Recruiting family members

[Blankiefan]

Any perspectives about policies allowing / prohibiting managers to recruit family members in their teams? Large FTSE company - not a small business.

Is it lawful to not allow managers to manage their partners / children (either directly line manage or within their lines - eg the daughter reporting into a manager who reports into the mother)?

How common have you come a across this and any thoughts on if it's a good or bad thing?

Not unlawful. Within bigger companies policies like this aren't uncommon and are perfectly sensible in my view.

Managing/being managed by a family member is fraught with a whole host of potential difficulties, so avoiding it makes sense.

Policy in our place (large public sector organisation) wouldn't allow it. They can work elsewhere in the organisation but not directly reporting or anywhere in the chain of command. Audit risk apparently amongst other things

Thanks - very helpful.

I worked in a place where it seemed every second person was related. It was a nightmare. People managing their children, nieces, cousins etc. There was preferential treatment everywhere you looked. Most "supervisors" were related to the manager of the department. It was a minefield and one of the first things I did as head of HR was introduce a policy that it was no longer permitted. We then started the process of weeding out the non performers. You can imagine the fun that was.

It's just a big no no in my book unless both parties are extremely professional. Of course, as hirers you have no way of knowing that Joe's son is a "grafter" etc.

They can work elsewhere in the organisation but not directly reporting or anywhere in the chain of command.

^^ This is how it's been everywhere I've worked. Plenty of relatives of staff members employed, just not allowed to be anywhere in the same reporting line.