Our resident nepo baby

[JinnyJinx]

I work for a mid-size fashion brand. It's a successful company and I focus on analytics I enjoy it alls great.
Recently we employed an 18 year old part-time, she's doing her degree at the same time and I'm pretty sure there is some nepotism at play (I don't recall the role being advertised, we've never done this before and her dad bought her a central London flat for her 18th birthday ....). Basically this year she is going around a bunch of roles and departments to get a feel, she is sort of helpful in some departments I guess? Then next year and the year after she will focus on digital marketing and something else. She's in office 2 days a week.
The issue is, she hasn't got to the point in her degree yet that she really understands what I'm doing and she has been put with me until the end of the year. She is competent enough, but I feel like I'm just ask her to update spreadsheets all the time and she's never actually learning. She's in 2 days a week and one of those days I work from home so I have no idea what she actually does that day?
We have some guys who are mid-late 20s who work in the finance side, they seem to have preyed upon her, specifically got her desk moved so she was basically in the middle of them all, she goes for drinks with them every week, they all flirt quite aggressively. Over heard them this week saying how they'd "rail her".
No one more senior pays her much attention, she sits in on meetings sometimes but honestly I think they forget she's there.
I asked my boss to either help me with assigning her work or move her to somewhere she's of more use and mentioned to him that these guys aren't being great with her and he said if I can't find her work to make some, just keep her busy?!
She is moving to marketing after Christmas where she will be much more useful I imagine but right now I feel so bad for her as she isn't doing much of anything and these guys are treating her like a toy.
But equally ... why is she here? There is nepotism to get jobs that your are skilled for even if not the best fit ... then there is making a job where she just what floats around to pad out her CV?

AIBU to be concerned and frustrated? I think I should speak to my managers manager and see if the concerns can be escalated? Especially about the sleazy men but also the lack of work for her to do?

That's frustrating. I worked with one of those "nepo babies" s few years ago
She was just out of school, spoiled, rude, nasty, mouthy, lazy and knew nothing about her job or how to interact with people. The rest of the team around her worked hard and did a good job. She did not. Thankfully when the company hit a downtown a couple of years later they booted her. She was not missed!!!

OP reading a bit more on here are you sure she is a nepo baby? The nepo baby I worked with only got the job because of who her dad was within the company. She did not want to learn.This girl seems to so teach her.

We aren't entirely sure who her connection at the company is but are confident there is one.
So a bunch of pricks are gossiping about the poor lass, and another bunch are sexually harassing her? What a lovely company.

Maybe sign her up to a series of short courses that she could do from home?

I really wouldn't raise this with anyone higher up as she could be their nepo baby!

She'll be gone soon. You've tried to raise it and been shot down. I'd just throw her pointless admin and count down the days, I think.

Forget she's a Nepo baby. Forget she's no use to you.

You have been assigned an intern, essentially. Older men and blatantly targeting her sexually and she's too young / inexperienced/ flattered / s ared to deal with it appropriately.

If you're not prepared to pull rank and get her desk put back, you need to report everything you know to HR and also make it clear to her that this behaviour is being noted (theirs) and you don't think it's acceptable and you want her to know she can come to you if she has any concerns.

Is there no scope for you to change your working day? Can you assign her out of office duties on those days? Research etc at Uni?

There will often be young people who are there because of who they know.
On that basis, be kind and helpful. Suggest she changes her day to those when you are there.
Or liaise with other debts and suggests she does a day shadowing of some other roles leading to the end of the year.

To me it sounds more like an internship role, where she's finding her feet and working out what role she's interested in.

The men moving the desks is weird, so I'd flag that up. But unless I missed it (and sorry if I did!) and her dad, grandfather etc owns, or is high up enough to give opportunities, I don't think she's a nepo baby, but still annoying for you.

This sounds like many interns, sometimes they’re great, sometimes it’s more work for you trying to find them something to do. If she’s only with you until the end of the year and she only works two days a week and one of those you WFH, I really wouldn’t worry about it. You’ve got what? Another 4 days? Then she moves to marketing. Don’t stress about her, not your problem.

My goodness you would be horrified about the no. of nepotism babies within the NHS, it's rife, 😆

If you think she is in because of connections you’re totally playing it wrong because if she has the ear of someone senior, what she might be feeding back is boredom and experiencing sexual harassment. I’d be making sure she has the best learning experience possible and hoping that comes back well on you. Regardless you need to proactively tackle the men preying on her. She’s young and doesn’t deserve that shit in the workplace and should be aware that it isn’t acceptable.

