At work, being nice doesn't pay. Literally!

Nice women finish last. Don't agree with that? Well, you might want to rethink because science too, holds the same opinion. We, in particular are taking about not flourishing at work, if you are miss goody two shoes. Confused? Well, according to a recent study, the nicer, or more agreeable, a woman is at work, the lower her salary is likely to be.

A research, published in The European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, states that inconsistencies between men and women through the lens of traditional male and female characteristics.

If you can be dominant, assertive, and not shy away from expressing expectations, then you are sure to climb the success ladder. However, if you are a docile doe, who lets others do the talking, then bid adieu to your chances of drawing a hefty compensation. Professor Sharon Toker, Tel Aviv University, Israel, who co-authored the study, says, "We have witnessed dramatic changes in the definition of traditionally male and female qualities over the past several decades. But some people still really cling to the idea that some qualities are exclusively male and exclusively female".

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Now, ain't that true? If you end up living in your own shell, how on earth will you get noticed by the management? "We found that women aren't aware that more agreeable of them are being punished for being nice," said Dr. Michal Biron, University of Haifa, Israel. "The nice women we polled in our study even believed they were earning more than they deserved", he further revealed.

For the study, 1,390 employees of a Dutch multinational electronics company were interviewed. And almost all expressed dissatisfaction over their pay package, expect some non-dominant women. On the contrary, these women felt that they earn too much! "The data shows that these women earn the least -- far less than what they deserve. And they rationalize the situation", concludes Prof. Toker.

Needless to say, this might make you question the nature of justice that prevails at workplaces. Bur, when has life ever been fair, right?