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Nepotism and Employee Relationships

Chapter 4095
Issued January 1, 2000; Revised July 22, 2014, September 11, 2015 and May 22, 2018

Table of Contents

.010 Introduction
.020 Policy
.030 Definitions
.040 Statutes, Regulations and Policies
.050 Questions

.010 Introduction

Kansas State University is committed to ensuring compliance with anti-nepotism laws, regulations and policies, and to protecting the integrity of the University work environment through appropriate management of workplace relationships between employees who are members of the same family, consensual romantic relationship or household.

.020 Policy

  1. Persons may be appointed to university support staff or unclassified positions at Kansas State University without regard to family relationship or living arrangements with other members of the faculty and/or staff so long as the personnel processes are conducted and decisions are made in compliance with institutional and Board policies. However, no University employee shall advocate or cause the employment, appointment, promotion, transfer or advancements to any office or position of the state, of a member of such employee's household or family.

  2. No University employee shall in the capacity as such employee be substantially involved in the preparation of or participate in the making of a contract with any person or business by which such employee is employed or in whose business such employee or any member of such employee's immediate family has a substantial interest. This includes contracts to hire independent consultants. "Substantially involved in the preparation or participate in the making of a contract" means having approved or disapproved a contract or having provided significant factual or specific information or advice or recommendations in relation to the negotiated terms of the contract.

  3. If a person is in a position which requires an evaluation or a personnel decision such as those concerning appointment, retention, promotion, discipline, transfer, tenure or salary of a family member, someone with whom such person is in a consensual romantic relationship, or a member of such person's household, such condition shall be deemed a conflict of interest and that person shall not participate in such a decision, and that person shall not participate in any group or body which is considering any such decision.

  4. Any supervisory relationship between family members, employees in a consensual romantic relationship, or members of the same household shall be disclosed in writing by the supervisor to the responsible administrator, along with a written management plan showing that the supervision is being conducted in compliance with this policy. The management plan should include, at a minimum, a description of the reporting and evaluation structure for the supervised employee's appointment, retention, promotion, discipline, transfer, tenure and salary. The management plan must be signed by the employee and the supervisor, and it must be submitted for review and approval to the unit head, dean and provost, or the equivalent administrators for non-faculty employees.

.030 Definitions

"Household member" - means a person having legal residence in or living in the employee's place of residence.

"Family member" - means (a) spouse, parent, child, or sibling; (b) sibling as denoted by the prefix "half"; (c) parent, child, or sibling as denoted by the prefix "step"; (d) foster child; (e) uncle, aunt, nephew, or niece; (f) any parent or child of a preceding or subsequent generation as denoted by the prefix "grand" or "great"; or (g) parent, child, or sibling related by marriage as denoted by the suffix "in-law".

"Consensual romantic relationships" - means mutually understood consensual romantic or sexual relationships between individuals.

.040 Statutes, Regulations and Policies

  1. Kansas Statutes Annotated 46-233; 46-246a,
  2. Kansas Administrative Regulation 1-9-21,
  3. Kansas Administrative Regulation 19-40-4, and
  4. Kansas Board of Regents Policy and Procedures Manual, Chapter IIC.2.b.v.
  5. PPM 4094: Consensual Romantic Relationships Involving Students

.050 Questions

Human Resources (HR) is responsible for this policy. The Vice President or designee must approve any exception to this policy or related procedures. Questions should be directed to Human Resources, Employee Relations and Engagement (785) 532-6277 or hr@ksu.edu.

Questions may also be addressed to the Office of General Counsel, (785) 532-5730.