Is she actually employed? It seems to me she is an intern if she is moving within departments. What is the nepo issue if she is an intern? Are you sure she did not send a cv for an internship? Not big deal tbh. It is different is she getting paid and employed.

The real problem is the guys being disrespectful you should report them.

One place I worked had so much nepotism in one department that it was nicknamed “Nepa Valley”!

Some people are just lucky in life but the disgusting men are a whole other issue that needs taking care of. They sound utterly pathetic.

She likely does know it isn't acceptable. 18-year-olds are generally wiser to this type of thing than, say, my generation 30 years ago was. However, that doesn't stop a power imbalance from occurring and horrid comments from flying around, and she should know how to complain - even as an intern.

Soubds like an apprentice. In what way is she a nepo baby - whose daughter is she? Founder or client? Your meant to help apprentices learn by the way.

Sorry to hear this. Your dd sounds fab. Making her own contacts. Amazing.

Is this a paid role? Did she get the job through a contact of the business?
As she's been teamed up with you, it sounds like you've been trusted with giving her work until next year. If you genuinely don't have anything, talk to her about why she applied for the job, what she hopes to get out of it and what her career goals are. You may get sneaky information on how the role came about, and you might get ideas on how to keep her busy throughout December.
Can she join you on all meetings, internal and external? She'll gain experience in using software, networking, professionalism, note taking, etc, through that. If she mentions she wants a specific career, you could see what's within your remit to help her gain experience in that area. If she mentions she's not confident with spreadsheets (understandable as the learning is never ending on excel!), point her in the direction of the free Microsoft Excel courses. They'd keep her busy when you work from home. Alternatively, has she completed all the company's compliance training? Are there any internal courses she can attend? Has she met the whole team yet? Could she have a meeting with each member of the different departments to get a feel for the company?
Considering the Christmas break and the fact she only works 2 days a week, it's really not that long to keep her occupied. Good luck!

So you do not actually know if neopotism is at play, yet you've created a whole scenario based on the assumption that she is a relative of one of the people you work for? You and your mates are 'reasonably confident' about this? Wow...

And you had to throw in that someone bought her a flat for her birthday?

You see her one day a week and have assumed that the men in the office are hassling her?

You need to take a moment to reflect. You sound very envious and very quick to jump to conclusions

When did "only 18" become a thing? She's an adult woman.

If these guys treat her like shit she can tell them to fuck off

If she's got nothing to do because her daddy got her a job then she can leave and do something else or suck it up

Either way I don't think you need to worry about her

Er, nepo is short for nepotism. Nepotism is not restricted to celebrity. It is any time someone benefits because of their connections. Any parent promoting their child for example is nepotism. A nepo baby is a child of someone who gets them where they are through their position.

So whose daughter is she though?

I totally get why when you've studied hard and worked at your career, have possibly a performance related bonus, to have people parachuted in before they've even graduated, living rent free while you've got a mortgage (if you're lucky) not because of their potential performance, but because of their fortune of birth could be irritating. The posters who suggest anything else simply don't have a clue.

But to the OP you need to report the finance guys to HR. And I'd do it in writing. No matter who she is or isn't, their behaviour is extremely far from unprofessional.

I think the excel course would be a gift to her. What about getting her to do that on the day you're WFH but under your tutelage? If Microsoft have a free one then she could do that without waiting time to get any funding. But do explain how important it is to have great excel skills, don't present it as "something to fill in the time". As an 18 year-old it may not be immediately obvious and possibly even a bit insulting - definitely boring.

That sort of thinking is very warped. I'm not going to resent teenagers because they've managed to secure an internship. Parachuted in- is she the CEO? It is unreasonable for a grown woman to be aggrieved at 2 days of work experience which is probably needed for her degree. Her internship does not jeopardise OP's position, her home owning should not be a sore point. All that detail was unnecc.

I happen to have children and I am amazed and often very proud at how they and their cohort think. They want something- they go for it. Do they make some mistakes- certainly do. But they research whatever it is, challenge the status quo and aren't afraid to speak up.

Nepotism is rife in all walks of life, do not focus on this.
The real issue is the disgusting men who have openly talked about her, report to HR.

Even if she got the job through connections to the company, so damned what??? Various pieces of reserach show that 70%+ of jobs are filled by someone connected - in the real world it's also described as networking and there are websites that promote exactly this! Connections have always been important in job search - my dad landed his first job in the mill where my gran worked. And other research has suggested that lack of familial workplace connections is one of the primary contributors to unemployment amongst young people. None of which says "and they were crap at the job as a result of nepotism".

I am more concerned that she is being preyed upon by older men in the company and a more senior and experienced woman is watching this happen and doing nothing about it.