BOARD OF TRUSTEES PROCEDURE
2/22/2010
NEPOTISM POLICY
Procedure
Ramapo College permits the employment of relatives of current employees so long as no potential conflict
of interest results. To alleviate potential conflict, an employee who has the power to appoint, reappoint, or
confirm the appointment or reappointment of, approve a change in status of, evaluate performance for
salary increment, promotion, or dismissal, of subordinates or subordinates of subordinates, may not hire,
supervise, or otherwise manage a relative.
In accordance with the State Ethics Commission (the Commission) guidelines based on the Conflicts Law
(2006) the following is adopted by Ramapo College of New Jersey:
A relative is defined as an employee’s spouse or the individual’s or spouse’s parent, child, brother, sister,
aunt, uncle, niece, nephew, grandparent, grandchild, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, stepparent, stepchild,
stepbrother, stepsister, half brother or half sister, whether the relative is related to the individual or the
employee’s spouse by blood, marriage, or adoption.
Family Members Working for the Same Agency
In the case of relatives who work for the same agency, direct supervisor/subordinate relationships are not
permitted.
Hiring Family Members
With respect to hiring of family members, the Commission looks at the totality of circumstances surrounding
the hire to determine whether unwarranted privilege has been afforded a family member. Note that the
Conflicts Law prohibits hiring in some circumstances. See N.J.S.A. 52:13D21.2
Interacting with Family Members in the Private Sector
With respect to interactions with family members or their private sector employers, the Commission
generally recommends recusal from matters involving the relative and/or the relative’s employer, in order to
eliminate any appearance of impropriety.
Dating and Other Relationships
The Commission’s policy concerning spouses who work in the same agency is also applicable to nonrelated individuals who share the same household with the same financial interdependence that the
Commission views as creating a conflict in spousal situations. In the case of employees involved in a dating
relationship, the Commission has found violations of the unwarranted privilege and appearance sections of
the statutes in situations where the State employee had official involvement in a matter affecting the
employee with whom he/she had a dating relationship.
Other Resources
For a more complete discussion of this subject, see Official Interactions with Family Members/Cohabitants
and Dating Relationships, at www.nj.gov/ethics/statutes/guide/famcode.html
The Office of Employee Relations will periodically review employee records and require “Supervisory
Conflicts of Interest Certification” as potential conflicts of interest are identified.
Nepotism Policy Procedure
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BOARD OF TRUSTEES PROCEDURE
2/22/2010
Ramapo College of New Jersey
SUPERVISORY CONFLICTS OF INTEREST CERTIFICATION
Name:
Telephone/Ext:
Unit:
Title:
Full-Time:
Part-Time:
Division:(Check One)
Academic Affairs
Student Affairs
Administration & Finance
Institutional Advancement
This certification is made in accordance with the New Jersey State Ethics Commission regulations, N.J.A.C. 19:61-5.7, and
the Uniform Ethics Code, which prohibits a State officer or employee, or Special State officer, from supervising or exercising
authority with regard to personnel actions over a relative*, cohabitant or someone a State employee or officer is dating. By
my signature below, I certify that I have undertaken a review of the employees directly under my supervision/chain of
command and have made the following determination:
Check one:
I do not supervise or have any personnel authority over a relative, someone I live with or someone I am dating.
I do supervise or have/exercise personnel authority over a relative, someone I live with or someone I am dating. (If box
is checked, indicate in space provided, name, title and relationship of subordinate who is your relative, person you live
with or are dating).
Print Name
Date
Signature
Title
*Relative means an individual’s spouse or the individual’s or spouse’s parent, child, brother, sister, aunt, uncle, niece,
nephew, grandparent, grandchild, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, stepparent, stepchild, stepbrother, stepsister, half-brother,
half-sister.
Note: This completed and signed form should be sent to Employee Relations within two weeks of receipt.
Nepotism Policy Procedure
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