Despite this, favouritism at work and nepotism at work are terms that are often used interchangeably.įavouritism is a broader term. The two concepts are not exactly the same. Is nepotism the same as favouritism at work in the UK? If they raise a complaint, make sure you investigate it fully. For example, encourage your staff to report signs of nepotism using your internal grievance policy. You can help prevent nepotism in the workplace using UK employment law and HR processes. If those responsible for recruitment have any ties to a candidate, you can ask them to step aside for the process. Train managers so they are able to make hiring decisions based on objective factors. This should outline your stance and any measures you will take to prevent nepotism occurring. You can start by drafting a policy and including it in your employee handbook. Having a strong anti-nepotism stance is a good business practice.
Dealing with nepotism in the workplace in the UK Here, hiring the friend not only has the same effect as before, but it also opens you up to discrimination claims. In this situation, it can become discrimination if one of the internal hires has a protected characteristic. It also sets a precedent for preferential treatment. Going with the friend, an external hire, will tell the internal candidates and team members that their experience, hard work, and competency are irrelevant. Two are senior managers within the business, and one is a friend who has never worked for you before. So hypothetically, there is a new senior executive position available in your organisation. However, for it to be discrimination there has to be a protected characteristic involved. This is because there will be unfair or different treatment between one person and another. When an employee has accusations of nepotism, the way they will be able to take legal action is through a discrimination claim. This means when asking: “is nepotism illegal?” you should consider those who will be affected by hiring (or promoting) friends or family Nepotism and discrimination However, there is the potential for discrimination to occur. Technically, no-not under existing UK employment law.Įmployment tribunals cannot take legal action against nepotism. This is a common question, but not so easy to answer. This can have a damaging effect on your workforce and on the business reputation, as corruption and nepotism are associated with each other. Nepotism is harmful when they hire a family member or friend who isn’t the best person for the role. This is because it saves money to bring in someone you know than the hiring process. Nepotism normally happens more in smaller firms and work environments, especially family businesses. Both are problematic in their own way, and there is some overlap. There can be confusion among staff between nepotism and favouritism. It usually occurs when hiring or making promotions. Nepotism refers to when an employer favours family members or friends.
#Preferential treatment at work how to
In this article, we’ll look at exactly what constitutes nepotism and how to manage it. This is just one consequence of nepotism on your business.
Unfair hiring practices can destroy employee morale and productivity.