Employees' Children Working in Facility

Rockie

Do any of you have a policy on not hiring children of employees to work during the summer, etc. It's cheap labor, but has proven to be a pain.

We have had some problems this past year. If a supervisor has to discipline/terminate one of them, this causes issues and hard feeling between the supervisor and the employee whose child got let go.

Personally, I feel it's more trouble than it's worth. One college kid got canned because he couldn't drag his butt out of bed in time to get to work and the other situation was where an aggressive female daughter of an employee was enamoured of another employee's son and put the "moves on him" (unwanted, I might add). Geeze, I don't need teenage hormones on top of everything else I have to contend with.

Just wanted to get you guys' thoughts on this.

jimlegal

We do not have a policy specifically directed toward children. However we do have a policy about hiring relatives, (including children), friends, etc. We specifically do not allow the hiring of those described above. Let me know if you would like to see our policy, I believe it maybe one paragraph or so and I would need to send it to you via fax. Wish you well with your situation.

HRsage

Jimlegal, You don't allow friends to be hired either? We allow friends and relatives to be hired, in fact we encourage it with referral programs. If they are related however they can't work in the same department or under the same supervisor. It hasn't caused any problems so far, but I'm sure it's just a matter of time.

Leslie

We hire all kinds of relatives, kids included, as long as they are not directly reporting to the relative already here. Our workers always had to be 18 or older (recently changed to 21), so don't have too many raging hormone problems. We have a nepotism policy to cover all this stuff.

System

I'd put a stop to it. Parents are never truly objective and would be hard pressed not to step in if their child were disciplined, for example. Hiring employees' kids opens the door to nepotism (or accusations thereof), interference with discipline and policy, and MIGRAINES for you! I'd set up a policy prohibiting it and save yourself the aggravation. Good luck!

cebudragonlady

In this uncertain economy, companies would be wise NOT to hire on a permanent basis - children, siblings or parents of employees already there. I have seen it happen again and again : when a factory closes, whole familes end up out of work because all their relatives worked in one place. The impact is devastating.

Chari

jimlegal

Experienced similar type issues at another company, when one family member, relative, friend, etc. is upset, performs a sick out, or other related issue, then it causes problems with the remaining family members, relatives, friends, etc. Plus you can never stop the rumor mill! Or for that matter keep anything confidential! For us the downside far out weighed the upside... Thus, it was a better practice for us to not let it ever begin in the first place.

Don D

Everywhere I ever worked DID allow employees' children to come on board for special short term projects and summer work. It kept them out of the pool halls and provided a little spending money. Each time the rules included close and careful supervision by competent and available supervisory staff. The rules also included a requirement that the work experience be meaningful to some degree even if it just taught the basics of showing up on time and taking prescribed lunch breaks. The only problem I recall ever having had was with the son of one CEO who refused to 'hit a lick at a snake', just like his daddy. (in the south that saying means 'don't do doodley squat')

LisaMN

Small town medical center, we have moms, dads, aunts, uncles, kids, nephews, even grandparents. We do have a policy regarding relatives and reporting relationships. Even so it can be problematic, confidentiality issues etc....

Sunny

We have always allowed children of employees to help out in the summer on a part-time limited basis and never had any problem with it. We also hire all relatives with the exception of spouses. The policy has worked pretty well - when the son of a good employee has turned out to be semi-worthless they have usually gotten annoyed at the child not the company. I've always felt these parent were quite aware of their offspring's shortcomings. And then there was the employee who told me he would quit if we hired his son who he said wouldn't work and would cause trouble for him and the company.