It is the policy of the City that no employee shall appoint, employ or participate in a hiring decision involving any person within his or her immediate family, nor use his or her position to influence another City employee to hire his or her relative or family member. This policy is in compliance with Section 112.3135, Florida Statutes, relating to employment of relatives.

Immediate Family Members

For purposes of this policy, immediate family members include the following:

1. By Blood: Parent, child, grandparent, grandchild, brother, sister, niece, nephew, aunt, uncle, first cousin, great grandchild or great grandparent.
2. By Marriage: Husband, wife, stepparent, stepchild, father-in-law, mother-in-law, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, daughter-in-law, son-in-law, half-brother or half-sister.
3. By Law: Guardianship relationships and adoptive parent/child relationships.
4. Domestic Relationship: Individuals who are living together sharing joint responsibility for each other’s common physical, financial and social welfare as if in a legally recognized spousal relationship.

Supervisor

 For purposes of this policy, a supervisor is an employee who is responsible for, or effectively contributes to, an employee’s performance appraisal; issues or recommends discipline; establishes work assignments or directs an employee’s work; adjusts or recommends adjustments to grievances; or who is accountable for an employee’s time, such as scheduling, approving overtime and/or timesheets.

City employees shall not directly or indirectly supervise an immediate family member. The supervisory-subordinate relationship shall be interpreted to include all levels of supervisors within the chain of command, not just the immediate supervisor. If the immediate family relationship is formed after employment, both employees must disclose the relationship to the Department Director and Human Resources so that immediate steps, such as transfer, voluntary resignation, or dismissal from employment can be taken to resolve conflict with this policy. Should an employee not accept an offer to transfer to another division or department, as applicable, or should no transfer option be available, the employee may be dismissed. It shall be within the sole discretion of the City to determine which employee to dismiss based on the best interests of the City.

All employees shall refrain from intervening in any employment matter involving an immediate family member and shall refrain from involvement in any employment matter which may be viewed as a conflict of interest.