Policy 227 - Employment of or Teaching Family/Household Members

The purpose of this policy is to provide guidance for the hiring of or teaching persons who may be related to or household members of faculty or staff of the College or members of the Board of Trustees for the College.

Employment of Family/Household Members

Lower Columbia College strives to attract and retain the best individuals for each employment opportunity and follow ethics laws related to conflicts of interest. Family relationships shall not be used as the basis or a factor in granting or denying rights, privileges, or benefits of regular job status with the following exceptions, which are bona fide occupational qualifications as described under RCW 49.60.180, WAC 162-12-140, WAC 162-16-240, and WAC 162-16-250.

Employees will not advocate for or hire members of their family/household. Employees may not serve on the search committee for a position in which a family/household member is interviewing. Employees are expected to exercise good judgment in identifying potential conflicts of interest related to family members that are not included as part of this policy (i.e., aunt, uncle, niece, nephew, cousins). Employees will inform Human Resources (HR) of any potential conflicts of interest related to their involvement in the recruitment process.

Members of the same family/household may not:

• Hold positions within the College that place them in a supervisory role over their family/household member.
• Be in the supervisory chain of command over their family/household member without HR approval.
• Have direct supervision of student employees who are members of their family/household without HR approval.
• Exercise decision-making authority in granting tenure, scheduling, assigning work, or offering overtime to their family/household member.
• Act as an auditor or evaluate the work of a family/household member.

Teaching Family/Household Members

Faculty employees will inform HR of any potential conflicts of interest related to members of their family/household who are enrolled or potentially enrolled in their course. Faculty are expected to exercise good judgment in identifying potential conflicts of interest related to family members that are not included as part of this policy (i.e., aunt, uncle, niece, nephew, cousins).

Without prior approval by the Dean and HR, members of the same family/household may not:

• Teach a family/household member
• Assign a grade to a family/household member

Definitions

Family/household member: includes an employee's current or former spouse or domestic partner, mother, father, child, step-child, adopted child, foster child, child that employee is guardian of, brother, sister, grandparent, grandchild, or any of these same classifications who are in-laws. "Household member" also includes anyone who cohabitates with the employee, such as roommates, friends, or other non-relatives.

Conflict of interest: occurs whenever an employee may have an interest, financial or otherwise, direct or indirect, or engages in a business or transaction or professional activity that is in conflict with the proper discharge of the employee's duties. Supervision of others or assigning a grade to others, including members of an employee's family or household, that may result in an interest to the employee, is considered a conflict of interest.

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Historic Information

• Approved by ELT - June 17, 2026
• Reviewed by Governance Council - May 26, 2026
• Reviewed by UMCC - May 26, 2026
• Reviewed by ELT - May 20, 2026
• Reviewed by Governance Council - February 5, 2025
• Reviewed by UMCC - January 21, 2025
• Reviewed - No Changes Needed: July 13, 2022
• Reviewed by the Executive Leadership Team - June 19, 2019
• Adopted - February 2, 2019

Resources