POLICY 31
INFANTS AT WORK PROGRAM

SECTION INDEX: Infants at Work

1. Purpose

2. Reference

3. Application

4. Guidance

4.1 Policy and Benefits

4.2 Definitions

4.3 Eligibility

4.4 Immunizations

4.5 Workplace Requirements

4.6 Alternate Care Provider Requirements

4.7 Complaint Procedure

4.8 Infant at Work Program and Telework

4.9 Infant at Work Program Termination

5. Forms

5.1 IAW Individual Care Plan Form

5.2 IAW Workstation Inspection Form

5.3 IAW Waiver of Release Liability Form

5.4 IAW Alternate Care Provider Agreement

5.5 Policy #30 Teleworking Form

1. PURPOSE

To provide a modern and flexible work environment and maintain the City of Olympia as an employer of choice to recruit and retain employees, the City offers a program allowing parents to bring their infants to work. This would assist with parents maintaining work life balance, promote parent-child bonding, and create more flexibility for a parent to work in lieu of taking leave.

2. REFERENCE

US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, www.cdc.gov/vaccines

Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP)

Inclusion and Exclusion Guidelines for Child Care, issued by the American Academy of Pediatrics

Parenting in the Workplace Institute

American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)

City Policy 30 Teleworking

and applicable collective bargaining agreements and memorandum of understandings.

3. APPLICATION

This Policy applies to all benefit eligible dependents of regular part-time and full-time employees employed by the City of Olympia, unless a provision of the policy conflicts with a contract or statute (e.g., Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), Civil Service Rule, or Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).

Failure to comply with this Policy may result in disciplinary action up to and including termination from City service.

4. GUIDANCE

4.1. POLICY AND BENEFITS

The Infant at Work (IAW) Program is established for eligible employees who are new mothers, fathers, or legal guardians of an infant. Research proves that allowing a parent and infant to remain together in this earliest stage of life supports critical bonding, healthy infant brain development, parental wellbeing, and enables exclusive breastfeeding, which improves lifelong health. This policy may allow employees who return to work to bring their infant, supporting a positive work/life balance and honoring their contributions to the department.

Benefits for employees:

• Lower day care costs

• Better financial stability for young families

• Employees feel supported

• Lower stress for parents

• More options for women

• Easier breastfeeding

• Enables working parents to be more involved with their babies

Benefits for the City of Olympia:

• Employees return to work sooner

• Attractive benefit that can be used for recruitment

• Increased retention and lower turnover costs

• Increased employee loyalty

• Higher morale

• Lower health care costs from increased breastfeeding rates

• For represented employees, the collective bargaining agreements (CBAs) supersede specific provisions of agency policies with which they conflict.

4.2. DEFINITIONS

• Parent: The City of Olympia employees who are new mothers, fathers, or legal guardians to an infant as defined in this policy and who are eligible to participate in the program. Employees currently involved in corrective or disciplinary action may not be eligible.

• Infant: Benefit eligible dependents of the department’s full-time and part-time permanent employees who are six weeks (43 days) to six months old (180 days).

• Alternate Care Provider (ACP): City employees who volunteer and completes the Infant at Work Program Care Provider Form to provide infrequent care for the infant for up to one hour when the Parent is unavailable. An Alternate Care Provider (ACP) may not simultaneously perform as an ACP and a Parent on the days when they bring their infant to work ACPs may not be a subordinate employee to the Parent. Employees currently involved in corrective or disciplinary action may not be eligible.

4.3. ELIGIBILITY

• Eligible employees who are parents of an infant, age six weeks – six months (or until mobile, e.g., crawling) are eligible to participate in the Infant at Work Program.

• Each parent has supervisor approval and support. This includes no issues with, including but not limited to, position duties, employee performance, workload, and the employee’s ability to manage time.

• The parent is required to identify a minimum of two (2) co-workers who are not directly supervised/managed by the participating parent and who have their supervisors’ support, to serve as alternate care providers (ACPs).

