# Staff management

## What is this?

The staff page shows every member of the organization with their role,
their assigned qualifications, the stations they can operate, and their
current or next absence. On a staff member's detail page you can
assign/revoke qualifications, assign stations, and create absences.

## How to use it

- **Search & sort:** The staff list can be filtered by a search field
  (name/email); the "Name" and "Role" columns are sortable by clicking their
  header.
- **Qualification catalog:** Under "Qualifications" (a tab on the staff
  page), administrators define the qualifications used in the lab — with a
  name, an optional description (e.g., proof or scope of the qualification),
  and an optional validity period in months. Without one, a qualification
  never expires. A qualification can only be deleted while nobody is
  assigned to it.
- **Assign a qualification:** On a staff member's detail page via "Assign
  qualification" — the expiry date is computed automatically from the
  qualification's validity period (grant date + months). Expired
  qualifications are marked in red.
- **Assign stations:** On a staff member's detail page, in the "Stations"
  section, users with the right to manage staff check off which stations
  this employee can operate. Purely informational (no access control) — the
  staff list also shows the assignment as its own column.
- **Create an absence:** Any member can submit a date range with a type
  (vacation, sick leave, training, other) for themselves via "Create
  absence" — it takes effect immediately, with no approval step. Managers/
  administrators with the right to manage staff can additionally create an
  absence for any staff member via the "Create new absence" button on the
  "Presence/absence" tab. If the range overlaps an existing absence of the
  target member, the entry is rejected.
- **Deleting:** Anyone can delete their own absences; deleting someone
  else's requires the right to manage staff.
- **In the calendar:** Absences don't appear in the lab calendar — that
  shows test schedules, maintenance, milestones, and (if enabled)
  reservations. The "Presence/absence" tab and its grid is where to see
  absences.
- **Month or year view:** In the "Presence/absence" tab, a toggle in the top
  right switches between "Month" (a single grid) and "Year" (all twelve
  months stacked); the arrows next to it step by a month or a year depending
  on the active view.

## Common issues

- **"My absence won't save."** A date range overlaps an existing absence of
  the target member — even touching edges (one ending where the next
  starts) count as an overlap.
- **"I can't delete an absence anymore."** You can always delete your own;
  deleting someone else's requires the right to manage staff.
- **"A qualification won't delete."** It's still assigned to at least one
  staff member — revoke the assignments first.
- **"I got a reminder about an expiring qualification."** The daily
  background check notifies the affected person directly 30 days before
  expiry (and for already expired qualifications).

---

Source: https://www.testlabiq.com/en/help/staff