1. Changes to NAU’s Leave of Absence and Paid Time Off Policies
NAU offers a variety of leaves of absence, paid time off plans and disability benefits that provide employees approved time away from work with the potential for income replacement when they are not working.
NAU is updating many of these policies in order to:
comply with changes to federal and state regulations
provide additional flexibility to employees
better support university operations
provide for accountability for employees and supervisors
clarify existing policy provisions

2. Policies Impacted Revisions to seven existing policies
4.02 Vacation
4.05 Family Medical Leave
4.05(1) Bone Marrow or Organ Donation
4.05(2) Victim’s Leave
4.06 Industrial Leave
Separation of Extended Leave policy into two policies
Personal Leave
Extended Medical Leave
Creation of three new policies
Unauthorized Absence
Parental Leave
Extended Military Leave
4.08 Administrative Leave
Bereavement
Military
4.10 Absence Without Pay

3. Types of Policy Changes
Intent
Compliance
Clarity
General updates
‘Summary of Changes to NAU’s Leave of Absence and Paid Time Off Policies’ identifies the changes to each policy

4. Intent Provide more flexibility for new parents
The new Parental Leave Policy has no length of service requirement
Family Medical Leave (FML) will allow leave to be taken intermittently for birth and bonding
Remove requirement for dually employed parents to share 12 week FML allotment
Provide more accountability
Unauthorized absence defined
Employee and supervisor responsibilities defined in each policy

5. Intent Better support university operations
Maximum leave for medical reasons reduced from 12 to 6 months
Employees required to take all accrued sick and vacation before using leave without pay
90 day return to work requirement for personal and extended medical leaves
Option for required use of vacation prior to employment separation

6. Compliance The new policies will comply with:
Family Medical Leave (FML): Addition of purpose for military care giving
Affordable Care Act: Employer paid benefits while on unpaid leave
Pregnancy Discrimination Act: New parental leave policy for employees who do not qualify for Family Medical Leave or Extended Medical Leave
Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA): New Extended Military Leave policy provides job and benefit protections for up to five years for employees on active military service

7. Clarity Clarification to existing policy language:
allow the use of sick time for bereavement
intermittent leave limited to Family Medical Leave
Reference accrued sick and vacation as paid time off not as ‘leave’

8. General Updates General updates were made in order to provide:
consistent format and terminology
policies based on research with peers and other employers
more effective and efficient management of leaves of absence and paid time off for employees and departments

9. What is Not Changing
Employees will still be allowed to take a leave of absence for their own health condition, to care for a family member or for personal reasons including education.
Income replacement options remain the same: accrued sick and vacation time, compensatory time, compassionate transfer of leave and short\long term disability.
Employees will be able to retain their benefits while on a leave of absence.
Employees can still request an accommodation through the Disability Resource Office.

10. Next Steps January - February March April Campus Discussions
Provost Academic Leadership Council (PALC)
Faculty Senate
Academic Chairs Council (ACC)
Commission on the Status of Women (CSW)
Service Professional and Classified Staff Advisory Councils (SPAC and CSAC)
Post polices for review at URL
Implement new policies April 1st
Supervisor training
All comments due by March 1st
Finalize policy changes
Communicate to employees and supervisors
Note: This proposed timeline is subject to change