To think there is no way I can make this better

[windermerebell]

I work in an office that had different projects, each project has a line manager except
our project that is overseen by the Chief executive
The problem is one member of staff, she makes mistake after mistake, refuses to take any responsibility, passes all different calls and queries over.
This all came to a head this week when she made a huge mistake when dealing with something, it’s very serious as the client involved could be facing police charges. Basically someone rang up claiming to be someone they were not and she changed things on an account without getting proof or authorisation. She did not carry out the checks that were needed. Basicly this has all blown up now and the chief executive is trying to sweep it all under the carpet whereas any other member of staff would have got a warning and a serious telling off.
Why is the boss doing this- because she is not only the Chief Executive but she is also the member of staffs in questions Mum.
She was brought in about a year ago without a interview and was so bad the current line manager of the project kept trying to give her warnings but was stopped by the chief executive every time. The line manager left in the end and now instead of getting another line manager in the chief executive oversees the project herself.
We are a small organisation with no HR and nowhere to go about this.

I love my job but I can’t deal with this anymore as mistakes are always being deflected to me and my other colleague and we are told to support her more.
I have to get another job and leave don’t i, there is no way this is going to get better.

Sorry in case I didn’t make it clear the Chief executive is the Mum of the member of staff who keeps making mistakes

Sadly, I think your options are either to have a very honest discussion with your Cx (although from what you've said it doesn't sound as though she's willing to address the issue) or look elsewhere.

It's a shame that your boss's failure to be professional is causing you to think about leaving a job you love. Maybe when she keeps losing good people she will acknowledge and address the underlying cause.

You could try to involve the union. You could argue they are constantly changing your role. .. but imo I would accept it's not going to get better and start applying for other jobs. The longer you stay, the more chance your reputation will be affected too.

I would look for another job asap

If you don't want to leave you could try and fake a massive interest in one of the other projects and ask to change over to a project with a line manager?

Is your business involved in a regulated industry like finance? It sounds like it could be, in which case this incident should be reported to the regulating body. If it's not (and I can't think of one that isn't that could lead to a client facing criminal charges due to the businesses actions) then surely you need to report what you know to the police investigating the issue with the client

The chief executive could be reported to the board of trustees? She must be accountable to someone?

She is protected at every turn. At team meetings she is given the easiest jobs and we are told to deal with phone calls whenever possible as she struggles.
I do feel sorry for her as she is 27 had no close friends that she goes out with, lives with her mum, socialises with her Mum, goes on holiday with her mum. She calls her work colleagues her best friends but never sees us our of work.

If I was her mum I would be bloody worried and trying to make her stand on her own to feet but I think her mum enjoys having her there all the time

The police are involved as are out regulating body. I informed them as I was the only one in when it all kicked off and I didn’t have a choice. However I got shouting at for making the project us look stupid.

There was nothing else I could do.

I keep waiting for something to happen and for the regularity body to demand to know how these details were changed and who changed them but somehow all of it seems to have been deflected by the chief exclusive and I don’t know how.

Me and other colleague are keeping a paper trail in case she try’s to being it down on one of our heads.

I used to work for a company where severql of the senior partners had their children working within the business.

The things they got away with were oitrageous. One of them openly sexually harassed any new, young woman in the company. Sending us unsolicited pictures of his privates, trying to initiate 'text sex, etc. Nothing got done, no matter how many women complained.

I left. If you're unhappy you may have to leave too. It's crap.

We have trustees but the head of them is the best friend of the Chief executive. You couldn’t make it up

I'd be contacting the regulatory body and giving them a heads up?

However there's little you can do really and it will keep happening. All the regulator can do is rap the company on the knuckles and if the CE decides notto pass that flak on to the employee- that's their decision.

Crap indeed.

Seriously it’s time to find another job. When all the ‘good’ staff have left, then they may start to realise there is a problem with her. But at least you will be well out of it.
I can’t see them wanting to lay off the Cx family member no matter how much you or your colleagues complain.

If or when you get another job, ask for an exit interview and spell out why you have left.

Oh dear. What an awful situation. I'm glad to hear you've kept a record of what's happened and also that you informed the Police and your organisation's regulatory body. Making sure that you and your other colleagues are covered has to be your first priority.

Maybe now the Police are involved, your ChExec won't be able to cover up for her daughter any more. Hope so, anyway.

It seems a real shame when you love a job, but can you ask to move to another project? Other than that, I think looking for another job seems your only way out.

If you're going to leave, make sure you have reference in place and have started another job before lodging any complaint. Then whistle-blow to whatever regulatory body exists.

Charity Commission might be interested?

I agree this is a case for whistleblowing - regardless of the fact she is the daughter of the Chief Exec, if she is making huge mistakes that are impacting massively on others, she mustn't be allowed to continue. However, I would find another job first, get the contract signed and everything in place before blowing the whistle.

I would not have the experience to work on the other projects as what we do is very different to the other projects.

Going to start looking for jobs. Fed up of all this and also the fact that the member of staff keeps changing things all the time that then need to be changed back to the right format. No matter how many times tell her she is making us more work she still does it.
She would not go down and see a client who asked for the the other day, she moaned to mummy that she was not in the “right frame of mind” to deal with someone face 2 face so I was told to go and deal with it instead. The thing is I kept needing to ring my colleague on the internal phone to get details ,you could
tell the client was thinking why doest the women just come down herself.

There is quite a bit of resentment through the whole organisation at the moment as the bosses daughter works there, the head of the trustees is her best friend and not long ago she made a fantansic member of staff redundant who could have moved to another project but was told there was no work in any of the projects. Two weeks later she brings another best friend in without an interview who is awful.

would the client be able to comment on this - letters to the board - all of them - espressing their concern? just a simple question "why couldn't i see "bosses daughter"

Well, be aware that when you whistleblow all hell may descend on you so get your ducks in order first. It sounds to me your office works extremely well, incidentally, you've got it all wrong... I mean, it's corrupt but nobody gets into trouble for it. That means it is a well-oiled machine, don't underestimate it.

Be wary of someone being brought in to 'assist' you - only it turns out they'll be shadowing you and spying on your every move - 5 mins late back from lunch, it goes on the notes. They you're the bad 'un. There are a whole slew of anti-whistleblowing tactics used by those in the know, they don't just make it up as they go along. Your name gets smeared the moment you look like you might be heading down that route - good luck finding a job that way.

It's almost better doing nothing or if you have to do something, go big, that way when someone hears bad news about you, they might be savvy enough to know why and not believe it.

But my experience is getting smeared by local authorities and health services, so yours might be different.

Sounds to me like this company is in decline. I think you would be better off leaving. It’s a shame and a lot of upheaval for you. This sort of nepotism goes on a lot in finance related jobs in my experience.

I would find another job - you sound like a wonderful employee and colleague - and then given an extremely honest and stinging exit interview. If you can whistleblow on the way out, all the better.

Honestly I would look for another job and walk away.

Whistleblowing is for situations where the bosses/authorities don't know what is going on

In this case they do.
WB can get very messy and if I was you I would look after my own position and leave them to it