Employment of Relatives

PURPOSE:

To provide guidelines in the employment and assignment of employees to preclude favoritism based on familial or personal relationships.

DEFINITIONS:

Relatives shall include persons related by blood, marriage or legal adoption (spouse, mother, father, daughter, son, grandchildren, brother, sister, niece, nephew, aunt, uncle, cousin, etc.) to either the employee or the employee’s spouse. Also included are relatives of individuals who share the same household, cohabitants (persons who are not married but share the same household), domestic partners and persons who share a close personal or business relationship outside the agency.

POLICY:

1. Employees participating in an interview or selection process shall disqualify themselves, if any of the job applicants meet the definition of relatives.
2. Managers or supervisors shall not be in the direct supervisory chain of any individual who meets any of the conditions in the definition of relatives.
3. Managers or supervisors shall not be assigned to a position in which he/she would have the authority to supervise or audit the work of an employee who meets any of the conditions in the definition of relatives.
4. Employees shall report current or potential conflicts:
   1. Employees shall immediately report any current or potential conflicts with this policy to their appropriate chain of command.
   2. Upon receiving a report of current or potential conflict, the appointing authority shall initiate action to make changes in the supervisory or auditing relationship and ensure compliance with this policy. Whenever possible, a voluntary reassignment request by one of the parties concerned will be honored.
5. Sanctions:
   1. Violations of this policy may result in corrective/disciplinary action up to and including termination of employment.

References:  RCW 42.52.010 through 42.52.200