Owning a small business leaves little room for sentimental hires.

So when a small café owner was pressured to employ his unreliable cousin under the guise of family support, he hesitated, knowing one bad hire could sink the dream he built from scratch.

The fallout brewed quickly after that.

Keep reading for the full story.

AITA for refusing to hire my cousin at my small business?

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.

So one day he had a request that put this business owner in an uncomfortable position.

He asked me to hire him, saying family should help family.

The problem is, he has a history of being unreliable.

He’s not exactly the best worker.

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.

This business owner knows he can’t take a chance on an unreliable employee.

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.

His cousin didn’t take this well at all.

He exploded, saying I’m “turning my back on family” 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.

He feels guilty, but also justified in his decision.

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?

It’s not right for his cousin to turn the entire family against him.

What did Reddit think?

This commenter points out how the business owner could easily pull a reverse Uno.

Sometimes protecting your business means hurting some feelings along the way.

This cousin has already made it abundantly clear what kind of employee he would be.

This commenter thinks the business owner is right to be protective of everything he’s built.

Family loyalty won’t keep the lights on in this small business.

It’s not personal — it’s business.

If you thought that was an interesting story, check this one out about a man who created a points system for his inheritance, and a family friend ends up getting almost all of it.