August 25, 2026 at 7:15 am

She Gave Her Daughter a Job but Refused to Hire Her Daughter-in-Law—So Her Son Accused Her of Playing Favorites

by Heather Hall

Business owner checking her email

Pexels/Reddit

It can get complicated when family expects you to hand someone a job just because you own the business.

One mother is dealing with that after her son asked her to hire his wife, who wants to start working again after years as a stay-at-home mom.

The problem is that she doesn’t think her daughter-in-law is qualified for any of the positions she has available.

She’s watched her struggle with basic paperwork and planning for years, and the woman doesn’t even have a resume yet.

Then, her son pointed out that she once hired her own daughter and accused her of treating his wife unfairly.

Keep reading for the full story.

AITA for not hiring my DIL because she is helpless

I own a business, and I am proud to say I employ over 100 people. It is something I started over 30 years ago.

My DIL is helpless or just spoiled. It might actually be a combination of the two. She has been a stay-at-home mom for the past 7+ years. The kids are now old enough that they are all in school, and she is looking to go back to work.

She used to be a server but, when she married my son, stopped altogether. She dropped out of college because of her failing grades. My DIL is very beautiful, but she doesn’t seem to have much going on in her head.

It doesn’t seem her DIL is able to do many things on her own.

I know it is harsh to say, but I have had to literally help her fill out basic documents multiple times. I have gotten multiple calls to answer simple questions many times.

If she plans something, it is going to be a mess. Every single time, her plans have fallen apart due to bad planning. Example: her kids’ birthday party. She never booked the trampoline place for the party, so they didn’t have a room and all the decorations had nowhere to go.

She can’t fill up her own gas, or she just refuses to? She has asked me before to go get gas for her car, and apparently my son does that often. I can go on and on.

Trying to help, she asked the DIL for a resume.

The problem is she wants to go back to work, and not as a server. She wants a career. My son asked me if I was willing to give her a job. I asked to talk to her and, when on the phone with her, asked about her resume.

She doesn’t have one.

I told her no because it is clear she is unqualified. My son got back on the phone, and we got into an argument. He told me this is unfair since I gave his sister (my daughter) a job.

Now, her son is mad because she told him no.

During COVID, I gave my youngest daughter a job at the company because she was out of work.

She was qualified for the job (actually overqualified; she has a master’s). The investment paid off because she worked her *** off. She also went through multiple interviews beforehand and started at the bottom of the food chain.

I told him that wasn’t the same thing and his sister wasn’t helpless. He asked to just make her a secretary or something, and I told him no again. He is ******. My husband agrees with me on this, but I know it will mess with our relationship.

AITA?

Yikes! It’s crazy how upset he got.

Let’s see how the people over at Reddit feel about it.

It does sound just like that.

Not Hiring 3 She Gave Her Daughter a Job but Refused to Hire Her Daughter in Law—So Her Son Accused Her of Playing Favorites

This reader doesn’t think she’s obligated to give the DIL a job.

Not Hiring 2 She Gave Her Daughter a Job but Refused to Hire Her Daughter in Law—So Her Son Accused Her of Playing Favorites

Yes! Great point.

Not Hiring 1 She Gave Her Daughter a Job but Refused to Hire Her Daughter in Law—So Her Son Accused Her of Playing Favorites

If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about a girl who thinks her family is doing too much in criticizing the tidiness in her small space.

This could be an option.

Not Hiring She Gave Her Daughter a Job but Refused to Hire Her Daughter in Law—So Her Son Accused Her of Playing Favorites

She shouldn’t hire someone just to keep the peace with her son.

Her daughter got a job because she was qualified and proved herself once she got there.

Giving her daughter-in-law a position she isn’t ready for could create problems for everyone else who works there.

If she wants a career, she may need to start by building a resume and applying for jobs she can actually handle.

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Heather Hall | Contributing Writer, Life & Drama

Heather Hall is a contributing writer for TwistedSifter specializing in internet culture, workplace conflict, and viral customer service stories. With over a decade of editorial experience in digital publishing, Heather excels at curating trending online discussions and providing insightful commentary on the daily dramas that capture the internet's attention.

Since beginning her career in 2011, she has developed deep expertise in SEO-driven digital content, having written for a wide array of publications covering lifestyle, business, and travel. At TwistedSifter, Heather focuses on synthesizing complex social media threads into engaging, highly readable narratives that highlight the human element of viral news.

When she isn’t analyzing the latest internet discourse, Heather is a dedicated mother of three sons who takes family gaming nights entirely too seriously—whether she is dominating in Mario Kart, exploring The Legend of Zelda, or jumping into Roblox.

Connect with Heather on Facebook and LinkedIn.