• The parent and ACP’s must maintain a safe working environment while caring for an infant in the workplace. Typically, participation will only be considered for those working in an office setting. Exclusions may include primary functions requiring fieldwork and/or in person contact with the public.

• IAW Individual Care Plan Form 5.1 must be completed and submitted. The parent must have received required approvals from the parent’s supervisor and department director prior to bringing infant to work.

• IAW Workstation Inspection Form 5.2 must be completed. Parent and ACP workstations are required to be conducive to having an infant present as evidenced by a completed and approved IAW Workstation Inspection form. A form must be completed for each parent and ACP workstation. The forms must be completed in coordination with the parent/ACP and the parent’s/ACP’s supervisor.

• IAW Waiver and Release of Liability Form 5.3 must be completed and signed by parent, which includes a statement that the infant has no current health concerns or medical conditions that would be aggravated by the infant being in a work environment, and an acknowledgement that bringing an infant into a work environment may increase the risk of the infant contracting an illness or medical condition.

• IAW Alternate Care Provider Agreement Form 5.4 must be completed by the alternate care provider and approved by the parent’s supervisor and division manager prior to bringing infant to work.

4.4. VACCINATIONS

Infant, Parent and Care Provider are strongly encouraged to be vaccinated, as appropriate for age according to the recommendations of the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), against the following diseases:

Infant:

• Diphtheria

• Hepatitis B

• Pertussis (Whooping Cough)

• Poliomyelitis

• Tetanus

Parent and Care Provider:

• Diphtheria

• Influenza (required annually)

• Measles (Rubella)

• Mumps

• Pertussis (Whooping Cough)

• Poliomyelitis

• Rubella (German Measles)

• Tetanus

Current recommended immunization schedules are published by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and are available at www.cdc.gov/vaccines. Infants should be vaccinated no later than seven (7) days following the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommended ages for vaccination. In addition to the diseases listed above, the department strongly recommends that infants be vaccinated against all other diseases as recommended by the ACIP.

4.5. WORKPLACE REQUIREMENTS

• The workstations where the infant will be located must be suitable for an infant, as evidenced by the IAW Workstation Inspection form.

• The infants’ primary location will be the parent’s workstation unless the designated ACP is providing care.

• The parent is responsible for all equipment and furniture for the infant’s need, ensuring that the equipment is not disruptive. The City of Olympia will not incur additional expenses associated with IAW.

• The parent or ACP is not authorized to travel with an infant while driving or riding in a City owned or leased vehicles.

• If the infant becomes sick, is disruptive for a prolonged period of time, causes a distraction in the workplace, or prevents the parent from accomplishing work, the parent must take the infant to a secluded work area, take the infant home or to a backup day care provider. The parent must submit leave in accordance with the applicable policy or collective bargaining agreement.

• The parent will not bring the infant to work if the infant is ill. The City of Olympia adopts the Inclusion and Exclusion Guidelines for Child Care, issued by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), as a means for determining whether an infant is sick. See https://doh.sd.gov/diseases/assets/ChildCareExclusion.pdf.

• Nursing will be done out of the view of the public and coworkers. Established City lactation/wellness rooms will be available for nursing.

• Diaper changing will only occur at designated changing stations in the restroom, if available. All used diapers and clothes must be stored in a closed container that traps odors, which will be provided by the parent, who will empty the container and remove any soiled diapers and clothes from the building at the end of each day.

• The parent will provide care for the infant while performing job duties. In coordination with supervisors, the parent and/or ACP may flex their work hours or submit leave to accommodate excessive loss of productivity.

4.6. ALTERNATE CARE PROVIDER REQUIREMENTS

Individual care plans require the parent to find a minimum of two (2) co-workers to provide alternate care in the event the parent is needed in a meeting, conference call, or other work-related matter to which they cannot take the infant. Parents are encouraged to consider whether their work schedule aligns with their ACPs.

