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Managing Teacher Absenteeism
USHCA
Best People Best Results
URBAN SCHOOLS HUMAN CAPITAL ACADEMY
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2
Why is Teacher Leave Use Important ?
 Research
correlates with lower student
achievement
 National
benchmark for business/industry
much lower (4%) than school districts (8% or
higher)
 Teacher
work year usually 190 days versus
business/industry 260 days
 Daily
leave use/leaves of absence often a
major pain point for principals
USHCA
Best People Best Results
URBAN SCHOOLS HUMAN CAPITAL ACADEMY
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3
Key Goals in Effective Leave Management
Goal
Strategies
1. Clear and Consistent
Leave Policies and
Communication to
Employees
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2. Clear Roles and
Responsibilities on
Leave Management
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Review laws, board policies, contracts, manuals and SOPs to ensure consistency in
leave policies.
Tighten up language and deadlines where possible.
Provide one-stop-shop on district website for information on leave.
Provide tools and resources to school secretaries or other school based personnel
who support schools in leaves.
HR Partner owns helping to manage their schools’ leaves, particularly from staffing
perspective
Central Leaves Team owns processing of leave from initial request to completion of
leave (re-entry or termination)
The Legal division should be a partner with HR on policies and termination for
employees who have abused leave.
Principal signs receipt but NOT approval on leave request and is kept informed on
leave status and return to work
Employee submits proper documentation, responds to deadlines, returns to work
per approved leave.
USHCA
Best People Best Results
URBAN SCHOOLS HUMAN CAPITAL ACADEMY
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4
Key Goals in Effective Leave Management
(cont’d.)
Goal
Strategies
3. Timely and Accurate Processing
of Leave Requests
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4. Hold Adults Accountable to
Leave Policies
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Set clear turnaround times for all leave types in your district.
Clear escalation paths for leaves that go beyond set turnaround times.
Online system with self-service for employees to submit leave
requests.
Set clear deadlines for employees to submit leave paperwork
and notify of their intent to return.
If employees do not respond to deadlines, move to terminate
(partner with legal to understand what you can/can’t do).
Establish appropriate triggers so employees are not taking
multiple FMLA leaves without working full 12 months in
between.
Remind principals that absenteeism matters and they can and
must do something about the excessive leave use.
USHCA
Best People Best Results
URBAN SCHOOLS HUMAN CAPITAL ACADEMY
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Some Potential First Steps to Addressing Leaves
Goal
First Steps
1. Clear and Consistent
Leave Policies and
Communication to
Employees
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2. Clear Roles and
Responsibilities on
Leave Management
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Meet with legal and other relevant stakeholders to review leave policies, tighten up
language and set clear deadlines.
Set Notification Deadlines to Plan for School Opening. e.g., if a teacher is on child
care leave, April 1 should be the latest deadline to notify HR if they are returning the
following year or extending, if eligible. If they do not notify their intention by that
date, let them know it is treated as a resignation.
Document as-is state to understand who does what and where roles and
responsibilities need to be clarified or shifted.
Establish key metrics for HR to track and review on regular basis (and other
stakeholders depending on data).
Provide regular reports on leaves – especially day-to-day leave use by school -- to
principals and principal supervisors.
3. Timely and Accurate
Processing of Leave
Requests
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Create triggers in HRIS that prompt automatic action on leaves
4. Hold Adults
Accountable to Leave
Policies
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Address egregious offenders first - work with legal to move to terminate them.
Discuss with principals employees who have exhausted sick/personal leave for the
year to determine appropriate next steps (e.g. progressive discipline, FMLA or other
leave)
USHCA
Best People Best Results
URBAN SCHOOLS HUMAN CAPITAL ACADEMY
+
6
Actions for Monday Morning
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Determine percentage of leave use (day-to-day) and by category (sick,
personal, professional development, etc.)
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Determine the fill-rate for substitute teacher requests by school
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Determine how much leave is caused by pulling out teachers for
professional development
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Have payroll run a report of every teacher who has exhausted sick leave
balances but is not on a long-term leave
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Run a report of any teacher who has taken multiple leaves of absence
(returns to work but yearly applies for another leave)
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Check the leave balance/situation for every teacher who received an
Ineffective rating in the previous year
USHCA
Best People Best Results
URBAN SCHOOLS HUMAN CAPITAL ACADEMY