Hiring one’s own child once again counts as nepotism in Dauphin County.
The county commissioners on Wednesday unanimously voted to strengthen the county’s nepotism policy by adding children and step-children to the definition of “family members,” as well as foster children, children-in-law and any person residing in the same household. The new policy also explicitly forbids employees from evaluating or disciplining a family member, as well as from influencing their pay, promotion, scheduling, assignments or working conditions, or approving their timecards.
A recent PennLive investigation challenged the former nepotism policy, which commissioners inexplicably revised in 2023 to remove children from the definition of family. The policy attracted fresh scrutiny in December after Sheriff Nick Chimienti hired his son as a deputy sheriff…