Nepotism in The Workplace and How to Report It
Understanding Nepotism
Nepotism is when employers will prioritise hiring family members, spouses and/or friends for certain job positions. They also tend to give these individuals preferential treatment, namely in the form of receiving easier work assignments, or attaining privileges such as raises or promotions.
Picture this scenario: you and your employer’s spouse are both applying for the position of finance manager at your place of employment. Your performance record is near flawless; as for the spouse, they have had multiple issues, from making countless entry errors to inadequate record-keeping. Yet despite this, the spouse is appointed as the successful candidate for the position.
Regardless of whether or not these individuals are best qualified for these positions, nepotism is a harmful practice that can cause workplace dissatisfaction, decrease morale and work productivity, and lead to a breakdown in employer-employee relationships. What’s more, it can potentially give rise to fraud and corruption.
The Legalities
In most countries, nepotism is not illegal. Subject to certain hiring policies, some private or public businesses encourage their employees to refer their family members or friends for job openings. And, of course, it’s not unheard of for people to work in – and even inherit – their family’s businesses (depending on those businesses’ succession plans and/or structures).
However, where working for one’s government is concerned, the practice is considered illegal in countries such as the United States of America, Brazil and South Africa. For example, it would be frowned upon for your aunt, who is a prominent politician, to hire you as the director-general of the Department of Labour, especially if you have little or no experience in this particular field.
Generally, nepotism is considered unethical, as other people will be discriminated against in favour of the employer’s family member, spouse or friend. Each country has its own laws and codes regarding nepotism, so familiarise yourself with these as much as possible.
What to Do If Nepotism Occurs
If you or a colleague are being treated unfairly as a result of nepotism, or if you’ve noticed signs of this practice being carried out, follow these four steps:
- Document It
If there are any instances of perceived nepotism, you are encouraged to gather as much evidence as possible, especially if you plan to file a complaint to your human resources department or if the matter is taken to court.
Keep a record of conversations, emails, audio recordings, notes and other documents. Make sure these contain as many details as possible, such as the time and date, location, and the persons involved. For example, on the 16th of May in the breakroom, your manager vocally congratulated their nephew for a job well done on a project they barely made a contribution to without crediting your colleague, who was the project leader and did most of the work.
- Speak To Your Colleagues
You may not be the only one who’s affected by nepotism: your colleagues could be affected, too, but they may be too scared to speak up or they’re unsure about who to speak to.
Approach your colleagues privately. Initiate a casual conversation before introducing the topic of nepotism – this can open the floor for your colleagues to reveal incidents where they have been discriminated against in favour of the employer’s relatives and friends.
If you plan on using their information as evidence, ask for permission first. Honour their requests if they grant or deny permission. If they oblige, ask them if they wish for their names to be used or if they want to remain anonymous. After all, this endeavour can carry a huge career risk to all parties involved.
- Take It Higher
Keeping quiet about nepotism will not only escalate the issue, but it will also irreparably damage your productivity and morale, which can have long-term effects on your mental and emotional health.
Speak to your manager or supervisor confidentially – if they happen to be the person who hired their relatives or friends, then you must speak to the person who directly oversees them. They will take your concerns into consideration, perhaps conduct an investigation of their own (with the help of HR or a lawyer) and resolve the matter accordingly.
- Take The Legal route
Speak to your workplace’s human resources department, personnel office, a trade union representative or your lawyer. Schedule private appointments with them, whereby you can discuss the matter in-depth and file an official complaint accordingly.
Taking Immediate Action
Should you or a colleague find yourself in this situation, it’s important to follow these steps closely to ensure nepotism will cease. Taking immediate action in the face of nepotism will ensure not only a comfortable, productive and bias-free environment, but also ensures that the rights of current and future employees will be protected.