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Are there any laws or regulations regarding an employee bringing their child to work. We have an admin that brings her child to work in a fire department setting. This has been going on since the child was an infant and is now a toddler and able to walk. She no longer has the ability to watch her child and work at the same time. She has lost site of the child on multiple occasions and comes to ask us where he might be. I fear that if he were to come up missing in our bays and we were to receive a call we would not be able to respond in a timely matter because we will have to look for him. This also seams like it would be a safety hazard. We deal with blood born pathogens. What kind of liability would the fire department have if this child were to get sick or hurt while in her care at the department?
Optional Information: State/Country relating to question: Alaska Already Tried: I have talked to the Chief about this and he agreed but has done nothing about it so far and that was over 2 months ago.
Thanks for the chance to help. I am an attorney with over 12 years experience. Hopefully I can help you with your legal question.This is certainly something that the department could take action on. That is, if the department wanted to, they could inform the employee that she is no longer allowed to bring the child into the workplace. There is no "right" to bring your child into the workplace. This is true both in an office setting as well as in a fire station.But it is up to the employer to make and enforce the rules. So, for example, if the Chief is the hiring/firing authority, he or she would need to take action. And since this has been ongoing for some time, the Chief would need to give the employee notice and some time to arrange for chid care. If the employee continues to bring the child to the station, that would be grounds for termination.Now...if this is a Fire District where the Fire District Board has the hiring and firing authority, they will need to take this action (notification and if the employee does not comply, termination)BotXXXXX XXXXXne: there is no right to bring your child to the workplace, regardless of the type of work.Now, as to liability? I think you have a valid concern. If the child was injured on the job it could be there would be liability to the district or city (if the station is run by the city and not a fire board). And unlike the employee who is covered by workers comp and not able to sue for injury at work, the child is not covered by workers comp so in theory the mom could sue the district/city if the child was injured while at work.
Experience: Employment Law Expert