Human Resources

NAU HR Policy 2.10 Emergency Campus Closures

This policy addresses campus or site closures due to weather or other safety concerns.

Origination date: 9/16/2003
Revision date(s): 11/10/2022
Applicability: Academic Professionals, Administrators, Classified Staff, Faculty, Service Professionals

Under certain adverse conditions it may become necessary for the President or another authorized University official to close an NAU site or facility, such as the Flagstaff mountain campus or a satellite location, and/or to cancel classes or other University programs or activities.

Classes Cancelled 

When the President (or designee) declares that classes are cancelled, faculty who teach the cancelled classes are relieved of the duty to participate in the classes for the period of time specified. See the Administering Final Exams policy for more information regarding emergency closures that occur during final exam week.

Campus/Site Emergency Closure

When the University closes one of its facilities, campuses, or sites on an emergency basis, all non-essential personnel who are scheduled to work at that location shall not report to work or shall leave the facility upon receiving official notice of the closure by a supervisor, department head, other authorized University official, or by other official means. Only departments and employees who provide essential functions shall be open and required to perform duties.

Anyone who is scheduled to work remotely when a university location is closed for a portion or an entire workday should work remotely as scheduled. If an employee who was scheduled to work remotely should choose not to work, compensatory time (for FLSA non-exempt employees), vacation, or absence without pay shall be used to account for the absence.

Employees shall not choose to work during a campus closure unless specifically directed to do so by their supervisor, department head, or other authorized University official.

Essential personnel include but are not limited to employees who work in the Essential Service Units as defined by their position description or role. In order to sustain specific business activities, other units or personnel may be designated as essential for the purposes of a specific closure. Vice Presidents, Deans, or other designated leadership are responsible for determining which units shall be deemed essential for any particular closure. Supervisors and managers shall notify the employees in affected units as soon as possible if they are required to serve as essential personnel.

Employee Compensation during a Closure

Essential Personnel

Non-exempt employees, as determined by the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), who are designated as essential personnel and required to work during an emergency will receive time off with pay that is equal to the time worked during the closure. Options will include taking the time off with pay during the same work week or adding that number of hours to the compensatory balance to take off at a later date at the discretion of the appropriate supervisor. If total hours on the job for a non-exempt employee in any workweek exceed 40 hours, overtime compensation or compensatory time off for the hours worked in excess of 40 hours will be at a rate of one and one-half times the rate at which the person is paid. The combination of compensatory time or pay received for working during an emergency closure and the pay for time worked beyond 40 hours in a work week shall not exceed one and one-half times the rate at which the person is paid. Overtime for non-exempt, benefit-eligible employees may be compensated either by cash payment or compensatory time off at the discretion of the University. Refer to NAU Personnel Policy 2.03 Overtime/Fair Labor Standards Act for more specific details on overtime pay.

FLSA exempt personnel who work extra hours during a closure will not be paid for the additional time, but may receive flexible time-off for some of the hours worked at a later date at the appropriate supervisor’s discretion.

Non-Essential Personnel

Non-essential personnel shall use paid emergency leave to account for the absence. Emergency leave is paid time and may only be used in situations when a cancellation or closure has been declared.

Employees who have been granted approval by their supervisor to not report to work and have requested sick leave, vacation leave, or personal days off prior to a declared emergency closure, will be charged for the time off as requested. Paid emergency leave is not available for hours previously approved for absence.

Employees paid on an hourly basis and temporary employees are not eligible for emergency leave pay.

Work/Leave Procedures when the University Remains Open

If employees choose not to attend work or leave early when a closure has not been declared, compensatory time (for FLSA non-exempt employees), vacation, or absence without pay shall be used to account for the absence. The employee must follow normal department absence procedures. Supervisors are encouraged to be flexible with employee work schedules and flexible work options when feasible, balanced with the need to maintain the ongoing operations of the University.

Flexible and remote work options may not be reasonable in all employee and job situations and will be granted at the discretion of the supervisor.

Statewide Impact

Other NAU sites statewide shall not automatically be impacted by a class cancellation or closure that occurs at the Flagstaff mountain campus. The University shall notify individual sites if the cancellation or closure will impact those sites. Other NAU site closures will not automatically impact operations at the Flagstaff mountain campus.

Notification

Employees should monitor email or NAU’s alert page to obtain information regarding NAU class cancellations or closures.