Parents want to save daughter from horrible boss
Dear Amy: My daughter, "Cynthia," just finished her freshman year of college. She secured a summer job at a business high on her wish list.
At first she was treated well -- the owner, "Marianne," mentored her and treated her as if she were a member of the family. But that all ended very suddenly, and without warning, a few weeks in.
The owner, it turns out, is a complete nightmare -- screaming, yelling, name-calling, and basically treating my daughter like garbage.
Marianne hides things and then accuses Cynthia of not doing her job. She routinely performs unethical, if not illegal, business practices. She has warned Cynthia not to tell anyone.
Cynthia takes the blame for things she did not do, and is afraid to defend herself, but refuses to quit for fear of losing out on future summer job offers.
The workplace has become so hostile that I am worried about my daughter's physical and mental safety.
My husband and I want to confront Marianne in person, because Cynthia is paralyzed with fear. She has never, ever been treated like this during any of her high school jobs.
At what point does a parent step in to protect their child?
-- Concerned Parents
Dear Parents: You should not intervene directly with this supervisor.
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