What is the special pleading fallacy?

Applying a rule or standard to everyone else, then exempting yourself (or your favourites) with no relevant justification for the exception.

The pattern: A accepts standard S and holds others to it; A is in the same situation; yet A claims to be exempt — without a good reason. It violates the principle of relevant difference: you can only treat two cases differently if there's a genuinely relevant difference between them.

A manager insists everyone must be at their desk by 9:00 sharp, but rolls in at 10:00 themselves "because I'm busy."

Being busy applies to plenty of staff too, so it's not a relevant difference — it's just an exemption claimed because "it's me." A legitimate exemption generalises: "I'm too ill to cook tonight" excuses you because it would excuse anyone who was ill.

Tip: Test any claimed exemption by asking "would this reason excuse anyone in the same situation?" If only the special person gets out of it, it's special pleading.