Township of Hampton, PA Chapter 37 Nepotism Policy

[HISTORY: Adopted by the Township Council of the Township of Hampton 12-14-2005 by Ord. No. 669. Amendments noted where applicable.]

§ 37-1 Prohibited employee relationships.

A. No spouse, parent, foster parent, stepparent, child, foster child, stepchild, brother or sister, by the whole or half blood, grandparent, grandchild, parent-in-law, brother-in-law, or sister-in-law, of any elected person (including but not limited to any member of Hampton Township Council or the Controller) or any person holding full-time appointive office in the Township of Hampton, shall be employed as a permanent member of the administrative, public works, police, financial, recreation or any other department or activity of the Township of Hampton or of any authority or agency now existing or hereafter created.

B. So as to prevent the appointment and distribution of public employment jobs, within a limited number of families, and so as to provide public employment and job opportunities for all residents and households of the Township, no spouse, parent, foster parent, stepparent, child, foster child, stepchild, brother or sister, by the whole or half blood, grandparent, grandchild, parent-in-law, brother-in-law, or sister-in-law, of any other employee of the Township of Hampton shall be employed as a permanent member of the administration, public works, police, financial, recreation or any other department or activity of the Township of Hampton or of any authority or agency now existing or hereafter created.

C. No persons presently holding any elected (including but not limited to any member of Hampton Township Council or the Controller) position or full-time appointive position, or any other job in the Township of Hampton, who may be within the prohibited degrees of consanguinity set out in the previous two subsections, shall be affected by this chapter, nor shall their appointment or employment be affected thereby.

§ 37-2 Disclosure of relationships.

Any person contemplating the acceptance of employment or a full-time appointive position within the Township of Hampton shall first make known to the Council or to the Secretary Manager of the Township any relationship which falls within the aforesaid degrees of consanguinity and shall execute an application for employment or appointment prior to accepting any such position, which application shall contain a notice to the prospective employee or appointee setting forth the disqualifying degrees of consanguinity under this chapter and which application shall require that such person certify that he or she is not within the prohibited degrees of consanguinity stated aforesaid.

§ 37-3 Part-time and seasonal employment.

Nothing contained herein shall be construed to prohibit the employment of persons on a part-time or seasonal basis, who would otherwise be barred from permanent employment. "Part-time" or "seasonal" employment shall be defined as employment for not more than 14 weeks per calendar year, regardless of the number of hours per week the part-time or seasonal employee works. For the purpose of this chapter, a "part-time" or "seasonal" employee shall be deemed to have worked an entire week if the employee works one hour during a given week. Any employment not part-time or seasonal shall be deemed to be permanent employment.

§ 37-4 Effect of marriage on consanguinity.

Nothing contained herein shall be construed to prohibit the continued employment of any employee who, after already having been employed, comes within the prohibited degrees of consanguinity because of the marriage of said employee or a member of said employee's family.

§ 37-5 Acceptance of elective office.

Nothing contained herein shall be construed to prohibit or restrain the acceptance of any elective office within the Township of Hampton, notwithstanding the existence of prohibited degrees of consanguinity between the person seeking election of having been elected and any other person employed or enjoying an appointive office in the Township, nor shall any such person who has been employed by the Township or appointed to an appointive office be required to resign or to terminate employment because of the election of a person within the prohibited degree of consanguinity set out in § 37-1A and B hereof, which election shall have taken place following the employment or appointment of such person.

§ 37-6 Dismissal.

Any person violating any of the provisions of this chapter, and, in particular, § 37-1C hereof, shall be subject to immediate dismissal from the position which such person holds.