NEPOTISM

Reference: Wyoming Statutes, Title 9, Administration of the Government, Chapter 13, Government Ethics, Article 1, Public Officials, Members and Employees Ethics, Section 9-13-104

It is the policy of the College not to discriminate in its employment and personnel actions with respect to its employees and applicants on the basis of marital, familial or relationship status. The College retains the right to refuse to appoint a person to a position in the same department, division or facility, wherein his/her relationship to another employee has the potential for creating an adverse impact on supervision, safety, security, or morale, or involves other potential conflicts of interest.

The President shall establish procedures regarding nepotism.

Procedure 4210D

NEPOTISM & PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS IN THE WORKPLACE

To avoid a conflict of interest or the appearance of a conflict of interest, no employee may initiate or participate in, directly or indirectly, decisions involving a direct benefit to those related by blood or marriage, membership in the same household, including domestic partners or persons with whom employees have an intimate relationship. This includes decisions involving a direct benefit such as: initial hire or rehire, salary, promotion, performance appraisals, work assignments or other working conditions.

Potential conflicts of interest may exist in situations of close personal relationships which involve other than family relationships.

Definition of Relationships
The definition of “relationships” should be interpreted very broadly to avoid a conflict of interest or the appearance of a conflict of interest.

All employees are responsible to disclose the facts of a relationship to Human Resources or the immediate supervisor or the appropriate Vice President if there is a possible conflict of interest. If an employee is unsure if the relationship is covered by this policy, employees are encouraged to disclose the relationship rather than fail to disclose.

Sexual or Romantic Relationships
No supervisor may influence directly or indirectly, salary, promotion, performance appraisals, work assignments or other working conditions for an employee with whom a consensual romantic or sexual relationship exists.

Disruption to the workplace can be particularly acute when a sexual or romantic relationship involving a supervisor is known to exist but cannot be openly discussed. Supervisors should also understand that even in a consenting relationship there are risks of charges of sexual harassment or favoritism.

Both employees involved in a consensual relationship are individually responsible for disclosure.

A supervisor’s failure to report such a relationship will be regarded as serious and may be grounds for disciplinary actions, including termination (particularly in cases where bias or harassment has occurred in connection with a benefit).

Report of Relationship
Applicants for employment with the College shall be required to disclose on the application form if he/she is related to any person who is currently employed by the College.

Supervisors who receive information that someone who reports to them is related to a supervisor or is in a consensual or romantic relationship with an employee the supervisor supervises, the supervisor will inform the Director of Human Resources and if the relationship exists, appropriate steps will be taken to ensure that decisions are made in an unbiased setting.

Adopted November 19, 1981
Reformatted October 7, 1986
Reformatted February, 2012
Revised July 15, 2015