What defines a family business?
Wikipedia says that “a family business is a commercial organisation in which the decision-making is influenced by multiple generations of a family, related by blood, marriage or adoption”.
My parents worked in the same knitwear factory together for nearly 30 years, along with one of my uncles, an aunt, a sister & brother in law. The factory wasn’t even a family run business! My Dad did however, run the production side and my brother in law was MD! I went a very different route, but I remember constant work-chat at home for many years and saw some difficult decisions made which were undoubtedly driven by the fact that half my family worked there. I was never pressured or expected to work ‘in the mill’, but I remember feeling quite ignored and isolated even though there was nothing intentional done to make me feel that way.
Why does this make it so different to other types of business in terms of mental health?
Relationships can be difficult, imagine spending every day working with someone and then spending your free time with them too. Most of us want to leave work and feel like it’s possible to disconnect at home. One of the main consideration is therefore the management of dual relationships i.e. the ability to separate family life and work life.
Pros of working in a family business
- Working together for a common purpose can bring families closer together
- There is normally implicit trust, which can be a very nurturing environment leading to improved self confidence
- Management decisions may be easier as there are less layers of bureaucracy
- There is normally a cohesive culture of working towards a common goal
- For employees there is stability in the knowledge that there exists a strong desire to keep the business profitable and strong
- For family members entering the job market there could be job certainty and security
Cons of working in a family business
- Knowing your colleagues so well can lead to bringing up personal issues at work and vice versa
- Family members may be brought in or promoted above others leading to distrust within the business
- There may be a difficulty in making difficult employee related decisions if it impacts a family member negatively
- Family rivalry may negatively impact the business
- Family members may feel obliged to join the business even if they want to take another career route
What might family business issues do to your individual mental health?
Stress is probably the biggest single factor caused primarily by the pressures of:
- Feeling constantly at work regardless of where you physically are
- Making business decisions that impact family members, potentially negatively
- Disagreements at home impacting working relationships and vice versa
- Being treated like a family member and not a colleague/manager
- Financial pressure where the family relies on the one business for its income
Is it possible to benefit more from the positives and combat the negative?
