This policy addresses the potential for conflict of interest when a UW-Madison employee is involved in the hiring decisions and/or management or supervision of applicants or employees to whom they are related or with whom they have a close personal relationship.
All employees of the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
To avoid any conflict of interest, a university appointing authority, tenure committee member, or supervisor must not participate in any decision to hire, manage, retain, pay, promote, supervise, or grant tenure to an individual with whom they have a familial or close personal relationship.
In the event such a relationship exists between a university appointing authority and a job applicant or between a supervisor and an employee reporting directly to them, the appointing authority or supervisor shall immediately notify their dean or director (or supervisor, by another title) and the Office of Human Resources. Prior to any appointment or employment action being taken, the dean or director shall work in consultation with the Office of Human Resources to develop a plan to manage or eliminate any conflicts of interest and to mitigate adverse effects on the involved parties and any third parties. Such plans shall, at a minimum, provide for the transfer of decision-making authority regarding appointment, management, pay, promotion, supervision, or tenure, from the appointing authority or supervisor to another person with university appointing or supervisory authority.
When two related individuals are members of the same department, and one of them is chairperson of the department, the executive/leadership committee or similar, will designate an appropriate committee or person to make employment decisions that the chairperson would customarily make. In addition, an employee shall refrain from participating in or influencing votes or decisions that may reward or penalize a family member or close personal relation (such as votes or decisions regarding tenure and/or promotion).
04-05-2019, 08-16-2023
