Dear Prudence,
I work for a small affiliate of a large, nationally-known nonprofit. We have fewer than 10 employees and are often short on volunteers, so I put in many hours of volunteer time. The problem is that my family is expected to help out as well. They do not like my boss because she can be rude and makes them uncomfortable. Though they support what we do, they are reluctant to participate if she is around. One of my roles in the organization is to be the “nice face” and smooth things out with donors, volunteers, and clients, but often she is rude to me as well. We live in a small town and all of us are involved in community projects, so their absence is conspicuous. How do I explain to my boss that my family is unwilling to help without hurting her feelings?
—Don’t Want to Hurt My Cause