actually happened. Note dates, specific behaviors, and the effect on your work, such as a missed deadline because information was not shared.
This keeps you focused on conduct rather than motives. “She is jealous of me” is an assumption. “She has not copied me on the client updates for the last three weeks” is an observation you can discuss calmly and fairly.
Have a Private, Direct Conversation
If the behavior is affecting your work, raise it with the colleague privately. Describe what you have noticed, explain the impact, and invite their view.
I wanted to talk about the client updates. I haven’t been copied on the last few, and it meant I went into Tuesday’s call without the latest numbers. Is something getting in the way, or is there a better way for us to share them?
This approach gives the other person room to explain without feeling accused. Often the conversation alone changes the behavior.
Avoid Responding in Kind
When someone is undermining you, it is tempting to defend yourself in front of others, compete harder, or share your own frustrations with colleagues.
Resist that urge. Gossip and counterattacks make you part of the conflict and can damage your reputation. Keep doing good work, stay courteous, and keep your communication with the person professional and in writing where the work requires it.
Share Credit and Information Generously
If you are the person being envied, small acts of openness can reduce tension.
Acknowledge colleagues’ contributions in meetings, explain how a project came to you if it is relevant, and offer to share knowledge or contacts. You are not responsible for someone else’s feelings, but visible generosity makes it harder for resentment to grow and shows others that success on the team is not a zero-sum contest.
Make Decisions and Recognition Transparent
For managers, the most effective response is often structural. Explain how promotions, projects, and flexible arrangements are decided, and apply those criteria consistently.
Spread recognition more evenly. Praise specific contributions, including the less visible support work that makes others’ results possible. When people can see how decisions are made, they are far less likely to assume favoritism.
Address Undermining Behavior Directly as a Manager
If jealousy has turned into conduct that harms the team, such as withholding information or spreading damaging stories, a manager needs to address the behavior with the person responsible.
I’ve noticed that project updates haven’t been shared with Daniel recently, and it’s caused delays. I need everyone on this project to have the same information. Can you walk me through what’s been happening so we can fix it?
Focus on the behavior and the expectation. Do not accuse anyone of being jealous, and do not discuss the issue in front of the team.
Escalate Through Proper Channels When Needed
If the behavior continues after a direct conversation, or if it involves harassment, discrimination, or serious misconduct, involve your manager or HR.
Bring your written record of specific incidents and their impact on the work. Follow your organization’s established procedures rather than taking matters into your own hands. Escalating is not a sign of failure; it is the appropriate step when a situation cannot be resolved between colleagues.
What to Do If You Are the One Feeling Jealous
Feeling envious of a colleague is a normal human reaction. It does not make you a bad employee or a bad person. What matters is what you do with it.
Start by naming what you actually want. If you envy a colleague’s promotion, the useful question is not why they got it but what you would need to be considered next time. Turn the feeling into a specific goal, such as gaining a skill, leading a project, or building a relationship with a key stakeholder.
Then have a constructive conversation with your manager rather than complaining to coworkers.
I was disappointed not to get the team lead role, and I’d like to understand what would make me a stronger candidate next time. Could we talk about the skills or experience you’d want to see?
It also helps to limit comparison. Remember that you usually see only part of a colleague’s situation: the visible win, not the workload, the setbacks, or the trade-offs behind it. If the feeling keeps coming back and is affecting your work or well-being, consider talking to a trusted mentor or using any support resources your organization offers.
Closing Thoughts
Jealousy at work is rarely solved by ignoring it or by trying to prove who is right. It eases when people focus on observable behavior, talk directly and privately, and when organizations make decisions and recognition fair and visible. Employees can protect their work and reputation by staying professional and documenting what matters. Managers can remove much of the fuel by being transparent and consistent. And anyone who feels envious can use that feeling as a signal to clarify their own goals. Start with one honest conversation, and build from there.