Trouble on the homefront...working for inlaws

by onlycurious 6 Replies latest jw friends

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  onlycurious

  I don't mean to whine but I am certainly venting. I am so angry I can spit right now but I want to cry at the same time. Ever felt like that?

  My husband and I both left great jobs in CA 11 yrs ago to manage a resort for his parents. My husband had a back injury and we really weren't certain that he could do carpentry anymore so his dad said he had his eye on a resort, would we like to manage it. We were really excited about it because this would enable me to stay at home and raise the kids while working behind the scenes as manager. Overall, it's been good but very taxing on our family.

  Well, my new motto is that you don't get rich working for family. We took a BIG cut in pay to come up here because we live on the property and don't have to pay rent or any utilities. Also, several things get run through the business. One of the biggies is medical. The agreement was that we would receive medical in full because my husband's union job paid full benefits. So all this time my in-laws have been forking over med ins and paying the deductable.

  Sound good, huh? While min wage in our state has increased by 34% in the last 11 yrs, our wage has increased about 2%. Last yr I couldn't even save ANY money towards retirement because the cost of living has increased so much. Oh, and did I mention that our FAMILY SIZE has also increased by 33% in the past 11 yrs?

  To get to my point, his dad gave us a token raise in January. I was excited about this because then we would be able to save money for our IRA. Well, business isn't going well here and he is stressing out. It's real seasonal and this time of yr he gets a bit stressed. He told my husband that he is no longer going to pay out money towards med bills. He will pay the insurance but nothing else.

  I am sooooo angry because he just took away the raise he gave us. My husband just injured his back BAD and had to go to emergency on Saturday. He is on Vicodin and Robaxin and the x-rays and CT scan showed 2 broken vertebrae. We want to see a specialist for an MRI to see if there is any disc material that is herniated.

  Everything just seems so uncertain right now. We are in the middle of making plans to build our home here and my husbands attitude is like a swinging pendulum. He is worried about his back and whether or not it will be okay again. He is a HARD worker and a driven man.

  I just want to cry and I am soooo ticked. I've never really done well with uncertainty and feeling like I have been jipped in some way. The rug just got pulled.
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  Mystery

  I can offer you a . I hope things get better for your family.
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  vitty

  Im so grateful I come from a country were treatment is "free" .

  ((((((((((( hugs)))))))))))))
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  Rooster

  Don’t worry Armageddon is coming.
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  Virgochik

  Did your husband hurt his back on the job? He may not be able to work for awhile, and might need extended treatments. You may have to talk to an attorney about an on the job injury claim, so at least his medical bills are paid, though it could mean a huge rift with the Father in Law. He can't just leave your husband to fend for himself and turn his back, if he is technically the employer.

  If he hurt his back off work, that's another can of worms. Father in Law shouldn't turn his back on the injury because you're family. Please let us know how it turns out for you!
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  onlycurious

  We were actually at his parents house over the weekend and playing in the snow with the kids. He didn't realize the little hill he went down had a bump in it and he ended up catching air. Not good. So, it wasn't a work related injury.

  His dad was just here. We had a good talk and I tried really hard to be respectful but also get my point across regarding the med stuff. He did mention that he is going to review the stability of the company in July and he may go back to paying like he did before. I realize companies don't normally do this, it is just the agreement we had based on the type of ins. we had and the income base we left to come up here and run this place. It's always tight this time of year with money but this yr it is really tight. We have had terrible storms this winter and it really put a crunch on the whole state.

  Things will be okay. I just worry a lot. I have another business I do on the side and while it will take 3-5 yrs to really do well financially, I hold on to that dream and keep my eyes focused on that goal of financial freedom. It's a patience game but I have seen a lot of progress with this business already and I know this dream will be lived out......unless......the big A happens right? JK
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  avidbiblereader

  Only curious, I am sorry for all your troubles, I hope you get a turn of events for your entire family. I use to work for family for over 12 years, I had family work for me for 2 years and it is not what it is cracked up to be. I would never work for family again, I hope things get better.

  abr