"The origin of the term “nepotism” comes from Catholic bishops who would bequeath wealth, property, and priesthood to their “nephews”---usually their illegitimate offspring, and it served as a way for church clergy to both own property and to retain power in their families. Today, we use nepotism to refer to the hiring or promotion of a family member (including in-laws), and it smacks of favoritism. Indeed, the hiring of relatives in some companies is forbidden by company policy."