{"id":902,"date":"2026-01-14T17:02:51","date_gmt":"2026-01-14T23:02:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/policy\/?post_type=library&#038;p=902"},"modified":"2026-03-18T14:56:18","modified_gmt":"2026-03-18T19:56:18","slug":"children-in-the-workplace","status":"publish","type":"library","link":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/policy\/library\/children-in-the-workplace\/","title":{"rendered":"Children in the Workplace"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"uwm-l-row uwm-l-row--4\">\n<div class=\"uwm-l-col uwm-l-col--3\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-authority\">Authority<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"uwm-l-col\">\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/ohrwd\/practice-directives\/children-of-employees-in-the-workplace\/\">Children of Employees in the Workplace (UWS Practice Directive GEN H)<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>UWSA Office of Operations Review and Audit&#8217;s Review of Policies Related to the Reporting of Crimes Against Children (May 2012)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"uwm-l-row uwm-l-row--4\">\n<div class=\"uwm-l-col uwm-l-col--3\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-purpose\">Purpose<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"uwm-l-col\">\n<p>Maintaining the safety and health of University of Wisconsin\u2013Milwaukee (UWM) employees, students, guests and visitors relies upon the control of hazardous conditions and prevention of unsafe behaviors. When the visitors are minor children, a greater standard of care must be taken in protecting against unsafe conditions and unpredictable behaviors.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Generally, the workplace is not an appropriate place for the minor children of employees. However, UWM recognizes that employees may occasionally want to bring minor children to the workplace for brief visits, specific campus events, situational convenience, or family emergencies.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"uwm-l-row uwm-l-row--4\">\n<div class=\"uwm-l-col uwm-l-col--3\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-definitions\">Definitions<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"uwm-l-col\">\n<p><strong>Child<\/strong> or <strong>children<\/strong> means a person or persons less than 18 years of age, and not enrolled or admitted for enrollment in classes at UWM or any other University of Wisconsin institution.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Employee<\/strong> means any employee of any employment category that is the parent, guardian, or family member that has responsibility for their child or children while in the workplace.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>High risk area<\/strong> includes any area deemed high risk by University Safety &amp; Assurances&nbsp; including an attractive nuisance such as a construction site, or any area with hazardous levels of radiation, hazardous chemicals or substances, hazardous biological agents or vectors, or hazardous equipment or processes, or animal research. Examples of areas with these characteristics include:&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>laboratories (excluding those designed for minor research subjects)&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>machine shops, woodworking shops, or similar workshop areas&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>mechanical rooms&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>steam plant&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>construction areas&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>maintenance garages&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>animal care or research facilities&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>food preparation areas&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>fitness centers&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>high security areas, and&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>areas that are excluded for general employee or student access.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"uwm-l-row uwm-l-row--4\">\n<div class=\"uwm-l-col uwm-l-col--3\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-exclusions\">Exclusions<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"uwm-l-col\">\n<p>Except as provided elsewhere in this policy or other university policies, laws and regulations that limit access to or otherwise regulate high-risk areas, this policy <strong>does not<\/strong> <strong>apply<\/strong> when a child:&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>is enrolled or admitted as a university student;&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>is employed by the university;&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>is attending a university-sanctioned childcare facility;&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>is attending a university-sanctioned camp, child care program, or youth enrichment program;&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>is a volunteer in a university-approved activity; or&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>has a parent or responsible party with a workplace assignment in which one of the conditions of the employment is residency in a campus facility (e.g., live-in residence hall director).&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"uwm-l-row uwm-l-row--4\">\n<div class=\"uwm-l-col uwm-l-col--3\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-policy\">Policy<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"uwm-l-col\">\n<p>This policy addresses the factors to consider when allowing an employee to bring a minor child into the workplace. Circumstances in which employees may wish to bring children into the workplace generally fall into the following categories:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"1\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><em>Brief visits<\/em> (e.g., an employee brings their child, grandchild or other minor relative in to introduce that child to coworkers).\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>Specific campus events<\/em> that are institution-sanctioned and at which attendance by children is encouraged.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>In the event of an emergency<\/em>.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Overuse.<\/strong> Children are not to be brought to the workplace on a repeated basis in lieu of childcare.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>High risk areas.<\/strong> Children are restricted from high-risk areas such as laboratories, studios, shops, construction sites and other campus areas where physical, chemical, biological or other potential health hazards are present. Children must be kept away from any area with a known hazardous condition. Infants and children must be protected from any area with even a potential exposure or hazardous condition. Minor children are restricted from areas that store or use research animals, hazardous chemicals, radioisotopes, carcinogens, or biohazardous agents.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Responsibilities.<\/strong> If an employee is allowed to bring their child to their workplace, both the employee responsible for the child and their department chair or administrative department head must accept certain responsibilities to protect the welfare of the child and the integrity of the workplace:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading size-h5\" id=\"h-an-employee-who-brings-a-child-to-the-workplace-must-nbsp\">An employee who brings a child to the workplace must:&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>supervise and care for the child while in the workplace, and may not leave a child unsupervised;&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>prevent any breach of confidential information;&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>address with their department chair or administrative department head any issues related to a child\u2019s infectious disease and follow UWM infectious disease protocols;&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>accept full responsibility for all aspects of the child\u2019s behavior, including safety of the child, disruption to coworkers, unauthorized or inappropriate use of university resources, and any damage to property or injury to persons; and&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>ensure minimal disruption to the employee\u2019s own performance of their duties.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading size-h5\" id=\"h-department-chair-or-administrative-department-head-must-nbsp-nbsp\">Department chair or administrative department head must:&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>determine either that hazards are not likely to exist, or that hazards can be controlled under the circumstances in which the child will be present;&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>address potential issues of disruption to the employee and coworkers in the workplace;&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>consider the extent to which the child\u2019s presence in the workplace poses a risk of breaching confidentiality of information in the workplace;&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>consider the extent to which the child\u2019s presence is appropriate to the specific work being accomplished; and&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>consider the health of coworkers before an employee is allowed to bring a child with an infectious disease to the workplace.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"uwm-l-row uwm-l-row--4\">\n<div class=\"uwm-l-col uwm-l-col--3\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-procedures\">Procedures<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"uwm-l-col\">\n<p><strong>Permission.<\/strong> The employee shall receive in writing (email or other format) from their department chair or administrative department head permission to allow children in their specific workplace taking into account aspects identified in the Responsibilities.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Denial of permission.<\/strong> UWM reserves the authority to deny the presence of children in the workplace. UWM may revoke previously-granted permission for a child to be allowed in the workplace (e.g., the child\u2019s presence is later determined to be disruptive to the workplace).&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Violations.<\/strong> Any employee who violates this policy may be subject to disciplinary action according to established policies governing conduct and standards of behavior.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":1287,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","uwm_wg_additional_authors":[]},"categories":[37,49],"topic":[27,29],"class_list":["post-902","library","type-library","status-publish","hentry","category-administrative-policies-procedures","category-selected-academic-and-administrative-policies","topic-human-resources","topic-personnel"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.3 (Yoast SEO v27.3) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Children in the Workplace - 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