All University employees.
The purpose of this Policy is to establish guidelines for employees and supervisors regarding Minor Children in the workplace.
Minor Child//Children: any individual under the age of 18, with the exception of employees and enrolled students.
University grounds and infrastructure are designed to provide an environment conducive to the University’s mission as an institution of higher education. For reasons that include the safety of Minor Children and assuring the efficient performance of administrative operations and services, the University generally does not allow the continued or reoccurring presence of non-enrolled Minor Children in the workplace setting during the employee’s working hours for the following reasons: (1) the potential for interruption of work; (2) health and safety concerns; and (3) liability to the University.
Mothers who choose to breastfeed their infant at the workplace are allowed to do so as an exception to this Policy. The University allows for reasonable break times for lactating mothers to express milk and provides accommodations shielded from view to do so. Moreover, this policy is not intended to prohibit participation in a University-sponsored event, such as “Take Your Child to Work Day,” or other events where families are invited and encouraged to participate.
In the case of unforeseen or emergency situations when common sense would dictate that it is more efficient for the employee to bring a Minor Child into the workplace during working hours, the employee must contact the employee’s immediate supervisor prior to the start of the workday in order to make a request to bring a Minor Child to work. Such arrangements are expected to be infrequent and temporary in nature. This allowance is not applicable to high-risk areas such as: laboratories, shops, studios, mechanical rooms, power plants, garages, food preparation areas, or any areas containing power tools or machinery with exposed moving parts.
The employee’s supervisor has the responsibility and right to instruct the employee not to bring the Minor Child into the workplace, to limit the frequency, or to request the employee remove the Minor Child if, in the judgment of the supervisor, the presence of the Minor Child compromises the health or safety of fellow employees, workplace productivity or the presence of a high-quality working or learning environment.
If the request is approved by the supervisor, the Minor Child must be directly supervised by the parent or caregiver at all times and the parent or caregiver is responsible for all aspects of the Minor Child’s behavior. The parent or caregiver may not ask any other employee or student to supervise the Minor Child. The employee will be required to remove the Minor Child if the supervisor determines that the presence of the Minor Child compromises the health or safety of fellow employees, workplace productivity, or the presence of a high-quality working or learning environment.
Violations of this policy or refusal to comply with a supervisor’s request may result in appropriate disciplinary measures.
Child Abuse and Neglect Policy
There are no procedures to this Policy.
This is a new policy.
There are no appendices to this Policy.
Laura Custer, Director of Human Resources
Dr. Kathleen Jagger, Acting President