HR-115 Employment of Relatives

Summary

The University restricts the employment of individuals related as closely as the fourth degree to any current member of the Board of Curators or to an administrative superior. A person who is related more remotely than the fourth degree to any employee of the University may be employed by the University without regard to the relationship.

Policy

Per Collected Rules and Regulations (CRR) 320.040: Nepotism (Amended 7-28-20):

1. Relatives of Curators Not to be Employed -- No person who is related by blood or marriage to any current member of the Board of Curators within the fourth degree by consanguinity or affinity, shall become an employee of the University during the time such curator is a member of the Board of Curators. No exceptions shall be made to this rule.
2. Employees Not to Hire or Appoint Relatives -- No employee of the University shall hire or appoint an individual who is related by blood or marriage within the fourth degree by consanguinity or affinity to the employee making the decision to hire or appoint. No exceptions shall be made to this rule.
3. Restrictions on being Administrative Superior to Relatives—Notwithstanding any other provision of University policy inconsistent herewith and even though the prohibitions found in Section 320.040A and Section 320.040B above have been complied with, no employee of the University shall be the Administrative Superior of an individual who is related by blood or marriage within the fourth degree by consanguinity or affinity to that employee.
4. No Other Restrictions on Employment of Relatives—Other than the restrictions found in Section 320.040A, Section 320.040B and Section 320.040C above, the University imposes no restrictions on the employment of relatives who have been hired or appointed pursuant to normal University human resources and equal employment opportunity policies.
5. Definitions -- For the purpose of interpreting and applying the provisions of Section 320.040, the following terms shall have the following meanings:
   
   1. Relatives by Blood or Marriage 
      
      1. Relatives by Blood Within the Fourth Degree -- A person is related by blood (consanguinity) as closely as the fourth degree to the following: children; grandchildren; great-grandchildren; great-great-grandchildren; parents; grandparents; great-grandparents; great-great-grandparents; brothers and sisters; nephews;  grand nephews; nieces; grand nieces; uncles; grand uncles; aunts; grand aunts; and first cousins. 
      2. Relatives by Marriage With the Fourth Degree -- A person is related by marriage (affinity) as closely as the fourth degree to that person's spouse and to the spouse's following blood relatives of his or her spouse:  children; grandchildren; great-grandchildren; great-great-grandchildren; parents; grandparents; great-grandparents; great-great-grandparents; brothers and sisters; nephews; grand nephews; nieces; grand nieces; uncles; grand uncles; aunts; grand aunts; and first cousins.
      3. Other Persons Considered as Relatives -- The half-blood shall be considered the same as the whole blood. Stepchildren, stepparents, etc., shall be considered the same as blood relatives of the person or the person's spouse as the case may be. An in loco parentis relationship shall be considered the same as a blood relationship to the person or the person's spouse as the case may be. 
   2. Employees -- The term "employees" shall include officers, academic staff members, and all other employees of the University. 
   3. Administrative Superior -- An "Administrative Superior" is any employee of the University who has responsibility for deciding whether to appoint, promote or grant tenure; who has the responsibility for recommending whether to appoint, promote or grant tenure; who has the responsibility for setting or approving the salary or deciding whether to increase the salary of another University employee; or who has the responsibility for recommending the salary, recommending approval of the salary or recommending whether to increase the salary of another University employee.  The term Administrative Superior includes faculty and staff members responsible for making recommendations, whether such recommendation is made individually, is made as a member of a committee, or is made collectively with others.  The term is not limited to upper levels of University administration, but includes a University employee at any level who has any of the responsibilities described in the first two sentences of Section 320.040E.3.
   4. Immediate Supervisor—An “Immediate Supervisor” is an employee’s direct supervisor. 
6. Full Disclosure Required-- In any circumstance in which an individual who is an Administrative Superior becomes aware of being in a position in which performance of regular duties with regard to a University employee would cause this nepotism policy to be violated, such individual has an obligation to fully disclose the circumstances to the individual's Immediate Supervisor and to cooperate with such Immediate Supervisor in being removed from any involvement in those activities prohibited by this policy and which are related to any person who is related by blood or marriage within the fourth degree by consanguinity or affinity to such Administrative Superior.
7. Consequences of Violations--A violation of this policy, regardless of the manner in which it is brought to the attention of the University, may lead to disciplinary action as appropriate, up to and including termination of employment in the most serious circumstances, following appropriate processes for such discipline.

Further HR Policy Provisions

Additional HR-115 policy provisions below in accordance with CRR 320.040:

None at this time.

Date Created: 09/26/1997
Updated: 10/16/2008; 10/29/2020