Title of Policy: Children in the Workplace
Policy No. #: 1.7013
Type of Policy: Administrative
Effective Date: July 1, 2021
Last Revised: New
Policy Owner: Florida Memorial University
Policy Contact: Office of Human Resources
I. Reason for Policy
Florida Memorial University values family life and recognizes the importance that families fulfill in Employees’ lives. The purpose of this policy is to provide guidelines for when Children can appropriately be present in the workplace for other than official FMU activities involving Children. This policy is intended to foster respect for the needs of all parties impacted by the presence of non-student, minor Children on the campus. FMU must consider issues of safety, confidentiality, disruption of operations, disruption of services, disruption to other employees, and legal liability as well as sudden emergencies, posed by the presence of Children on campus.
II. Policy Statement
There are many opportunities for Children to be on campus for special events. However, it is generally not appropriate for Children of any age to be in the workplace on a regular basis, such as after/before school or on regularly scheduled school holidays. If Children are visiting, it must be infrequent, brief and planned in a fashion that limits disruption to the workplace. Employees are responsible for ensuring that the visits comply with all designated safety protocols and FMU guidelines. At all times, Employees must accompany their Children. Employees who bring Children to the workplace are responsible for all aspects of the Child’s behavior. While Children are in the workplace, they are the sole responsibility of the Employee. They must be directly supervised and within the sight and sound of the Employee at all times. The presence of the Child cannot disrupt the work environment or negatively impact productivity. They are not to use FMU equipment, including computers and telephones.
Employees are not permitted to bring ill Children to work. Any Child with an illness that prevents the Child from going to a childcare facility or from attending school should not be brought to the workplace. No Child with an infectious disease should be brought to the workplace under any circumstance.
Children are not allowed in high-risk areas under any circumstance such as: laboratories, shops, studios, locker rooms, mechanical rooms, power plants, garages, food preparation areas, or any area containing power tools or machinery with exposed moving parts. Children are not allowed in areas containing confidential information.
The Employee is responsible for the Child’s safety and is financially responsible for any damages caused by the Child. FMU does not accept any liability for injuries to Children who are on campus in violation of this policy. If the frequency, length or nature of visits becomes problematic, the Employee will be advised of the situation and counseled appropriately. The department’s supervisor may direct the Employee to remove the Child from the workplace at any time if the supervisor determines that this policy has been violated or that a Child’s presence negatively impacts FMU’s interests.
III. Scope
The policy covers all University employees, faculty, staff, student employees, and University affiliates, and volunteers.
IV. Definitions
| Term | Definition |
| Child/Children | Any dependent child under the age of 18 who is not a student or employee. |
| Employee | Any faculty, staff, or student employee who has responsibility for a child, as defined above, while in the workplace regardless of the employee’s relationship to the child. |
| Workplace | Includes on campus and work related activities and events taking place off campus. |
V. Responsibilities
Every University community member is responsible for adhering to and reporting violations of this policy.
VI. Enforcement
This Policy shall be enforced by the Office of Human Resources. Any University community member who violates this policy will be subject to appropriate corrective action, up to and including termination. The University Policies and Procedures Library is updated regularly. In order to ensure a printed copy of this document is current, please access it online at http://policies.fmu.edu.