Hiring Relatives Policy

Updated: 1/23/17; Reviewed: 10/13/21
Contact: Human Resources

The employment of relatives in the same area of an organization may cause serious conflicts and problems with favoritism and employee morale. In addition to claims of partiality in treatment at work, personal conflicts from outside the work environment may be carried into day-to-day working relationships. For the purposes of this policy, a relative is any person who is related by blood or marriage, or whose relationship with the employee is similar to that of persons who are related by blood or marriage, such as a fiancé.

Relatives of persons currently employed by William Jewell College may be hired only if they will not have a direct, indirect or dotted-line reporting or supervisory relationship with other current employees. In other words, relatives of current employees can’t review the work of their relative, report to the same supervisor, or have any supervisory oversight of each other. William Jewell College employees may not be transferred or “grand-fathered” into such a reporting relationship. Exceptions to these policies may be granted with unanimous agreement of the President, Provost and VP for Finance and Operations. All other relatives hired into the same department or division require approval by the Cabinet member with oversight of the department or division employing the individual.

If the relative relationship is established after employment, the individuals involved must meet with their department director and the Cabinet member with department oversight to decide if action is required and if so, which employee is to be transferred or which employee may be discharged if a transfer is not available. If that consultation is not conducted within thirty (30) days, the department director and Cabinet member will decide which employee is to be transferred (or discharged in cases where transfer is not available). Transfers of relatives within the College shall not cause the displacement of other current employees.