Mom allows daughter to be fired from family business, expects her to work as her secretary for free: 'She keeps telling me it's my duty'

Author image for Ally Perry
Ally Perry • Writer and Editor
Jul 23, 2025 9:00 PM EDT

Work and family can be a tricky thing to mix, precisely because it is so easy to be taken advantage of. Behavior that would be easy to clock as bad and exploitative if a boss or coworker were just some random stranger can be overlooked when somebody is working for a close family member. For some people, operating a business with relatives is living the dream, but that isn't the case for everybody. In fact, many in this situation find themselves under pressure in ways that they wouldn't in any other job.

This is especially common in scenarios where adult children work for their parents. While it's true that nepotism can come in handy for promotions, there are also business-owning moms and dads who see their kids as little more than cheap labor. If they're not careful, this can wind up jeopardizing their relationship as well as their professional success. 

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  • 01

    AITJ for refusing to keep helping out after I was pushed out of my job?

    So for context, I was working at my mom's office for 7 years, managing everything and also helping my mom with anything written as she's not native to the country we live and worked at together. That would mean writing papers, correcting her grammar etc. so she would maintain a professional outlook to the outside world. Nothing much of work honestly when it came to writing as I was born and raised here. I know it's not easy for an immigrant to adapt to a new culture and still being successful in
    via moi_la_reine

  • Facing the consequences of this attitude was one mom who was unhappy with her daughter refusing to return to her business after she sold it, and the new owner let her go. The mom had stayed on as the CEO and was hoping her daughter would come back to help her draft documents.

    Her child refused, as she was busy helping rebuild her dad's business while also caring for him. The mom got angry that she no longer had the years of access she had had to her daughter before, and the daughter wasn't sure if she was being unfair.

  • 02
    Cheezburger Image 10533118720
    via Getty Images (Unsplash+)

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • 03
    A couple of months ago she sold her business but stayed there as an employed CEO. The new owner decided that I was not needed anymore and for the sake of selling it, she went along with it. Meanwhile I took over my dad's business which was being abandoned for years due to his dementia and trying to build everything up from scratch while also taking care of him, as I live close by to him. My parents live separately, so she can't go see him everyday due to the distance of her work/living environme
    via moi_la_reine
  • 04
    Cheezburger Image 10533119488
    via Andrej Lišakov (Unsplash+)

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • 05
    Now my mom wants me to keep helping her writing papers and letters remotely and I refused pointing out that I am no longer part of her work force and that I have a lot of other obligations to attend to. She keeps getting angry at me, telling me it's my duty as her daughter to help her out, that she pays the house with the money she makes and I am the one benefiting as I'll inherit parts of it. So she says she's obliged to demand for me to partake - which means coming in on weekends to check her
    via moi_la_reine
  • 06
    Cheezburger Image 10533120000
    via Getty Images (Unsplash+)

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • 07

    People assured the daughter that she had done the right thing.

    " bopperbopper mom, my contracting rate is $ you're asking me to work for free." per hour. I can't believe
    via bopperbopper
  • 08
    sofiastorynest it's crazy how she's acting like a job offer comes with a birth certificate. girl that's your daughter, not your intern.
    via sofiastorynest
  • 09
    KesselRun73 So, she's the CEO but not good at giving orders? Nah, she let you be fired. No reason for you to help.
    via KesselRun73
  • 10
    NotGreatAtGames No, I can believe that she's not good at giving orders. Because it sounds like OP was basically doing all of her work for her. She got to where she was on OP's back and is now in a position she's unqualified for. And no OP to cover for her. She had around seven years (minimum) to learn the skills she was using OP for, but didn't bother. I doubt she's going to suddenly start learning to actually do the job. I agree that her mom's career is no longer OP's concern. She needs to focu
    via NotGreatAtGames
  • 11
    Neo1881 If your mom sold her business, she should be sitting on a huge pile of cash. She should be able to hire you and pay you a living wage if she wants you too spend time maintaining her image confident intelligent and articulate CEO. Or she should have a budget that allows her to hire you and pay you reasonable wage. But instead she wants you to work for free. I inherited money from my parents but there was never a requirement to work for my father because of possible inheritance. You're NTJ
    via Neo1881
  • 12
    Comfortable-Bug 1737 She threw you under the bus, do the same
    via Comfortable-Bug1737
  • 13
    EducationalSugar1551 She must pay you. Period.
    via EducationalSugar1551
  • 14
    jkgibson1125 NTJ - You are a freelancer now. Look online for similar jobs and figure out the hourly rate. The company she works for can absorb the costs. Remember family doesn't equal free work.
    via jkgibson1125
  • 15
    Gsiver Capacity. I don't think you are TJ. She pushed you out. You have a new job. It was her decision. Her duty as your employer/mother. Weekends? Your time. Your sanity. Should you do 2 jobs? Good luck
    via Gsiver
  • 16
    taewongun1895 There are plenty of online proofreading and editing services. Have your mom use them. She saves face, and it spares you the task.
    via taewongun1895
  • 17
    Mindless-Locksmith76 Ahh, the ol' "You'll inherit some day!" My MIL used that a lot on my husband during our early years. I told him his mother is only 20 years older than me. I'm not living the next 40-60 years under her thumb just to inherit a crumbling 3 bedroom closet on the outskirts of town. I'm perfectly capable of doing better than that for myself. And what happens when she just changes her mind and you don't inherit? Did you even get anything off the sale of a business it sounds like yo
    via Mindless-Locksmith76
  • 18
    lifeatvt NTJ - The new owners chose to not employ you any longer. If they have an issue with it then it is on them. Your mom is a j for trying to guilt you into working for free.
    via lifeatvt
  • 19
    bakedbaker319 "Sorry Mom, I don't work for that company any more. i have a different job."
    via bakedbaker319
  • 20
    Misa7_2006 Rule 36: If it feels like you're being played, you probably are.
    via Misa7_2006
  • 21
    BigExplanationmayB NTJ nope. She can't justify using familial guilt to get you to do employee work. That's not cool.
    via BigExplanationmayB
  • 22
    pickedwisely Why doesn't Mom leave where she is at and come build up Dad's company? The CEO job can not be that good of a job if you can not hire your own people that helped get the company to be worth buying. At some point, OP gets to live her life, by herself. Unfortunately, it seems like that will be after Mom & Dad have gone. That's sad.
    via pickedwisely
  • 23
    MadFerlt NTJ, I also wouldn't truly count on what you've been promised as inheritance from your mom even if you were to give in completely to her demands and essentially work for free. Make sure you plan your future based on the inheritance being "nice to have" rather than something you are truly counting on, in case she pulls the rug out from under you, no matter how unlikely you think that is to happen. Based on your description it sounds like you closely helped her build up the business she s
    via MadFerIt
  • 24

    The woman appreciated the advice.

    moi_la_reine OP Wow, thank you all for giving me your opinion and advice. I really didn't think I'd get so much response on that matter. It helped me a lot to put everything into perspective and also to cool down a little as it made me very emotional. It's nice to get that support from a community of people that never met in person! I guess that's the upside of social media. Here's my update: I just had a phone call with my mother. She apologized for reacting the way she did and I suggested we s
    via moi_la_reine

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