NWESD Policy Manual & Administrative Procedures

5227-P – Infants in the Workplace Procedures

Definitions

“Care provider” is a NWESD 189 employee who meets the requirements of this procedure to provide infrequent care for the infant(s) up to one hour when the parent is unavailable. The care provider cannot also be in the Infants in the Workplace Program or a subordinate to the parent. Employees currently involved in corrective or disciplinary action may not be eligible. Employees who have not completed the six-month probationary period are not eligible.

“Eligible Employee” is any NWESD 189 employee with an infant of qualifying age and who does not have past or current performance issues or concerns and has completed his/her six-month probationary period.

“Infant” is a parent’s benefits-eligible dependent who is between 45 days and no older than 6 months or able to crawl.

“Parent” is a NWESD 189 employee who is a new mother, father, or legal guardian to an infant as defined in this policy. Grandparents, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, other family members, and guardian ad litems do not qualify as a “parent.”

“Program” means the same as “Infants in the Workplace Program.”

“Supervisor” is the employee who assigns work and conducts performance evaluations of an employee.

Program Participation

Infants in the Workplace Program is designed to accommodate an employee’s participation in the program while accounting for work time appropriately. Participation in the program is limited to parents and their infant from a single birth or their infants from a multiple birth. Parents may not bring children of other ages into the workplace under the program. Reference guidelines in the employee handbook regarding older children in the workplace for more information.

The program allows parents to provide care for their infant while performing job duties. In coordination with supervisors, the parent or care provider may flex his/her work hours or submit leave to accommodate excessive loss of productivity.

Parents must designate at least two care providers. NWESD 189 employees wishing to participate as a care provider must complete the Care Provider Agreement and Waiver of Liability. Prior approval must be obtained from the care providers’ immediate supervisor(s). If the care providers’ job responsibilities or work conditions change, the Parent Agreement must be updated and reviewed.

Prior approval must be obtained from the employee’s immediate supervisor, director and/or assistant director and the Assistant Superintendent of Operations or designee. All forms listed below must be completed by all appropriate parties prior to participating in the program.

1. Parent Agreement (Form 5227-F1). If the parent’s job responsibilities or work-conditions change, the Parent Agreement must be updated and reviewed. The parent and his/her supervisor will meet as needed to assess the effectiveness of the Parent Agreement.
2. Care Provider Agreements (Form 5227-F2). A separate form is required for each designated care provider.
3. Waiver of Liability (Form 5227-F3). The parent and designated care providers seeking approval to participate in the program must each sign the Waiver of Liability.
4. Workspace Inspection Checklists (Form 5227-F4). Workspace Inspection Checklists are required for the parent and each care provider participating in the program.

Eligibility

The NWESD 189 expressly reserves the right to deny an employee’s participation in the program if the requesting parent’s and/or care provider’s worksite and/or conditions are unsafe or unsuitable for the presence of an infant. The NWESD 189 Anacortes Office and the NWRDC Everett location have been identified as worksites where risks can be safely mitigated. Not all positions at these worksites may be eligible.

A supervisor, director and/or assistant director may deny requests based on documented prior or current performance problems. Employees currently involved in corrective or disciplinary action are ineligible for participation in the program.

Requirements and Expectations

Each parent must provide the necessary furniture and equipment suitable for the infant’s needs and make sure the equipment is not disruptive. Prior to approval to participate in the program, a team that includes a representative from personnel, technology, and facilities will conduct a safety inspection of the parent’s and each selected care provider’s workstation with the infant’s furniture and equipment in place to make sure it does not present a safety hazard (Form 5227-F4).

The infant will be located primarily at the parent’s workstation. The parent is not authorized to travel with the infant in NWESD 189-owned vehicles. The infant should not be brought to meetings unless approved in advance by the immediate supervisor and the meeting organizer. Meeting attendees should be notified in advance if the infant will be present.

Diaper changes and disposal must take place only in the designated location. The NWESD 189 will provide diaper-changing stations. Parents must provide their own sealed diaper container for disposal of diapers and take them home with them at the end of each day.

Supervisors must allow lactating mothers flexible schedules to breastfeed and/or express milk. Parents should contact the payroll/personal administrator to identify the designated lactation room for his/her worksite. Employee-use refrigerators are located in every building and may be used for breast milk storage.

Disruption in Workplace

Sick or disruptive infants are not permitted in the workplace. Some situations that may require the parent to remove the infant from the workplace or from the program are:

1. The infant becomes sick while in the workplace.
2. The infant is fussy for a prolonged period.
3. The infant causes prolonged distractions.
4. The infant prevents the parent or his/her care provider from accomplishing work.

If a parent has to leave work to address the situation, they must follow the NWESD 189 leave policies for all time not spent in work status.

Infant Health

For this policy/procedure, the NWESD 189 adopts the Center for Disease Controls (CDC) recommendations for inclusion or exclusion of children from out-of-home care. Parents and care providers can access the vaccination recommendations of the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). Current recommended immunization schedules are published by the CDC and are available at www.cdc.gov. Infants should be vaccinated no later than seven (7) days following the ACIP recommended ages for vaccination.

Termination in Program

A parent or a care provider may terminate his/her participation in the program at any time.

The NWESD 189 expressly reserves the right to terminate a parent or care provider’s participation in the Infants in the Workplace Program at any time, which could include excessive disruption, inability to meet job demands, organization needs not being met, or the employee subject to disciplinary process.

Failure to follow this procedure can place NWESD 189 customers, employees, and their infants at risk. Because of this, anyone violating this procedure may result in a loss of eligibility from the program and may be subject to disciplinary action.

Appeal of Denial or Termination

The parent may appeal his/her or his/her care provider’s denial to participate or termination from the program. Appeals will be made in writing to the Superintendent within five working days of the denial or termination. The Superintendent will make a determination within three business days and the Superintendent’s decision will be final.

Presented to the Board: 11/16/20

Date Revised: 12/16/20