Children in the Workplace

The University of Kansas values an atmosphere that fosters a healthy balance between workplace obligations and family responsibilities. When possible, units should honor an employee’s request for flexibility to meet unexpected family needs that may require the employee’s attention during normal working hours. When workloads allow, the University encourages units to cooperate with employees who wish to meet family responsibilities by using breaks or lunch hours, flexible work schedules, telework, adjusted hours, or vacation leave.

Due to health and safety concerns, employees are discouraged from bringing children to the workplace. Frequent, regular, or extended visits by children during work hours are not allowed. Brief, infrequent visits by children may occur in the workplace; however, children are not allowed inside classrooms, labs, or controlled access areas.

When brief, infrequent visits by children are permitted, parents/guardians are responsible for ensuring that the visits comply with all designated safety protocols and University guidelines, including, but not limited to, the following:

• At all times, children remain the sole responsibility of the parents/guardians.
• At all times, parents/guardians must accompany their children.
• The presence of the child cannot disrupt the work environment or negatively affect the productivity of employees and/or students.
• At any time, if the supervisor determines that health or safety risks are too great, or that the children’s presence is disruptive, a supervisor may ask the employee to remove their children from the workplace.
• Bringing children to the workplace on a recurrent basis during their school breaks, closures, or before/after school care, or lack of child care is not appropriate.
• Children who have an illness that prevents acceptance by a regular day care provider or prevents attendance at school, particularly any children with an infectious disease, should not be brought to the workplace under any circumstances.