It almost sounds like the dream scenario: living and working with one - or some - of your favourite people. For those considering working for someone close to them, however, career coach Leah Lambert, of Relaunch Me, has some sage advice. Working with a friend, spouse or family member can be tricky but there are ways to make it work.
Credit: Javier Díez / Stocksy United “The benefits of having a friend, partner or family member for a boss is that you already know what you’re signing up for, but the arrangement is not without its challenges,” Lambert explains. “Disagreements in a business context may overflow into the personal relationship and be quite damaging, while other partnerships can struggle with a lack of boundaries separating work from life, or from being too ‘casual’, operating without good systems, structure and clear role expectations.” For those thinking about entering into such a partnership, Lambert recommends using third-party professionals such as accountants, lawyers and HR specialists to ensure all financial, legal and personal requirements are documented before the start date, or to consider doing a test run of three to six months before entering a formal agreement.
Here, three women share how they’ve made the dynamic work for them. ‘I employ my husband’ Natalie Jarvis, 40, creative director “Losing a steady income was a nerve-racking experience, but we had to have faith in the bigger picture.” “It took us a year of discussions .