Does anyone have any good nepotism stories from the workplace?

avatar for Timex345
Timex345
Illinois
I have two nepotism stories.
I once worked for a family owned business. The granddaughter of the main owner was immediately hired in the HR department upon her college graduation.
In my current occupation, a supervisor was recently hired in a different department who knows a an upper level manager who is my age. I have nicknamed her jeans.
She wears jeans daily that looks as if they have been painted on her body. We are still required to wear masks at work due to Covid which is a whole new discussion.
I avoid her at all costs. Last year she made some sexual harassment complaints against some of my fellow coworkers. Some people got into some trouble. I saw her with her mask off. Maybe masks are a good thing in this situation. It is absolutely delightful watching her struggle at her job. Of course, she gets help and special treatment to cover for her incompetence. I thought about quitting. But, I enjoy the stupidity of my company too much. The running joke is that "jeans" is involved with the upper level manager.

14 comments

Jump to latest
avatar for Omega_Entertainment
Omega_Entertainment
3 years ago
I got a friend of mine a job as a barback in a club once, he lasted an hour before he got fired being caught with one of the dancers in the beer cooler. Last time I ever helped someone I knew get work in the Industry.
avatar for Studme53
Studme53
3 years ago
Yeah - breaking new! family businesses are gonna have nepotism 😮
avatar for shadowcat
shadowcat
3 years ago
The major air line I started to work for in 1967 had a strict policy of not hiring relatives of current employees. 30 years they reversed that policy and gave preferential treatment to hiring relatives of current employees
avatar for jackslash
jackslash
3 years ago
As a young man I had a job with a mid-sized company. I was assigned to work on a project with a young woman who had been a model. I learned that the woman was the mistress of the president. She screwed up the project, but I got blamed.
avatar for goldmongerATL
goldmongerATL
3 years ago
My company hired the Chairman of the Board's son right out of college. he was promoted about every 90 days and within a year he was a VP over people with 20-30 years experience. He recently left for a "better job" as a VP. He was fired within a couple of months because of complete incompetence.
avatar for gammanu95
gammanu95
3 years ago
Studme is correct, but it still makes for fun stories.

I was working for a major international in New Orleans in 2005. A new area manager (oversaw 4-5 retail sites) was the son of a higher-up in corporate. His stupidity and incompetence became evident in the aftermath of Katrina. I think he felt white guilt or some other need to prove himself in light of his privileged upbringing. First, he disappeared off the radar for nearly a week while we were planning cleanup and reopening of our stores. It turns out he decided to volunteer for the red cross and ran out of gas somewhere between Alexandria and Lafayette while running their errands. Then, he quit his safe, high-paying, full benefits job (wife and three kids), and joined the Marine Corps. I don't know if he went to basic or OCS, but for his family's sake I hope it was OCS.
avatar for CandymanOfProvidence
CandymanOfProvidence
3 years ago
For a good movie about necrotism, watch Weekend at Bernie's.
avatar for Cashman1234
Cashman1234
3 years ago
When I was younger I worked for a small division of a huge old company. The guys at the top of the house thought it was a good idea to put their offspring in middle management positions in our division - as if they fucked up it wouldn’t effect the core business. One guy they brought on - directly out of college - and not a top business school either - was severely inept. His forte was reading the sports pages in his office with his feet on his desk.

We had one guy - who thought of himself on the level of the financial wizards of the 1980’s - and he was impressive - but still an asshole. He had his office remodeled to include a full bathroom and shower - and a workout area. He brought his daughter on as part of HR. She was super arrogant - and yet she had a great ass. She could do no wrong - even though she was clueless.
avatar for crosscheck
crosscheck
3 years ago
Where my office is, the landlord's son is highly involved in commercial real estate management. Lat's just say that he is not his father's equal. Yo should see the emails he sends around with misused words all over the place, like he's Little Carmine from the Sopranos. His father is elderly and I dread the day that he passes as who knows what the heck is gonna happen.
avatar for DeclineToState
DeclineToState
3 years ago
Didn't affect me, but at company I worked at to put myself through college, the owner's son got hired out of college and transitioned into CEO role over time. Company had 50+ employees, about 5 of them were salesmen for the product. Son was medium competent, not a total doofus but not a star and was a terribly confusing communicator, yet the company has been successful under his leadership despite his faults.
One of the long time salesmen that had worked only for the owner father treated son poorly and openly talked shit on him to other employees. That salesman ultimately got fired. Another salesman said to me: What an idiot that fired salesman is, it's obvious the son is the "owner in training." All that to say, if you dig your job despite the nepotism and idiocy of the owner in training, don't talk shit openly.
avatar for gammanu95
gammanu95
3 years ago
The last family company I worked for was fairly large- 15 offices in 11 states, plus offshore and overseas contracts. Eldest brother was CEO and CoB, younger brother was President amd COO, youngest brother was service manager at a satellite office (he was Fredo). President's chubby, arrogant, moderately talented son who started a year before me progressed quickly to middle mgmt. Fredo's son, less chubby, more arrogant, less talented, started the same time as me. I ran circles around them both without trying, but that's a different story. Pres's son kept trying to insert himself in my chain of command, but I just ignored him and kept my nose to the grindstone. Fredo's son openly tried to sabotage me, and I made sure everyone saw it so he left me be. I was promoted fairly fast, not as fast as #1 son but faster than Fredo Jr. At one point, the Pres's daughter, PhD in education, was hired right out of college and placed in charge of our craftsman training and customer education division (ahead of three more senior and experienced individuals). She was nice, not to look at, but what the fuck did she know about our industry?

Shortly before I left, #1 son was promoted to junior executive. I guess he was ready, but there were a dozen guys who deserved it more. Just after I left, the elder brother and Chairman of the Board passed. The middle brother assumed CEO and Chairman positions. Immediately, Fredo Jr was promoted to an equal Junior Executive position to his cousin. He skipped over service, operations, and branch manager positions straight from sales. A hundred guys who were smarter, more honest, more experienced, and better respected were passed over. A mass exodus of many from the VP of Sales to Service Managers ensued nationwide. I would have never worked for him, either. The company is still around and in business. The footprint has shrunk since so many people left and brought their knowledge and networks with them. The middle brother (CEO and CoB) is one of the smartest guys I know, driven and ambitious in a way I cannot describe. He is also politically to the right of Sean Hannity. He really treats employees like an antfarm, and wants assert complete authority. He's charming but authoritarian, friendly but dictatorial. He is the only person I've met who truly embodies the iron fist in a velvet glove.
avatar for DeclineToState
DeclineToState
3 years ago
-> "he was Fredo." That's funny.

For a good "you're Fredo" and other Godfather references, check out end of Breaking Bad episode "Better Call Saul" where Saul made first appearance.
avatar for gammanu95
gammanu95
3 years ago
He was literally given $45,000/yr, full benefits, and instructions "not to fuck it up". Why they put his kid in the management program I will never know.

You must be a member to leave a comment.Join Now