• The chosen ACP must receive approval from their supervisor, and department director to perform as an ACP. ACPs are volunteers and must have supervisor support/agreement. This includes no conflicts or issues with position duties, employee performance, workload, employee’s ability to manage time, or similar issues.

• IAW Alternate Care Provider Agreement form must be completed by each ACP.

• IAW Workstation Inspection form is completed by each ACP and the ACP’s supervisor and be attached to the ACP Agreement. The ACP workstation must be conducive to having an infant present as evidenced by a completed and approved IAW Workstation Inspection form.

• An employee will not be permitted to have more than one (1) active IAW Alternate Care Provider agreement in effect at the same time.

• ACPs who are also participating as an IAW Parent cannot provide care for more than one infant simultaneously.

• An individual ACP may provide alternate care for generally no more than 1 hour per shift. Exceptions to the one-hour limitation can be made if the ACP and their supervisor agree to a longer time period. If the parent needs more time than the ACP can provide, they shall utilize their other approved ACP or arrange for care outside of the workplace.

• ACPs will be required to manage their work so it is not negatively impacted by providing occasional alternate care.

• ACPs who are overtime eligible will be required to use leave or make up the time within their designated workweek if they are not able to work due to providing alternate care.

4.7. COMPLAINT PROCEDURE

Complaints shall be submitted to the parent’s supervisor or the complainant’s supervisor. The complainant’s supervisor, upon receiving the complaint, shall:

• Discuss the complaint with the complainant.

• Discuss the complaint with the parent’s supervisor to determine if adjustments can be made to resolve the complaint.

The parent’s supervisor, upon being notified of a complaint, shall:

• Discuss the complaint with the complainant or complainant’s supervisor, as applicable.

• Discuss the complaint with the parent to determine if adjustments can be made to resolve the complaint.

• If adjustments can be made that resolve the complaint, the parent shall document the changes in the IAW Individual Care Plan form and resubmit for approval.

• If the supervisor is unable to resolve the complaint, the supervisor will forward the complaint to their supervisor (this may be another supervisor, or department director depending on how the division is organized).

• The applicable supervisor shall investigate the complaint, which may include talking to the complainant, parent and supervisor.

• If adjustments can be made that resolve the complaint, the parent shall document the changes in the IAW Individual Care Plan form and resubmit for approval.

• If the applicable supervisor is unable to resolve the complaint, a summary of the investigatory steps taken will be submitted in writing to the Department Director and HR.

• Department Director and HR will review the pertinent information and make a “final” ruling on the issue/concern.

• Any party in the complaint process is encouraged to contact their assigned HR Analyst for assistance if needed.

4.8. INFANT AT WORK PROGRAM AND TELEWORK

• Employee (parent) who is in a telework eligible position and who are eligible for the Infant at Work Program may opt to telework with their infant.

• The parent is required to have supervisor approval/support. This includes no issues, including but not limited to, position duties, employee performance, workload, and/or employee’s ability to manage time.

• The parent must maintain a safe working environment while caring for an infant while teleworking. Typically, participation will only be considered for those working in an office setting. Exclusions may include primary functions requiring fieldwork or in person contact with the public.

• The parent of the infant must complete the Teleworking Agreement and obtain the necessary approvals as required by the telework agreement including the parent’s supervisor and department director.

• The parent of the infant must complete the Waiver and Release Liability form.

4.9. IAW Program Termination

Participation in the IAW program will be terminated if any of the following occurs:

• The infant reaches 6 months of age or becomes mobile (e.g., crawling).

• Parent is no longer a City employee.

• Parent fails to meet requirements (workload, position duties, performance, etc.).

• Decision is made to terminate following an investigation of a complaint.

• City chooses to terminate the agreement or program without cause.

• The Parent understands and agrees that the arrangement is a benefit that may be terminated if the department director determines business and customer service needs are not being met.

• There are no appeal rights for termination of an IAW agreement.

• The City may terminate the agreement or the program at any time with or without cause.