Employee got his hours cut and gave them to the owner’s nephew, now they want him to go on weekends, but he already has a new job: ‘If your nephews are so amazing, why aren't you calling them to cover the weekend?'

Author image for María Cetra
María Cetra • Writer
Sep 11, 2026 10:30 AM EDT

Nepo babies can be found EVERYWHERE. Even at your job!


You can be at the most normal job ever, like a family restaurant, and you may still find yourself being a victim of nepotism. Some brother, sister, or nephew appears in the shop one day, and suddenly they become manager and start bossing you around. They have been at the job for 2 months, and you have been there since the beginning. Nothing matters. They are close to the owner, so they get all the benefits without nearly doing any effort. They are just "lucky". Or at least that's what they tell themselves to avoid explaining that they just went over actually good employees and stole their benefits from them because they are family.

Hiring family is probably the worst thing you can do for your business. They may not work hard enough, and you can't say anything without creating a family feud. They may be dumb or awful at their tasks, and you can't fire them. And they may ask for a raise, and you have to give it to them to avoid more family issues. So why would somebody even do that? I get the whole helping out family. But there is a difference between giving someone you know a job and making them manager or giving them the best hours over other employees just because you know them. Like the people in the story below did.

When you manage your business badly and do things like prioritizing family members over great employees, you get a bad business. The family won't work as hard as any other employee. You will regret having hired them in the first place. And it would be too late. The great employees may have even left because you, the owner, decided that people who don't have any abilities on the job deserved better hours and positions just because they are family. When there was a great employee who did, in fact, deserve it in the first place. So next time you are thinking about hiring a family member, think harder. I promise you it's not the great idea you think.

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  • 01
    I've been at this restaurant job for 4 years and I've always been a solid worker. But over the last 3 months, these owners have been messing with me. They've changed my schedule like 4 different times, and then out of nowhere cut my hours from 45-48 a week down to 32 Before getting cut to 32, I was working Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. 12 hours a day sometimes 11. (Quick fact: if you tell them no, that you
    via Vast-Ad8337
  • 02
    Cooks working in a restaurant kitchen. Not actual story subjects.
    via Daniel

    Cooks working in a restaurant kitchen.

    Not actual story subjects. 

  • 03
    can't come in, they also punish you or change your schedule) Where did my hours go? To the owners' two nephews. They hype these nephews up like they're the hardest workers in the world, but anybody working here knows they're lazy as h_l. So basically, I got punished while their family got hooked up. Obviously my bills didn't magically drop, so I had to go find another job to make up for what they cut. The new gig pays way better per hour and has fixed
    via Vast-Ad8337
  • 04
    hours. Honestly, doing both now, I'm making more money and I actually like the routine I built for myself. (Weekends are busy catering events, sometimes vary from 8-14 hours) Now the younger brother (one of the owners) is coming to me like, "Oh, help us out for Saturday and Sunday, we really need you." I told him straight up: "I'm only getting 32 hours here, so I had to get another job to pay my bills. I'm locked in on those days." Now they want to have some stupid
    via Vast-Ad8337
  • 05
    meeting with me about it. Like... are you serious? If your nephews are so amazing, why aren't you calling them to cover the weekend? Oh yeah, because deep down you know they won't show up or do real work, so you want me to come pull the heavy lifting. They stripped my hours for them, and now they're mad I'm not sitting around on standby waiting to bail them out. I already know I'm not changing my schedule for them. If they fire me, whatever, screw them. They lose a good worker
    via Vast-Ad8337
  • 06
    A person eating food at a restaurant.
    via Louis Hansel

    A person eating food at a restaurant.

  • 07
    Puzzled_Market_2235 Just say no to the meeting "there is nothing to discuss".
    via Puzzled_Market_2235
  • 08
    Prize-Station-8814 I worked at a large seafood restaurant in Miami doing prep 8 to 5 I assisted the head chef made all the sauces portioned the fish. We're all put on trays and shrimp or breaded by hand in those days Large grouper would come to the back door I would fillet them and portion them I could also make him made pasta if needed Well, the kitchen manager decided to fire me, said they didn't need me I started a new job when the owner calls me and said where you been I told them the manage
    via Prize-Station-8814
  • 09
    The owner himself said I'll pick you up tomorrow. Don't worry about him. You work for me. The night crew do not understand just how much work it's done during the day
    via Prize-Station-8814
  • 10
    stabbingrabbit Tell them straight. Oh are you getting paid for this meeting? 4 years of Loyal service and you throw me to the back of the bus when family is hired. Now you want me to help YOU out when I had bills to pay? Where were you? Thought we were family? Lay it on thick.
    via stabbingrabbit
  • 11
    WoodseavesP You're a really hard worker from the sound of it. I'm sorry your employers screwed you over.
    via WoodseavesP
  • 12
    liquormakesyousick Just quit the restaurant job. Some owners are complete AH and will ab e staff anyway they can. I once worked for Mystic Pizza and the owners were exactly like this. Eventually one got in trouble for tax evasion.
    via liquormakesyousick
  • 13
    Liu1845 Sounds like it's time to talk to the catering company about more hours. I did catering through college. It was good money. I also got bartender training. I could work the floor plus bar tend for their events. Bartending tips at receptions and parties can be very, very good.
    via Liu1845
  • 14
    Pur1wise Start looking for those 32 hours somewhere else. You already know that they underpay and exploit you.
    via Pur1wise
  • 15
    sxixs Whatever you do- do not quit your other job. These kind of people will just use you and throw you away when they want. They might guarantee you better hours or pay, but I bet they don't honor their promises long, if at all.
    via sxixs
  • 16
    Vegetable-Fix-4702 That kind of management behavior is why I retired. I couldn't take being jerked around anymore. Best of luck to you,!
    via Vegetable-Fix-4702
  • 17
    TangerineCouch 18330 They learned one heck of a tough lesson. Good. And good for you getting a better job.
    via TangerineCouch 18330

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Tags

job owner overworked-employees family bad bosses
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