According to the U.S. Department of Labor, child care is among the most pressing concerns today. And working parents, struggling to balance work and home life, have an increasing rate of absenteeism.

Corporations are employing a range of strategies to help these workers. But, inevitably, a situation arises in which the simplest solution is to bring a child to work. Here are a few guidelines to help bring your employee handbook up to the task.

• Explain restrictions, whether based on safety, liability or disruption, and give supervisors the authority to request the child’s removal.
• Allow supervisors flexibility in honoring employees’ requests to handle family needs during lunch or at the beginning or end of a shift.
• Clearly define when a child’s presence is acceptable, using terms such as “emergency” or “brief.”
• Define the responsibility of the parent, for example, that he or she personally supervise the child at all times.