Nepotism in Employment
College employment should be based solely on human-resource needs and individual qualifications, skills, and performance. Therefore, the college maintains that employment should be free from familial relationships that may create the appearance of conflicts of interest (real or perceived), introduce uncertainty in regard to loyalty, or hint at favoritism.
Scope
All financial and administrative policies involving community members across campus, including volunteers are within the scope of this policy. If there is a variance between departmental expectations and the common approach described through college policy, the college will look to the campus community, including volunteers to support the spirit and the objectives of college policy. Unless specifically mentioned in a college policy, the college’s Board of Trustees are governed by their Bylaws.
Policy
No person who shares or appears to share a close relationship with a college employee by kinship, adoption, marriage, or who is a member of the same household may be appointed to regular positions or as an independent contractor, where one might exert any influence or produce any consequence upon the employment of the other. Influence and consequence includes, but is not limited to, recruitment, screening, appointment, termination of appointment, promotion, demotion, approval of salary increase or decrease, supervision, or evaluation.
Procedures
Employment of more than one family/household member* in the same program, department or division of the college requires special justification by the appropriate administrator in terms of personnel requirements and the unique qualifications of the individual. Such appointments must be reviewed by the Vice President for People and Workplace Culture.
In situations where an employee is in a working relationship with a family/household member who exerts influence or can levy consequences upon the other, the college will immediately assess the situation. Human Resources will advise the employee of the available alternatives, which may include:
- voluntary transfer (if feasible) to other departments on campus
- efforts to assign job duties so as to minimize problems of supervision or morale
If there is no alternative available, or the employee is unable or unwilling to agree to an alternative, the college may take action including, but not limited to, an involuntary transfer or termination of employment.
Requests for exceptions back to top
Any exception for regular positions must have the approval of the President. Appointments to temporary assignments or as independent contractors must be approved by the Senior Vice President of Finance and Administration
The college shall not employ or contract with a family/household member of the president except under extraordinary circumstances deemed necessary and with explicit prior approval by the chair of the board of trustees
Definitions
Family/household members: back to top
For the purposes of this policy, family/household members include: spouse, sibling, parent, child, grandparent, grandchild, niece, nephew, in-laws, domestic partner, and person in a co-habitation relationship, as well as step-parents, stepchildren, step-siblings, step-grandparents and step-grandchildren. This policy also applies to intimate partners defined as a person with whom the employee is having a current romantic and/or sexual relationship.
Favoritism: back to top
Occurs when a person who (by virtue of their position with the college) has authority to grant or deny college-related benefits, but abandons professional judgment and confers those benefits because of some special relationship rather than on the basis of merit or qualifications.