The experience of working in an organization where standards were clear, is something a lot of people never got the opportunity to experience. This can be frustrating and discouraging. Some companies maintain inner corruption that makes the playing field rough and the promotion process unfair. It\u2019s called nepotism, and if your company suffers from it, your business will end up losing highly inspired employees and having lower workplace morale and productivity. Stay tuned to learn what nepotism in the workplace is, its policy, and the difference between nepotism Vs cronyism.<\/p>
Nepotism is the act of granting benefits, privileges, or positions to relatives or close friends in an occupation or field. These fields may include but are not limited to business, politics, academia, entertainment, sports, religion, and other activities. Nepotism is the preferential treatment of relatives and friends during the hiring process, regardless of others who might be more qualified for those positions. <\/p>
Thus, nepotism occurs when those with the power to hire or promote within a company ignore more qualified candidates to hire or advance a family member instead. In other words, nepotism at the workplace happens when employers treat the related employee better than other employees. Some examples of this are:<\/p>
Nepotism is not technically illegal in the United States as it does not directly violate any labor law. However, if an employee benefits from knowing a family or friend who is already employed by an organization, the title v11 of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 may come into play. Oftentimes, families share race and national origin, which can be classified as discrimination. But, any form of favoritism may result in unlawful discrimination in the workplace.<\/p>
Nepotism in the workplace means favoring family and friends over others for opportunities, including hiring, promotions, desirable project assignments, preferred shifts, etc. While not illegal, nepotism is one of the more destructive practices managers can introduce in a workplace. Also, in some cases, nepotism can be beneficial, especially if the person being hired has the necessary skills and qualifications. However, in many cases, nepotism creates an unfair workplace where qualified individuals are ignored for promotions or jobs simply because they don’t have the right connections.<\/p>
These examples show how nepotism creates problems in the workplace and leads to the feeling of unfairness, favoritism, and conflict of interest.<\/p>
Generally speaking, there are two types of nepotism: reciprocal nepotism and entitlement nepotism. Although they are both unjust, they serve different purposes, and the motives behind them are slightly different.<\/p>
Nepotism doesn\u2019t occur in a void. It can hurt employers, employees, and the entire company. A few of the negative effects of hiring unqualified family members are:<\/p>
Employees tend to feel less valued if they notice family favoritism at work. For instance, imagine a loyal employee who constantly comes to work early, and performs the job well. Now imagine that employee\u2019s reaction when an expected promotion goes to the manager\u2019s average niece instead. Such behavior brings bitterness and anger. The crest effect of nepotism can turn a once-healthy workplace toxic.<\/p>
Nepotism reduces employee esteem by making employees feel the deck is stacked against them. This, in turn, makes employees wonder why they should try to do their best if being the boss\u2019 relative is the main benchmark for promotion. In addition to that, Their confidence in the company\u2019s mission disappear. This leads to employees giving their minimum instead of their best effort.<\/p>
Poor morale caused by nepotism has side effects. You will lose valuable members of your workforce. Talented employees who notice nepotism may leave the company to go somewhere they feel will treat them more fairly. Also, bear in mind that replacing good employees isn\u2019t cheap: Hiring expenses e.g., recruitment, job board fees, background checks, etc., and training new employees can be costly.<\/p>
Qualifications are critical. This is why unqualified employees cause productivity to suffer. When managers hire or promote less equipped relatives, they are bound to make more mistakes than other employees that someone else has to correct. Additionally, adding a number to the cost of lost productivity is difficult, but common sense indicates that an unqualified employee\u2019s salary is just one session of wasted money due to nepotism.<\/p>
Respect for managers is essential for employee engagement. But when those with hiring and promotion power make poor decisions, such as hiring unqualified relatives, they risk losing employees\u2019 respect. Recent data shows that nepotism causes employees to view leaders negatively. Bitterness, insubordination, and less dedication to the job are just a few effects of lowered respect for company leaders.<\/p>
