Working with relatives

[susan silva]

Have you ever worked with a close relative, spouse, sibling, parent..?

[Cozwaz]

My father has always said to me never work with relatives and the only time I worked in his office was when I had just left college and he was away on holiday for 6 weeks.

However, when I used to work for myself I did employ my sister for a while, she was inbetween jobs and I needed an additional member of staff.  It was hard though living and working together, we had our ups and downs but eventually she moved away and now lives 200 miles away and we get on better than ever

A company I used to work for one of the Directors and his wife worked together and their relationship ended up in tatters due to working together.

I would never ever work with relatives again.

Also learnt a lesson of never work for friends to - used to have some really good friends, did alot of work for them and never got paid!!!!

[rose.winter1980]

I've worked with relatives and found the experience very rewarding.  I suppose it depends on the set up, people's temperaments and objectives.

Some years ago, I employed a friend who was in between jobs.  It wasn't a success because she resented working for me, even though she was being paid more than the going rate. 

The upshot of all this is that I would work with relatives, depending on the circumstances, but I wouldn't employ friends.

[aprilwag]

Dont work with sisters!   I worked with my sister and it was the worst job ever for both of us.  BUT, I do agree it depends on the situation and personalities and though I would never work with my sister again, I would try one of my other family members.

[adminforyou]

I worked for a company where they all were family - and I got orders from all of them contradicting each other.  What a mess!  I finally had to leave as the stress was killing me.

[Katie G]

I posted this story a while ago where my parents pressured me (while I was in college) to get my sibling a job where I worked.  It didn't end well.  Sibling had a hard time taking direction.  Let's leave it at that.  Problem was, Management wanted ME to talk to sibling.  I refused to do so (for all the obvious reasons.  Sibling didn't report to me.  What did DNA have to do with it?)  Situation got to the point that I got a job somewhere else.  Sibling was "let go" a month later.  Parents blamed me.  Never again.

[gee4]

Yes Katie I remember that.  I too think we have discussed this in a previous posting.

Anyway I worked in the same company as a cousin of mine for a while on a short contract.  It was never a problem as we worked in different departments and I wasn't there very long before I moved on to another job.  In fact the company welcomed family members because they felt siblings came recommended, although sometimes it doesn't always work out.