It runs in the family: In a family business, they don’t just pass down the trade; they pass down a piece of who they are, intertwining the future with the threads of their past.
Working for family members is not uncommon – it’s the American dream in a cliche sort of sense. But will listing a family member as a direct supervisor on the SF-86 prompt more questions during the background investigation?
With respect to filling out the SF-86 national security clearance questionnaire. I worked for my brother’s company so will put him as my supervisor. Will this be problematic? The address of the company is also his home address since this is where he runs the company from? Will the investigator ask for any other type of documentation to verify, or will the verification be conducted over the phone?
Will Listing a Family Member as a Boss on the SF-86 be Problematic?
Background investigation subject interviews can be done in-person/face to face, over the phone, or virtually through some other medium. Here’s a breakdown of what should be listed under employment on the SF-86:
- Supervisor = onsite supervisor or if there was no onsite supervisor, then your direct supervisor
- Employer address = company location per W-2 or other tax document (where employment records are kept)
- Work site location = place where you physically performed your work
- In the comment box you could also list 1-2 coworkers at the employment and their contact information
The Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) advises to “list all employment history, in full, without ANY breaks for the last 10 years.”
Applicants shouldn’t pull a limbo act with their job history to cover up employment holes. Every gig counts, whether it’s a quick stint, a volunteer role, or even a sneaky “off-the-books” job.
Background investigators on this subject advise that applicants should not worry – family businesses are not uncommon and it should be business as usual in verifying employment.
Much about the clearance process resembles the Pirate’s Code: “more what you’d call guidelines than actual rules.” This case-by-case system is meant to consider the whole person, increase process security, and allow the lowest-risk/highest-need candidates to complete the process. However, it also creates a lot of questions for applicants. For this reason, ClearanceJobs maintains ClearanceJobsBlog.com – a forum where clearance seekers can ask the cleared community for advice on their specific security concerns. Ask CJ explores questions posed on the ClearanceJobs Blog forum, emails received, and comments from this site.
