Importance Of Seniority In The Workplace

Seniority is the length of time that an individual has served in a job or worked for an organization. Seniority sometimes means that the employee earns more money than other employees doing similar work. It is important in some private sector workplaces, professions, skilled trades, and in union-represented workplaces. How exactly seniority is defined will differ from company to company. Some will track longevity without concern for the position worked while others will restart the clock every time an employee changes positions within the company.

Progressive organizations are less likely to provide a preference for senior employees unless the preference is part of many factors considered in salary, promotion, layoffs, and other workplace employment decisions. In union-represented workplaces, all employment

They recommend that former employees are less likely to hit employers with discrimination charges when layoffs are done by seniority. This, however, leaves employers with a conundrum when the newer, less experienced employees are let go first. Employers face the probability that their most educated, technology-sophisticated, lower paid talent will be eliminated first, which is why this approach is not recommended. Even in workplaces that do not consider seniority in employment-related decisions, employers may still honor seniority in other ways. The goals in honoring seniority are employee retention and employee engagement.

Organizations may recognize the longevity of employees with service awards, mentoring opportunities, longevity recognition, public preference for sharing historical knowledge, and key assignments. You want to encourage longevity from your employees because your organization benefits from having senior employees with company knowledge and experience. But, unless obligated by contract, seniority should never be the only factor considered in employment