A nepotism policy is a set of rules and guidelines set in place by an organization to prevent the hiring or promotion of family members or close relatives of current employees or management. Hence, the policy is created to avoid conflicts of interest, favoritism, and other forms of unfair treatment that may arise when family members work together in the same organization. <\/p>
Additionally, the nepotism policy typically specifies the types of relationships that are covered, such as spouses, children, parents, siblings, and in-laws, and sets forth the punishment for violating the policy. The policy may also include exceptions in certain instances, such as when there are no other qualified candidates for a position. An effective nepotism policy is an important tool in promoting a fair and equitable workplace and can help maintain the integrity of the organization.<\/p>
Are you going to add a nepotism policy to your procedures? Here are some key things to consider when drafting a nepotism policy:<\/p>
The policy should clearly define what nepotism is and what relationships are covered by the policy. For example, the policy might state that no employee may directly or indirectly supervise, hire, or make decisions involving a family member, spouse, or domestic partner.<\/p>
The policy should identify the job positions that are protected by the policy, such as all employees, supervisors, or executives. The policy should also clarify whether the policy applies to both full-time and part-time employees.<\/p>
The policy should clearly state the consequences for going against the policy, such as disciplinary action up to and including termination.<\/p>
In some cases, it may be necessary to make an exception to the policy, such as when no other qualified candidates are available for a particular position. The policy should outline the process for requesting an exception and the criteria for figuring out whether an exception is warranted.<\/p>
Once the policy is drafted, it is necessary to communicate it to all employees and make it part of the onboarding process for new hires. It should also be reviewed and updated regularly to ensure it remains relevant and effective.<\/p>
The policy should make provision for guidance on how to identify and address conflicts of interest that may arise when employees have personal relationships with coworkers or supervisors. This may involve recusing oneself from certain decisions or projects.<\/p>
Depending on the jurisdiction, nepotism policies may be subjected to certain legal requirements or restrictions. Therefore, it is advisable to consult with legal counsel to ensure the policy is compliant with relevant laws and regulations.<\/p>
Nepotism and Cronyism are two forms of favoritism between which a key difference can be identified. First, let us define the two words. nepotism is favoritism shown to relatives or family members, especially by giving them jobs. On the other hand, cronyism is the favoritism shown to friends when appointing for new positions. As you can see, while nepotism focuses on relatives; mainly family members, cronyism focuses on friends,<\/p>
Below are the differences between nepotism vs cronyism in different approaches, <\/p>
Nepotism and cronyism are about unfairly favoring someone in the workplace. Hence, nepotism refers to favoring a family member, whereas cronyism is favoring a friend or acquaintance.<\/p>
In nepotism, favoritism is shown to relatives whereas in cronyism, favoritism is shown to friends.<\/p>
Nepotism often happens in religious, career-based, entertainment, and religious sectors whereas cronyism usually happens in politics, career-based, and entertainment sectors. This is another difference between nepotism Vs cronyism.<\/p>
In nepotism when a director promotes his son to a higher position although there are better-qualified candidates than him. But When a procurement officer awards the contract for the procurement of computers to his friend<\/p>
While there is no single cause of nepotism in the workplace, it often arises from a combination of factors, such as tribalism, poor management, cost-cutting, and risk aversion.<\/p>
nep\u00b7\u200bo\u00b7\u200btist. -p\u0259t\u0259\u0307st, -p\u0259t\u0259\u0307- plural -s. : one who practices nepotism.<\/p>
Nepotism is workplace favoritism due to relational contact rather than job performance. Oftentimes, the favored individuals might be having a close personal relationship with upper management, such as a supervisor, and are receiving rewarding benefits such as an increase in compensation or an employment opportunity. If a worker is experiencing that their colleague is being favored due to a certain personal relationship, they will most likely feel unfairly treated. This will lead to a potential conflict within your organization and hurt your employee morale and ethics.<\/p>