If the clerk’s aunt remains employed by the city, may she fill out the clerk’s merit-raise evaluation?

• A. Yes
• B. Only with approval
• C. It depends
• D. No

Answer: (D)

The main idea here is avoiding conflicts of interest and nepotism in performance evaluations. When a close relative is involved in assessing another employee, objectivity can be compromised and the process can appear biased, which undermines trust in merit decisions. Because the clerk’s aunt still works for the city, she evaluating the clerk would create a real or perceived bias. City policies typically require that evaluations come from someone who has no family relationship to the employee, or from a neutral panel if needed. So the aunt should not fill out the merit-raise evaluation; another non-related supervisor or a neutral reviewing body should handle it. The other options would threaten fairness or rely on exceptions not indicated by standard policy, so the proper stance is that this evaluation should be done by someone without that family connection.