Managing a Potential Conflict of Interest or Conflict of Commitment

What if it’s extremely difficult to isolate the University’s interests from the employee’s interests or outside commitments? 

An example of this is…

A researcher at the University employs her domestic partner in the laboratory. Since the work that each of them does is highly specialized, there are no viable alternatives inside the University to the current arrangement.  If the department were to insist that the researcher’s partner leave her position to eliminate any perception of a conflict of interest, the couple would almost certainly seek to relocate to another institution — a significant loss to the University.   

Under such circumstances, the COI/COC manager would recommend the most appropriate steps available to address the conflict — despite its being impossible to alter the direct working relationship of the two employees and therefore to ensure a complete separation of interests.  For example, the COI/COC manager could suggest that another researcher outside the laboratory to evaluate the partner’s work performance.