Health official fined $12,000 for helping daughter find a job
A senior US health official has been slapped with a $12,000 fine for nepotism, after continually trying to get her daughter a job.
Gloria Velez, a former director of Health and Hospitals Corp in New York, was charged with nepotism after using her position to get her daughter work in the agency, New York Daily News reported.
The Conflicts of Interest Board fined Velez AUD$16,000 and explained in a statement to media that she created an internship position for her high-school-age daughter. The girl worked for three years and was never properly screened.
Velez ordered two of her employees to supervise her daughter’s work. The daughter then used that experience on her CV to apply for paid work at the HHC.
The Queens local also called and emailed officials at HHC hospitals asking them to consider the daughter for jobs.
“Attached is résumé, any consideration for (part-time) employment would be appreciated,” Velez wrote in one email.
Velez made a call to the associate executive director for human resources and her daughter landed a temporary position, which later turned into a permanent job.
She also approved several promotions and raises for her daughter’s domestic partner, who also worked in the human resources department. She raised his salary by 70 per cent to AUD$85,000.
