Make plans now for holiday break schedule

Northern Arizona University will close for the winter holiday break from Dec. 24 through Jan. 1, reopening on Wednesday, Jan. 2.

The official paid holidays are Dec. 24, 25 and Jan. 1. NAU also will be closed on Dec. 26, 27, 28 and 31, but these are not paid holidays.

Vice presidents will decide which operations must continue during this closure. Staff will be notified by their supervisors of the requirement to work during the winter holiday break.

With department head approval, non-essential services employees may be granted permission to work during this period. For any dates during the winter holiday break not covered by holiday pay all regular, benefit-eligible staff will need to make arrangements to report their time off.

For any dates during the winter holiday break when an employee would not be covered by holiday pay and is not working, a supervisor may grant any of the following options:

Use of accrued vacation

Employees eligible to accrue vacation may request to use their accrued vacation time. Vacation is limited to the amount the employee has accrued prior to the end of the last full pay period before the winter holiday break.

Use of accrued compensatory time: Fair Labor Standards Act non-exempt classified staff employees only

Non-exempt classified staff employees (in job classifications that qualify for overtime compensation) who have accrued compensatory time prior to the end of the last full pay period before the winter break may request to use hours from their existing balance of compensatory time. A non-exempt employee may be permitted with prior supervisor approval to work overtime based upon business needs in anticipation of that employee taking compensatory time off during the break.

Use of flexible work time: FLSA exempt classified staff employees and appointed personnel only

Supervisors may authorize the use of paid release time to exempt employees (in job classifications that are exempt from overtime compensation) who have routinely worked more than their scheduled FTE throughout the year. This option is in accordance with NAU Personnel Policy #2.03 that states exempt employees are not eligible to receive overtime payment or compensatory time off. There are instances, however, when flexible work hours may be permitted at the department head's discretion to accommodate such things as peak work periods, for example, in the case of the exempt employee who worked an excessive number of hours in prior pay periods or who routinely works more than 40 hours in a workweek. Flexible work time shall not be granted on an hour-for-hour exchange basis, and it may be considered for all or a portion of the winter break according to the guidelines of the program. Guidelines and procedures for this option can be found online.

Use of absence without pay

Employees may request the use of absence without pay during the winter holiday break.

All time not worked must be documented appropriately using record of absence forms, flex time option forms and timesheets (non-exempt employees). All leave and time reporting records are subject to audit.

For information, contact the Human Resources Department's Customer Service Center at (928) 523-2223 or hr.contact@nau.edu.

Listed below are important dates and holidays for the remainder of 2007, 2008 and 2009. The days NAU is closed between Christmas and New Year's in 2008 and 2009 will be recommended by Human Resources in the fall of each calendar year.

Remainder of Calendar Year 2007

Monday, Nov. 12: Veterans Day Holiday
Thursday, Nov. 22: Thanksgiving Day Holiday
Friday, Nov. 23: President's Designated Holiday
Monday, Dec. 24: President's Designated Holiday
Tuesday, Dec. 25: Christmas Day Holiday
Wednesday, Dec. 26: Closure
Thursday, Dec. 27: Closure
Friday, Dec. 28: Closure
Monday, Dec. 31: Closure

Calendar Year 2008

Tuesday Jan. 1, 2008: New Year's Day Holiday
Monday Jan. 21, 2008: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Holiday Observed
Monday May 26, 2008: Memorial Day Observed
Friday July 4, 2008: Independence Day Holiday
Monday Sept. 1, 2008: Labor Day Holiday Observed
Monday Nov. 11, 2008: Veterans Day Holiday
Thursday Nov. 27, 2008: Thanksgiving Day Holiday
Friday Nov. 28, 2008: President's Designated Holiday
Thursday Dec. 25, 2008: Christmas Day Holiday
Friday Dec. 26, 2008: President's Designated Holiday

Calendar Year 2009

Thursday Jan. 1, 2009: New Year's Day Holiday
Monday Jan. 19, 2009: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Holiday Observed
Monday May 25, 2009: Memorial Day Holiday Observed
Friday July 3, 2009: Independence Day Holiday Observed
Monday Sept. 7, 2009: Labor Day Holiday Observed
Wednesday Nov. 11, 2009: Veterans Holiday
Thursday Nov. 26, 2009: Thanksgiving Day Holiday
Friday Nov. 27, 2009: President's Designated Holiday
Thursday Dec. 24, 2009: President's Designated Holiday
Friday Dec. 25, 2009: Christmas Day Holiday