While there are pros and cons related to hiring a family member, it is clear that the individual must be responsible for their own success or demise in the position, Toronto employment lawyer Doug MacLeod tells Lawyers Weekly.
MacLeod, principal at MacLeod Law Firm, makes the comments in an article on family hires, and the potential conflicts of interest that may arise as a result of such a scenario.
Advantages to such arrangements include close working relationships and keeping family businesses alive, while disadvantages may be alienating colleagues or fuelling a perception of favouritism, says the article.
MacLeod tells the legal publication there is a provision in the Human Rights Code that allows an employer to discriminate against family members when hiring, but not on the way out.
But in cases where a senior manager is essentially running a business, it would be difficult to bring in a policy that says they can’t bring their child into the fold, says MacLeod.
