Policy Text
Policy
1020San Luis Obispo Police Department
San Luis Obispo PD CA Policy Manual
Copyright Lexipol, LLC 2025/07/23, All Rights Reserved.
Published with permission by San Luis Obispo Police
DepartmentNepotism and Conflicting Relationships - 1Nepotism and Conflicting Relationships
1020.1 PURPOSE AND SCOPE
(a)The purpose of this policy is to provide organization-wide guidance on the employment
of relatives in accordance with provisions of the City's Charter, Municipal Code and
Code of Ethics.
(b)This policy is designed to assist the City in employing highly qualified and competent
employees. The City does not consider family relationship a disqualifying factor. The
intent of this policy is to avoid creating or continuing an employment situation where
there is significant potential for favoritism and/or conflict of interest; and to ensure
compliance with the City's Charter, Municipal Code and Code of Ethics on a consistent,
organization-wide basis.
(c)In achieving these goals, this policy establishes reasonable limits on the employment
of relatives based on supervision, safety, security and morale considerations.
1020.1.1 DEFINITIONS
Business relationship - Serving as an employee, independent contractor, compensated
consultant, owner, board member, shareholder, or investor in an outside business, company,
partnership, corporation, venture or other transaction, where the Department employee's annual
interest, compensation, investment or obligation is greater than $250.
Conflict of interest - Any actual, perceived or potential conflict of interest in which it reasonably
appears that a department employee's action, inaction or decisions are or may be influenced by
the employee's personal or business relationship.
Nepotism - The practice of showing favoritism to relatives over others in appointment,
employment, promotion or advancement by any public official in a position to influence these
personnel decisions.
Personal relationship - Includes marriage, cohabitation, dating or any other intimate relationship
beyond mere friendship.
Public official - A supervisor, officer or employee vested with authority by law, rule or regulation
or to whom authority has been delegated.
Relative - An employee's parent, stepparent, spouse, domestic partner, significant other, child
(natural, adopted or step), sibling or grandparent.
Subordinate - An employee who is subject to the temporary or ongoing direct or indirect authority
of a supervisor.
Supervisor - An employee who has temporary or ongoing direct or indirect authority over the
actions, decisions, evaluation and/or performance of a subordinate employee.
San Luis Obispo Police Department
San Luis Obispo PD CA Policy Manual
Nepotism and Conflicting Relationships
Copyright Lexipol, LLC 2025/07/23, All Rights Reserved.
Published with permission by San Luis Obispo Police
DepartmentNepotism and Conflicting Relationships - 2Direct Supervisory Relationship - An employment relationship where one relative has direct
influence over another relative's employment through decisions, recommendations or judgments
related to such matters as appointment, assessment of performance, salary, career growth and/
or discipline.
Salaried Position - A regular or contract employee (full or part-time).
1020.1.2 BACKGROUND
The City Charter, Municipal Code and Code of Ethics provide policy direction on employing
relatives as follows:
(a)City Charter:
1.Section 707 (Nepotism) of the City Charter states:
(a)The Council shall not appoint to a salaried position under the City
government, any person who is a relative by blood or marriage within the
third degree of any one or more members of such Council, and neither
shall any department head or other officer having appointive power appoint
any relative of the Council or themselves within such degree to any such
position. Nothing herein shall prevent the City Administrative Officer from
supplementing the provisions of this section.
(b)Examples of relatives to the "third degree" include parents, grandparents,
brothers and sisters, sons and daughters, grandchildren, aunts and
uncles, and nieces and nephews. The term "or marriage" makes one's
spouse or domestic partner, and any of the aforementioned relatives of
one's spouse or domestic partner, a relative to the third degree.
(b)Municipal Code:
(a)The City's Personnel Rules and Regulations are set forth in Chapter 2.36 of
the Municipal Code. There are two sections that provide policy guidance in the
employment of relatives.
(a)Section 2.36.080 specifically addresses the employment of relatives as
follows:
(a)The policy of the Council shall be as prescribed in Section 707 of
the City Charter covering nepotism. The City Manager may establish
additional guidelines where considered to be in the best interests of
the City. This policy establishes the additional guidance envisioned
in both the City Charter and the Municipal Code.
(b)The need for the City's hiring practices to avoid conflicts of interest
and conduct by employees that would tend to discredit or dishonor their
positions is set forth in Section 2.36.380 of the Personnel Rules and
Regulations:
San Luis Obispo Police Department
San Luis Obispo PD CA Policy Manual
Nepotism and Conflicting Relationships
Copyright Lexipol, LLC 2025/07/23, All Rights Reserved.
Published with permission by San Luis Obispo Police
DepartmentNepotism and Conflicting Relationships - 3(a)An official or employee of the city shall not engage in conduct which
would tend to discredit or dishonor his/her position with the city. Such
elected or appointed officials and employees must avoid conflicts of
private interests with public duties and responsibilities and shall not
do indirectly