Should I Hire My Unreliable Cousin at My Small Business? AITA?

A dream coffee shop can’t survive on good intentions, and this Reddit post is proof. OP poured their savings and basically their entire life into a place that feels like it could collapse with one bad month.

So when their cousin, 26M, shows up asking for a job, it sounds sweet on paper, “family should help family.” But there’s a long trail of unreliability, late arrivals, constant callouts, and fights with managers, plus the cousin has done the disappearing act at family events when everyone’s counting on him.

Now OP is caught between not wanting to be the villain and not wanting to sink their business for someone who already has a pattern.

Original Post

I (23M) run a small coffee shop that I’ve poured my entire savings and soul into. It’s my dream, but it’s also fragile, one bad month and I’m scrambling to keep the lights on.

My cousin (26M) has been struggling to find work. He asked me to hire him, saying family should help family.

The problem is, he has a history of being unreliable. He’s been fired from multiple jobs for showing up late, calling out constantly, and clashing with managers.

I’ve seen it firsthand at family events. He’ll promise to help set up, then disappear until the food is ready. I told him I can’t risk my business on someone who doesn’t take responsibility seriously, maybe later when the business is more stable but not right now.

He exploded, saying I’m “turning my back on blood” and acting like I’m better than him. My parents are siding with him, saying I should give him a chance because “he just needs someone to believe in him.” Now I feel torn.

I don’t want to be the villain who abandoned family, but I also can’t jeopardize everything I’ve worked for. AITA for refusing to hire my cousin?

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This is similar to the OP who refused their family’s advice on adoption.

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OP can’t shake how the cousin promises to help at family events, then vanishes until the food is ready.

When OP says “not right now” because the shop is fragile, the cousin flips it into a blood-and-loyalty argument.

The parents backing the cousin, saying he just needs someone to believe in him, is what really turns the whole situation into a family war.

With the cousin exploding and calling OP a traitor, OP has to decide whether their business matters more than the drama at the dinner table.

What's your opinion on this situation? Join the conversation!

The cousin’s “family should help family” pitch is starting to look like the real unreliable thing here.

Still dealing with family pressure, read what happened when OP skipped Thanksgiving hosting for a newborn: Family Tradition vs New Parenting Responsibilities, AITA?