If the system will not let you mark a staff member absent, the cause is almost always the staff term dates. This article explains why, how to check and fix the term setup, and how to add absence reasons. It is for school administrators who capture staff absences.

My School > People > Staff > Absences

Why can't I mark a staff member absent?

Staff absences are captured against the staff term dates. If the Staff calendar has no term covering the date of the absence, or the term is set up incorrectly, the system will not let you capture the absence. Learner and educator term dates can also cause problems if they are wrong, so check all three.

How do I check and fix the staff term dates?

1. Navigate to My School > System > General > Annual Calendar > Terms.

2. Select the Calendar type Staff.

3. Check that there is one term for the current year running from 1 January to 31 December. This is the recommended setup, because staff can take leave at any time of the year.

4. If the term is missing, click Add Term, enter 1 January to 31 December and click Save.

5. If the dates are wrong, double-click the term record, correct the dates and click Save.

6. Select the Learners and Educators calendar types in turn and check that those term dates are also correct.

Why is the date greyed out?

Absences cannot be captured on school holidays or public holidays. Check the term dates and public holidays under My School > System > General > Annual Calendar.

How do I add an absence reason?

Add new reasons under My School > General > Databases: Absence reasons. Once saved, the reason appears in the Reason for absence list when you capture a staff absence.

How do I capture the absence once the terms are fixed?

1. Navigate to My School > People > Staff > Absences and click Load absences.

2. Select the Employer category by clicking the blue eye icon.

3. Select the Monday of the week of the absence and click Continue.

4. Select the staff member, tick the day(s) of absence and select the Reason for absence.

5. Click Continue to save.

Frequently asked questions

The system does not allow us to mark teachers absent. Why?

The staff term dates are usually missing or incorrect. Check that the Staff calendar under My School > System > General > Annual Calendar > Terms has one term from 1 January to 31 December for the current year.

Do I need to set up Term 4 for staff before I can mark staff absent?

No. Staff need only one continuous term from 1 January to 31 December. That single term covers absences for the whole year.

Which term dates does the staff absentee report use?

The staff absentee report counts days using the staff term dates. If the report shows the wrong number of days, check the Staff calendar first.

How do I add an absentee reason?

Go to My School > General > Databases: Absence reasons and add the new reason. It then appears in the list when you capture a staff absence.