Managing Absences (Admin Guide)

INTRODUCTION…

As a club admin (President, VP Education, or Secretary), you can view, filter, create, and manage absences for all members. This helps you understand scheduling constraints and plan better meetings.

What is an Absence?

An absence is a date range when you’re unavailable for club meetings or role assignments. When you create an absence:

✅ You won’t be assigned any roles during those dates

✅ The schedule algorithm automatically skips you

✅ Your club admins can see your absence dates (to plan accordingly)

✅ The absence applies immediately to future schedule generation

When to Create an Absence

✅ Vacation or holiday travel

✅ Business trips

✅ Family commitments

✅ Medical appointments

✅ Temporary unavailability

✅ Sabbaticals or extended leaves

💡 PRO TIP: Create absences as soon as you know your dates. This helps admins plan better schedules.

How to Create an Absence

Schedules move through three status levels:

Step #1: Navigate to Absences

  • 1. Log in to The Club Schedule
  • 2. Click your name in the top right corner
  • 3. Click “My Absences” from the dropdown menu

Step #2: Click “Add New Absence”

  • 1. You’ll see a list of your current absences
  • 2. Click the blue “Add New Absence” button (top right)

Step #3: Enter Absence Details

  • 1. Start Date (Required)
  •  1.1 Select the first day you’ll be unavailable
  •    1.2 Cannot select past dates
  •    1.3 Example: If you’re leaving Friday, select Friday
  • 2. End Date (Required)
  •    2.1 Select the last day you’ll be unavailable
  •    2.2 Must be same day or after Start Date
  •    2.3 Example: If you return Sunday, select Sunday
  • 3. Notes (Optional)
  •    3.1 Add context for your absence (e.g., “Family vacation in Hawaii”)
  •    3.2 Only club admins can see these notes
  •    3.3 Members cannot see each other’s absence notes

Step #3.1: Apply to Multiple Clubs (If Applicable)

  • If you’re a member of multiple clubs, you’ll see a checkbox:
  • ☑ Apply this absence to all my clubs
  • This saves time if you want the same absence across all memberships
  • You’ll see a list of your clubs below the checkbox

Step #4: Submit the Absence

  • Review your dates
  • Click “📅 Add Absence” button
  • You’ll see a confirmation message
  • You’ll be redirected to your absence list

What Happens After Submitting an Absence?

Immediately

  • Your absence is saved to the system
  • It appears in your “My Absences” list
  • Club admins can see it in their admin absence management view

Future Schedules

  • When admins create new schedules that include your absence dates, you won’t be assigned
  • The algorithm distributes roles fairly among available members

Existing Schedules

  • Published schedules are NOT changed
  • Draft schedules may still show your assignments (admins can manually adjust)

**Important**

If you’re already assigned to a role in a published schedule during your absence dates, you need to:

  • Decline the assignment in the schedule
  • Or contact your VP of Education to find a replacement

Managing Your Absences

Viewing Your Absences

  • Go to “My Absences” from your user menu
  • You’ll see all upcoming and past absences
  • Upcoming absences are highlighted

Editing an Absence

  • Find the absence in your list
  • Click the “Edit” button
  • Update dates or notes
  • Click “Update Absence”

Deleting an Absence

  • Find the absence in your list
  • Click the “Delete” button
  • Confirm deletion in the popup
  • The absence is removed

⚠️ **Note:** Editing or deleting an absence only affects FUTURE schedules, not existing published ones

⚠️ **Note:** This feature may work a little different during the Beta Test period.

Absence Best Practices

✅ Do:

  • – Add absences as early as possible
  • – Delete absences if you’ll actually be available
  • – Include helpful notes for admins (e.g., “Honeymoon – will be back April 15”)
  • – Update absences if plans change

Absence Best Practices

❌ Don’t:

  • Create absences for single meeting conflicts (just decline the assignment instead)
  • Forget to delete absences when you return early
  • Leave notes with sensitive personal information (admins can see them)

Privacy & Notes

Who can see what:

✅ **You** can see all your absences and notes

✅ **Club admins** (President, VP Ed, Secretary) can see your absence dates AND notes

❌ **Other members** cannot see your absences or notes

❌ **Other members** don’t see why you weren’t assigned

What Admins See:

  • Your name
  • Start and end dates
  • Your notes (if provided)
  • When you created/updated the absence

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can I create an absence for just one meeting?

A: Yes! Just set the Start Date and End Date to the same day.

Q: What if I’m already assigned during my absence dates?

A: Absences only affect FUTURE schedule generation. For existing assignments, decline them or contact your VP of Education.

Q: Can I create overlapping absences?

A: Yes, the system allows it (in case you extend a trip). Both absences will be respected.

Q: Do absences expire automatically?

A: No, but past absences are kept for historical records. You can delete old absences anytime.

Q: I forgot to add an absence. Can I still decline roles?

A: Yes! You can always decline role assignments manually, even without a formal absence.