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PRINT DISCLAIMER: Official version of this document is accessible in the online policy library at https://policyoffice.ku.edu/. Printed copies may not reflect the most recent updates.
DOCUMENT TYPE:
Policy
PURPOSE:
To provide guidance for creating a supportive working climate for employees to meet family obligations and to outline when children can appropriately be at the workplace.
APPLIES TO:
All University employees, affiliates, and volunteers.
CAMPUS:
Edwards, Lawrence, Juniper Gardens, Parsons, Topeka, Yoder
POLICY STATEMENT:
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.
EXCLUSIONS OR SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES:
Children cannot be brought to campus during periods of emergency (e.g., natural and/or man-made disasters, disaster recovery, health pandemics) either on an intermittent or reoccurring basis. Employees should contact their supervisor in such cases to determine alternate solutions to balance work activities and child care needs.
CONTACT:
Human Resources
103 Carruth-O’Leary Hall
1246 W. Campus Road
Lawrence, KS 66045
785-864-4946
hrdept@ku.edu
APPROVED BY:
Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor
APPROVED ON:
2006-10-16
EFFECTIVE ON:
2006-10-16
REVIEW CYCLE:
Annual (As Needed)
RELATED STATUTES, REGULATIONS, AND/OR POLICIES:
Lactation Support for Nursing Mothers
Parental Leave
Remote Work Policy
Shared Leave
Sick Leave
Vacation Leave
CHANGE HISTORY:
03/26/2025: Migration to TeamDynamix from Drupal.
09/20/2024: Updated Human Resource Management (HRM) to Human Resources (HR).
07/13/2021: Updated link.
09/25/2020: Revised through an expedited process in order to provide guidance given concerns related to COVID-19.
09/21/2017: Updated Related Policies section.
07/01/2016: Updated to remove gendered pronouns.
04/19/2016: Added before/after school to policy statement, updated contact information, updated purpose statement.
01/23/2015: Policy formatting cleanup (e.g., bolding, spacing).