Updates to NAU's Leave of Absence and Paid Time Off Policies
NAU is updating its leave of absence and paid time off policies to comply with regulations, provide flexibility to employees, support university operations, ensure accountability, and clarify existing provisions. The changes include revising existing policies, creating new ones, and addressing aspects like parental leave, unauthorized absence, and military leave. The updated policies aim to offer more flexibility to new parents, increase accountability, better support university operations, and ensure compliance with relevant laws such as Family Medical Leave Act and Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act.
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Changes to NAUs 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
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 4.08 Administrative Leave Bereavement Military 4.10 Absence Without Pay 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 2
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 3
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 4
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 5
Compliance The new policies will comply with: Family Family Medical Medical Leave (FML): giving Leave (FML): Addition of purpose for military care Affordable Affordable Care Care Act: Act: Employer paid benefits while on unpaid leave Pregnancy Pregnancy Discrimination Discrimination Act: employees who do not qualify for Family Medical Leave or Extended Medical Leave Act: New parental leave policy for Uniformed Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA): (USERRA): New Extended Military Leave policy provides job and benefit protections for up to five years for employees on active military service 6
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 7
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 8
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. 9
Next Steps April January - February March 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) Implement new policies April 1st All comments due by March 1st Supervisor training Finalize policy changes Communicate to employees and supervisors Post polices for review at URL Note: This proposed timeline is subject to change
