Writers 
Last month, I sacked one of my male barbers. Not because he’s a bad barber, but because he overstayed his welcome.
Small business owners, have you ever had an employee that started liking you or should I say, catching feelings for you?
Well, I have worked with a lot of barbers and also worked for a lot of barbers, but I never experienced it until recently.
This dude is a calm looking young man that knows his job, which is the reason why I employed him.
He became my staff in November 2025, and it had been great working with him. At least, he no dey stress me or the customers.
I’m a kind person that cares for the people around me and those working for me.
I bought like three shorts for him and two pairs of footwear because I noticed he kept repeating the same clothes.
For my second barber, I got him rollon and perfumes because I didn’t like the scent he was giving. I mean, when I employed him, he didn’t have that kind of smell, so I felt maybe he stopped using what he was supposed to use.
Sometimes, I also buy food, snacks, and drinks for them. More like a big sister to them because I love my environment peaceful.
Then this dude started complimenting me.
“Ma, this your new hair is so fine.”
And I would just say, “Thank you.”
If something was disturbing me, he would be the first to ask,
“Ma, are you okay? You’re not looking happy today. You should smile more. You have a beautiful smile.”
And innocently, I would smile and say, “Thank you jare.”
Many more things that were supposed to be normal gestures… and never did I have issues with them.
Then there came the jealousy part.
This dude would get uncomfortable whenever male clients complimented me.
Once the client left, he would be like,
“All these over sabi customers… them go get woman, still dey look for another woman.”
Then the second barber would say,
“Ah ah, why the thing come dey pain you?”
There was this particular day a guy came to my office. He came with gifts and all.
I hugged him and welcomed him. We were talking, laughing, and gisting because it had been long since we saw each other, and he’s my very good friend.
This barber’s face was something else.
His body language was off too.
My friend had to ask me,
“Everything okay with your barber?”
I asked,
“Which one?”
He pointed at the same dude.
And I’m like,
“I don’t know oo. Maybe he’s having a bad day or something.”
Then my friend said,
“He’s acting jealous like say you be him babe.”
That was the statement that made me start seeing his attitude and behaviour differently.
When it was time to close, I was still talking with my friend oo.
This dude just walked towards us and said,
“Oga, we wan close oo. You never tire to dey talk?”
That’s when I changed it for him.
“Wetin bring that kind talk? Why do you have to disrespect my visitor like that? Apologize right now!” I said to him.
Instead of apologizing to my friend first before apologizing to me, he said,
“No ma, I’m sorry. Don’t be angry. I didn’t mean it that way.”
Before he turned to my friend and said,
“Bros, sorry.”
Definitely not from his mind.
That day passed.
Then different cases kept happening where he displayed the same attitude until I gave him suspension last month.
A client and I were talking, and jokingly he said,
“PJ, you no go like marry me? You na fine girl oo.”
From nowhere, this dude just burst into the conversation and said,
“Bros, she tell you say she dey search? No be woman call you? Just answer am now now.”
My client got angry and said,
“Am I talking to you? Wetin be your business? Are you PJ’s mouthpiece?”
He wanted to continue exchanging words with the man when I cut in and shouted at him to leave my shop and apologize to my client.
When the client left, I called him into the office and gave him a four day suspension.
When he resumed.
He came to the office with fruits for me.
He started apologizing for his behaviour and attitude, promising not to repeat them again.
Then he said,
“Ma it’s because I like you a lot. I don’t know how, but I just can’t get you off my mind. I’m so jealous whenever you laugh and joke with other men. I think I’m in love with you.”
I was speechless.
I was shocked.
Abi this boy wan turn me to Anambra Main Market man wey dey sleep with him sales girl, come give them belle ni?
I asked him to stop talking and not provoke me.
That night, when we were about to close, I called him aside and told him he was no longer needed at PJ BARBERSHOP.
Because at PJ BARBERSHOP, we value professionalism.
We value boundaries.
We value respect.
And he had overstayed his welcome.
And that’s how I let go of a skilled barber.
My business comes first.
I no dey mix business with pleasure.
So tell me,
Have any of you ever been in this situation before?
Was it your boss asking you out, or your employee asking you out?
What do you think I did wrong that made this dude start catching feelings?
And do you think I handled the situation the right way?