Policy Number: 11
EMPLOYMENT AND RECRUITMENT PROCEDURES:
EMPLOYMENT OF RELATIVES
Eastern Illinois University adheres both to the principles of merit and of equal employment opportunity in employment decisions. It has established the following guidelines for all employment situations involving persons related by blood or marriage when both are employed at the University. The term "related by blood, adoption, or marriage" refers to the immediate family which includes spouse, son or daughter (including stepchildren), grandchild, son-in-law or daughter-in-law, parents, grandparents, parents-in-law, brother or sister (including step-brother or step-sister).
Although opportunities for employment, leaves, promotion, tenure and fringe benefits may not be limited because of marital relationship or immediate family relationship, the University does set reasonable restrictions on an individual's capacity to function as judge or advocate in specific situations involving members of the immediate family.
Prospective employees who are married to one another or are immediate family members will each be considered for any employment opportunity for which they are qualified completely independent of the fact that they are related. This statement means that no one may be either denied or offered employment because of relationship by blood or marriage to an employee or prospective employee.
If two employees in a single department are immediate family members, they shall be considered independently for all employment benefits, such as (but not limited to) leaves, sabbaticals, promotions, salary increases, retention or tenure; and neither shall vote, recommend, or have any other part in decision-making regarding the other's employment, leaves, sabbatical, promotion, salary increases, retention or tenure. The employees who are related, as well as their supervisor, shall be responsible for ensuring that immediate family members do not vote, recommend or have any other part in decision-making regarding each other's employment, leaves, promotion, tenure and fringe benefits.
No employee shall initiate or participate in institutional decisions involving a direct benefit (initial employment, leave of absence, tenure, promotion, sabbatical, pension, salary, etc.) to any person related as described above. Any employee who is in a position to initiate or participate in such institutional decisions involving an immediate family member, by virtue of their service in a supervisory capacity over that family member, is required to refer these decisions to the next higher administrative level.
At the time any person assumes a supervisory role for a relative, as defined above, the supervisor shall file a statement relinquishing all control of personnel matters to his/her immediate supervisor.
Each Vice President shall ensure compliance with this policy in his/her area. Questions about or alleged violations of this policy should be referred to either the Director of Human Resources or the appropriate Vice President who shall take whatever enforcement action is deemed to be necessary and appropriate.
Approved:
President
June 24, 1997
Monitor: President