Conflicts of interest are issues of concern, especially if one of them is in a managerial position. Many people describe such situations as difficult and say conflicts are expected, as nepotism could be the dish of the day.
Fresh Saudi university graduate Fahad Ali works in the same private company as his mother. He said it is difficult to work with a parent in the same company.
“I have been working alongside my mother at the same place after I graduated. My mother, who is a section manager, advised me not to tell anyone that I'm her son to avoid problems. She was worried that if people found out then they would assume I'm unqualified for the job and simply came here because of her,” he said.
Ali said he feels stressed all the time because he listens to other employees backbiting his mother and that he is unable to say anything. “My mother is very straightforward and serious at work. Because they don't know that I'm her son, many of them would trash her in front of me. I withheld my temper most of the time but I did lose my control one day and fought with one of them for talking bad about my mother,” he said.
“They then came to learn that we are related and then began saying I got the job because of nepotism. Work is very stressful and everyone looks at me with suspicion. They avoid talking to me,” he added.
Rozan, a Syrian expatriate who lives in Jeddah, believes that the biggest mistake she ever made was working with her father in the same company. “I got a job offer from the same company that my father works at. I accepted the offer but I never imagined the situation would be this complicated,” she said.
“I didn't get the chance to be successful in my position because everyone around me thinks I'm here because of my father. Every time I achieve something or do something positive, I get a comment that I'm here because of my father and not because of my qualifications,” she added.
“I quit after three months. I couldn't handle the pressure and stress. I would never have been successful in that job because everyone thinks I am under the shadow of my father,” she said.
A Saudi female teacher who asked for her name not to be mentioned said, “I was working with my mother at the same private school. I was under a lot of pressure because my mother was the school manager. She would go out of her way to prove to the other teachers that I was not receiving special treatment,” she said.
“She would treat me in a harsh manner in front of other teachers. This continued to a level that she began to treat me unfairly. That still did not work because the teachers knew we were related. In the end I decided to resign and find another job. It is hard to change the mentality of these people. It was also very difficult for me and my mother,” she added. Sultan Al-Ghamdi, a department manager in a private company in Jeddah, said one of his employees pressurized him to employ his son in the same department.
“This was the biggest mistake of my life. Problem after problem arose after I employed the son. The father was overprotective to a level that he would not hesitate to attack his co-workers to shield his son,” he said.
“I tried to explain to him that what he was doing is wrong but he was undermining other employees saying that they cannot do half of what his son can do. The behavior of the father created bad blood and caused a division in my department. I was left with no choice but to fire the son,” he added. A Saudi human resources manager with experience of over 34 years said he does not advise employing fathers and sons, or mothers and daughters, at the same company.
“It is ill-advised, especially if the father is a manager or has authority. Both the father and son will suffer together and I have seen it in many places. In the minds of many other employees, the son is always excused and will not be punished because his father is a manager. That is why I know many private companies avoid employing relatives at the same workplace. This is a serious problem,” he added.
