City councillor Betty Irwin is calling for an independent review of the city's policies on nepotism.

She broached the subject as new business during Monday evening's council meeting, arguing the document governing nepotism for city employees needs to be examined.

"It's time,” she told reporters following the meeting.

The first-term councillor did not cite any specific issue that saw her bring forward the matter.

Instead, she noted that all major corporations and governments – Yukon Energy and the territorial government, among others – have a policy on nepotism, and it's something that should be reviewed on occasion.

It's one thing for a small, private business to hire a relative based on their relationship, she said. However, it's not something government bodies should do, and there should be up-to-date policies in place to deal with that, she said.

The last time the city looked at the issue was in 1997, Irwin pointed out.

That document was a two-page directive signed by then-city manager Bill Newell.

"This directive is designed to ensure that all qualified candidates for positions within the city are provided with the opportunity to be considered for employment based upon merit, and ensuring that family relationships will not unfairly restrict an individual's opportunities to pursue employment or advancement in employment with the city,” the document reads in setting out its purpose.

As a public employer, it continues, the city has a responsibility to citizens to manage its affairs in a way that doesn't favour the interests of one person over another. That responsibility extends into hiring and other staffing matters.

The directive then goes on to list a number of definitions before setting out four points on hiring, which include:

• Relatives will not be employed in direct reporting relationships;

• Relatives may be employed in an indirect reporting relationship if it is approved in writing by the city manager or director of human resources or anyone they designate;

• In all situations where an employee may become involved in, or is involved in, indirect reporting with a relative, they shall report the full circumstances to the director of human resources.

The director, city manager or whoever is assigned to it will then decide whether the reporting relationship is permissible.

If it isn't, a decision will be handed down on how to deal with it in a way that maintains the city's integrity and minimizes the adverse effects of the decisions on the relative's employment. Where it's practical, a specific timeframe will be set out for dealing with it; and

• An employee's failure to notify the director of human resources of such a situation may be grounds for disciplinary action and the "immediate rectification” of the situation.

A direct reporting relationship is defined as one where a person has authority over the activities or work assignments of another or have direct influence over another's type and nature of assignments, work conditions, wages and/or performance evaluations, hiring, promoting, demoting, transfers and discipline.

Indirect reporting, meanwhile, is defined as being relationships where one employee: has the responsibility of completing, reviewing or approving performance evaluations and/or wage adjustments of another, other than an immediate subordinate; participates in disciplinary decisions and/or recommending or approving hiring, promoting, demoting, transfer, retirement or firing of another, other than an immediate subordinate; or is responsible for reviewing and approving decisions of another, other than an immediate subordinate, which can detrimentally affect the city.

Irwin told reporters a third party without a vested interest in the review. as city staff would have, should do the work.