Research Corporation of the University of Hawaiʻi

Research Corporation
of the University of Hawai‘i
3.255 RCUH Employment of Relatives and Other Close Relationships
I. Policy
It is the RCUH’s policy to ensure that the employment of relatives or others with close relationships to those at RCUH will not inhibit or adversely affect the fair and equitable treatment of the other employees of the project.
Any RCUH employees who has relatives and/or others with whom they have close relationships that have affiliation with the program in which they are employed shall disclose the relationship to the RCUH Human Resources Department as soon as practicable at any time during employment via the Employment of Relatives and Other Close Relationships Form.
II. Responsibilities
A. RCUH Employee
1. Declare when a relative or someone of close relationship is employed with a program that has an affiliation with the project.
1. Complete and route the Employment of Relatives and Other Close Relationships Form for appropriate signatures.
2. Ensure the relationship will not inhibit or adversely affect the fair and equitable treatment of the other employees of the project.
B. Principal Investigator
1. Review the Employment of Relatives and Other Close Relationships Form to ensure the relationship will not inhibit or adversely affect the fair and equitable treatment of the other employees of the project.
2. If a supervisory relationship exists between the RCUH employee and relative/close relation, appoint a third-party individual to handle the personnel matters for the employee.
III. Applications
This policy applies to all RCUH employees regardless of FTE or employment category.
IV. Details of Policy
A. Definitions Relating to the Policy
1. Relative: Members of an individual’s immediate family, in-laws, or others in legally recognized family relationships.

2. Other Close Relations: Domestic partners, co-workers who are dating, or participants in other romantic relationships.
3. Employment of Relatives and Other Close Relationships Form: The written disclosure of the existence of a close or familial relationship between two individuals, assurance of fair and equitable treatment, and an agreement to abstain from decision-making affecting economic benefits to the relative or close relation.
B. Guidelines of the Employment of Relatives and Other Close Relationships
1. The relationship must not inhibit or adversely affect the fair and equitable treatment of the other employees of the project.
2. An Employment of Relatives and Other Close Relationships Form is required when an RCUH employee has familial and/or other close relationships with individuals who have an affiliation with the program in which he/she is employed.
3. In the event of a supervisor–subordinate relationship between the above relatives/close relations, the supervisor shall disqualify himself/herself from all deliberations and actions affecting economic benefits to his/her relative/close relation (i.e., may not sign or approve time reports, personnel actions, performance evaluations, etc.).
In this case, the evaluation of performance and professional competence shall be carried out objectively and fairly through committees, an outside review, and/or by a third-party person who will handle all personnel actions for the employee.
4. Failure to comply with this policy will be cause for termination of employment of affected individuals.
V. Procedures
A. Employee Must Complete a Form – The employee must complete the Employment of Relatives and Other Close Relationships Form when he/she has a relative or other close relation employed with a program affiliated with the employee’s project.
B. Employee Must Submit Form to RCUH – The employee must submit the Employment of Relatives and Other Close Relationships Form to the RCUH Human Resources Department together with the new hire appointment documents, or as a separate submittal in the case of a relationship between employees established post-hire (i.e., marriage, other close relationship).
VII. Contact Phone Number Email: RCUH Employment: (808) 956-7307 [email protected]
VI. Relevant Documents
Employment of Relatives & Other Close Relationships Form

Date Revised: 4/25/17