having a boss young enough to be your child?

Question

I'm 21 and I'm almost 2 months into my first real job as an assistant manager at a drug store.
My job is cool except for one thing, there's this clerk that seems to hate all us employees because we're all young enough to be her children. So she tries to command us like if we were her kids. When we tell her waht to do she battles back saying we're not the boss of her. My boss knows about all this but he's powerless to stop her as well. She's older than him too.
Yesterday she decided to started this heated arguement with another clerk. When we tried to ask to not to do it in front of the customers and please take it back it got worse. Then she started screaming that the store would fail without her.
I was wondering, does it bother any of you out there if your boss is young enough to be your child? Or is this just isolated?

The thing that separates the assistant managers from the clerks is education. All the assistant managers either have a college degree or are almost done with one.
From the way I was thinking about it, it's not out fault she didn't get the extra education.

Correction: She seems to hate all us assistant managers because we're young enough to be her children.

There's also another clerk who's old enough to be a majority of the assistant manager's mom. But no one has had any problems with her. She actually looks up to us for help.
I'm actually young enough to be the problem clerk's granddaughter.
I kept thinking my age was the problem. No one want their child to be the boss of them. So I'm wondering if this bothers everybody or just her.

Answer 1

My secretary told me that I wasn't her boss during my first week on the job. She said into her phone "I have been working here longer than she has been alive, blah blah blah".

I didn't know what to do either. Just hang in there. You can not make her respect you and they are probably not going to fire her or reprimand her. She has been ther a long time and she is a known entity while you are a newcomer.

A good rule of thumb in any organization is lay low and observe for the first year. Just do not rise to her challenges and continue to treat her exactly as you do the other employees. Manager or not you still have to pay your dues to the organization. Over time you won't be the youngest boss and she will fixate on someone else. It comes from jealousy, you have to demonstrate your management capabilities. Compliment her and show her that you value her when she demonstrates positive work. this type of reinforcement works well on this type of employee.

All this being said ,seven years into this job, my secretary and I have developed a fine working relationship, but I will have no qualms about firing her if she gives my any grief when I become her only supervisor.

Answer 2

Well, regardless of her age, or how much she 'battles back', you ARE in fact the boss of her, aren't you? You and your boss.

You need to make a decision about who is running the show here. She may have age and experience on her side, but you have rank. If you let her get away with speaking to you like that, and upsetting customers, it only detracts from your authority, and makes her sense of justification more valid.

You need to start acting like a boss here. She can't talk back to you, however much she thinks she has the right. You can fire her, and you should. Just because she's been there longer than you doesn't make her manager. You and your boss are. She can't fire you, can she? You, however, sure can fire her! Remember who is actually in charge, not who thinks they are.

Answer 3

In the economy these days it is very common for this age difference in the work force.
First of all,
all of us, (I wont use the word older) let's say mature people that work for allot younger boss don't act like that, so please don't category all of us together.
But in you case the bottom line is your boss needs to do his job,
If this person is causing havoc with other employee's and making scenes in front of the customers then the boss needs to talk to her and if it doesn't help she needs fired just the same if it was a 18 year old employee.
Good Luck.


don't forget stars ******************************

Answer 4

The important thing here is that you all have to get along to work together. It wouldn't hurt to ask her suggestions on some things to make her feel respected by you who are younger. Sometimes we all have to bend for one-another in various ways; such as an absent employee, etc.

Answer 5

without knowing the clerks past, its hard to say why she is the way she is. its been my experience with older employees, they may have held a higher position at a previous employer and are upset to take an entry level job. or maybe she was retired and had to return to work to support herself. or maybe she is recently divorced and needs to work now. maybe she is just bitter and controlling. you just dont know why people do what they do.

Answer 6

i'm sure there are similar cases all over the place but luckily i dont have to deal with that yet. i guess it would depend on each circumstance to see how i would feel. it's clear that this woman feel threatened and she's obviously not helping things. if youre manager wont do anything about it i suggest going over their head to a regional manager and if they dont do anything - go to the state labor board. you shouldnt have to put up with that behavior

Answer 7

Sounds like she is angry and upset that she has to work in this situation, like she is a failure and needs to make herself feel important. Your boss could threaten firing her if she doesn't cooperate with the other employees.

Answer 8

I think you'd be completely justified talking with the chain's District Manager. That behavior is not acceptable.

Answer 9

what would bother me is the boss who is afraid of the older person. regardless of anyones age there are procedures and everyone needs to walk the same walk. i am disappointed in your boss.

Answer 10

It sounds like insubordination. She should be reprimanded, fined or fired. Age shouldn't matter. I could be my boss's mother and we get along just fine.