Working With Family Is The Worst

My father has two younger siblings: a brother and a sister. They, and especially my uncle’s family, are selfish, entitled, and greedy. I could tell lots of stories.

As I can’t find a job, let alone one that lets me live on my own, I’ve been living with my parents and working at my dad’s company off and on for over a decade. Despite not wanting the entire family working for him, he hired my aunt last year. I tried to tell him it would be a disaster and it has been — mostly for me, since I handle the admin.

Our first professional communication is almost two weeks after my aunt is hired when she calls about her tax forms, etc. With hardly a hello, she launches in.

Aunt: “This must be a [Past President] thing! I can’t believe I have to fill out all these forms! “

Me: “They’ve been like this since I was in college; everyone has to fill them out.”

Aunt: “I don’t want to! They don’t need to know my address!”

Me: “They already do.”

On and on she goes.

Almost a month after she is hired, and after weeks of reminding her to fill out her health insurance forms, I get another call.

Aunt: “I don’t want them to know my social security number!”

Me: “They need it to process your application. You had to give it to them for the insurance you had before.”

Aunt: “They shouldn’t have it! It’s none of their business!”

Me: “Then you can talk to them. My talking to them won’t do any good, since it’s your application.”

Aunt: “I don’t have time for that. I’m too busy!”

Me: “Then it won’t get processed. I can’t do anything about it.”

This continues for a good half an hour. Finally:

Aunt: “How are you going to send it?”

Me: “Email or fax.”

Aunt: “I don’t want you to do that! Anybody could read it!”

Me: “They have a mailing address. Would you prefer that?”

Aunt: “No.”

Me: “Then what do you want me to do?”

Aunt: “I don’t know! Just fax it in!”

I remind her every day for weeks via chat — her family never answers the phone — to fill out and sign the form so I can send it in. Finally:

Aunt: “Oh, you wanted me to fill these out?”

Me: “Yes, I’ve been reminding you for weeks.”

Aunt: “I didn’t see your messages.”

Me: “You replied to a few of them.”

She eventually does it, but as it’s been over a month since her hire date, they won’t take her. We file an appeal, which I tell Dad no other company would do and it’s a waste of my time. And even if they did, without her SSN, they won’t process the application. She refuses to talk to them, so I waste more time. Ultimately, she doesn’t have insurance for months.

Tax time rolls around a few months later. She has a six-figure salary while Dad hasn’t had a salary since starting the company because we never make enough. I only work part-time and earn not quite twice minimum wage.

Aunt: “I can’t believe how much tax I’m paying!”

Me: “You’re earning six figures.”

Aunt: “But the taxes are so high!”

Me: “You have this salary, plus an IRA from this job and your old job.”

Aunt: “But I pay so much in taxes!”

Me: “You pay twice in taxes than I earn, never mind what you get to take home.”

Aunt: “I never got any alimony in the divorce and I need retirement money.”

I try futilely to explain that this is not the sort of thing you should tell your HR and to shut up. She keeps going. I lose it.

Me: “Between your IRA and salary, you’re still taking home six to seven times minimum wage. You have more in your IRAs combined than anyone making minimum wage would in their lifetime. I won’t ever see even half your salary.”

Aunt: “But the taxes!”

I could go on and on. She’s been working with us for a year and a half. She has never turned in her timesheets on time and they are now months late. Dad reminds her daily to turn them in but otherwise does nothing, despite my pointing out how unprofessional and against company policy her behaviour is. She still gets paid her full salary. And he even gets mad at me for pointing all this out. Guess it’s not my problem when we can’t file taxes on time.