亚洲天堂 Lake council has implemented a new policy that is intended to avoid potential favouritism or conflicts of interest among village staff and council.

The nepotism policy establishes guidelines pertaining to members of the same family working for the Village of 亚洲天堂 Lake.

The new policy states that employment of a spouse or relative of the mayor or member of council 鈥渟hall not be considered for any position.鈥�

鈥淚n the event that a relative of an existing employee is elected to council, a reasonable effort will be made to accommodate such situation provided that potential favouritism and conflict of interest are avoided,鈥� states the policy.

The village says there have been no nepotism concerns involving staff or council. Although 亚洲天堂 Lake鈥檚 director of recreation Dooseon Jung is married to 亚洲天堂 Lake Mayor Chris Beach, she resigned effective July 1, 2017. The village says her resignation had nothing to do with the new policy.

The policy adds that no employee shall be allowed to be in direct supervision of a relative or member of his or her immediate family. However, a spouse or a relative of an employee may be considered for a position when there is a 鈥渟uitable system of checks and balances.鈥�

鈥淭here shall be no opportunity allowed for an employee to influence or exercise favouritism in the decision to employee, continue to employ, place or promote any person for employment who is a relative, or to influence the terms and conditions of employment of a relative,鈥� states the policy.

鈥淚n the event that two employees in the same department become spouses or relatives and are in breach of this policy, one of the employees may be required to leave the department.鈥�

According to a village staff report, it is not unusual for multiple members of a family to work for the same employer. However, such relationships can be troublesome and give rise to favouritism, employees taking advantage, or problems with administering discipline.

Even though 亚洲天堂 Lake already has a 鈥榮tandards of conduct鈥� policy that includes restrictions to employment of family members, 亚洲天堂 Lake councillor Susan Schienbein said 亚洲天堂 Lake needed a broader nepotism policy to avoid future conflicts.

The village鈥檚 鈥榮tandards of conduct鈥� policy states that employees will not be hired if a family member is to be directly supervising another employee.

鈥淚f such a case arises, special circumstances are implemented such as change in supervisory roles; discipline, payroll administration and leave entitlement and recruitment become the responsibility of another supervisor,鈥� states the standards of conduct policy.