Lesson #3 - Staff Management

The third lesson in this Learning Series, Staff Management, is designed to get you familiar with working with staff in Jackrabbit.  You may wish to review the articles listed below before beginning.

• Tasks on the Dashboard
• Coaches/Instructors and Staff Category

The Staff record provides a centralized location to keep all information related to staff members. Each record has its own tabs, buttons, and links.

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Staff Record Tabs

Summary Tab

This tab houses contact and general employment information for the staff member. The majority of the fields are self-explanatory, however, there are some fields (Staff ID, Salaried, Instructor, Type, Position, and Public Nickname) that impact how other areas of Jackrabbit function.

Classes Tab

The Classes tab provides a listing of the staff member's active and future classes. Use the View Class History button to view the staff member's previous classes.

Compensation Tab

This tab offers an area to enter multiple pay rates. Use the Add Pay Rate button to add each pay rate. Rates can be filtered using the Filter By drop-down. See the Staff Portal Time Clock topic for full details on pay rates and the Compensation tab.

Because this tab houses confidential information, there are User Permissions that can be used to restrict a user's access to it. Located in the Staff section of permissions, the "Compensation tab" or the "Compensation tab when User ID is linked to Staff" permissions can be used to lock down this sensitive information. See Set/Edit Jackrabbit User ID Permissions to learn more.

Time Card Tab

Used in conjunction with the Time Clock, all time entries for a staff person display on this tab. See the Staff Portal Time Clock topic for full details on Jackrabbit's Time Clock feature.

A User's access to this tab can be restricted with the "Time Card and Portal Settings tab" User ID permission in the Staff section. See Set/Edit Jackrabbit User ID Permissions.

Portal Settings Tab

Used in conjunction with the Staff Portal, all settings controlling what the staff person is able to see and do in their portal are located on this tab. See Staff Portal Settings for full details.

A User's access to this tab can be restricted with the "Time Card and Portal Settings tab" User ID permission in the Staff section. See Set/Edit Jackrabbit User ID Permissions.

Feedback Tab

Notes regarding your staff performance, such as feedback from their students, can be entered on this tab. Be sure to Save Changes after adding feedback. Use the More link to display the entire Staff Feedback field.

A User's access to this tab can be restricted with the "Feedback tab" User ID permission in the Staff section. See Set/Edit Jackrabbit User ID Permissions.

Skills Tab

The Skills tab can be used to indicate which skill/instrument an instructor can teach. Use the Add Skill button to add a Skill.

Certifications Tab

Add certifications achieved along with dates earned. See Staff Certifications for details.

Availability Tab

Add a staff member's standard hours and exceptions here. See Staff Availability for more information.

A User's access to this tab can be restricted with the "Availability tab" User ID permission in the Staff section

Misc Tab

Add miscellaneous Notes and Background information related to the staff member here.

Click the View Sent Emails button to open an Email History window where you can see all emails sent from within Jackrabbit to the staff member for the last 365 days.

Picture Tab

Staff pictures can be added to this tab. Use the Pencil icon to browse for the image you want to upload. The image will be automatically resized and centered. 

Notes Tab

Add, edit, or delete notes for a staff member here. Search notes, filter the notes by tags, and sort the notes by the date created or by the date modified. Learn more about Notes in Jackrabbit.

Resources Tab

Upload files and add hyperlinks (URLs) to the staff member's record. Store up to 15MB of data. Learn more about Resources in Jackrabbit.

Staff Record Buttons

Instructor Schedule Button

The Instructor Schedule button will open a page where you can use search criteria and display settings to create a schedule for the instructor. The schedule is offered in several formats including export to Excel and PDF.

Add Time Entry Button

See Staff Portal: Time Clock topic for details.

Instructor Calendar Button

Use the Instructor Calendar button to display the Instructor's Classic Monthly Class Calendar. The calendar provides links to the Class records.

Weekly Schedule Button

The Weekly Schedule button opens the Activity Calendar filtered for the staff person. Links are provided for easy access to activity records.

Email Button

The Email button will open the Email editor where you can create and send an email to the staff member.

Text Button

If you have texting enabled, the Text button will open the editor where you can compose and send a text message to the staff member.

Once you have added staff/instructors, you'll be able to assign instructors to classes and allow staff to use Jackrabbit's Time Clock feature with the Staff Portal (based on their User ID permissions and the Staff Portal Settings).

Add a Staff Member

Follow these steps to add a staff/instructor record:

1. Go to the Staff (menu) > Add Staff.
2. Enter the staff member's first & last name and email address in the Add Staff pop-up window.
3. Select one of the following options that match the scenario:
   
   

   Existing Staff Member  with a User ID	If this staff member has a Jackrabbit User ID in your database and will also be using the Staff Portal you can opt to match them to their User ID. This allows them to use only one ID and password to access both your database and the Staff Portal. Select their name from the Match to User ID drop-down. See Staff Portal: Match Staff to User ID for more information.
   Staff Member without  a User ID	If this staff member will be using the Staff Portal and they do not have a database User ID you can opt to Auto-assign Staff Portal Login ID (will be in the format of first initial and last name). Note: With the Staff Portal Login ID the staff member will be able to log into the Staff Portal but they will not have access to your main database.

   
   
4. Check Send Staff Portal Login Email if this staff member will be using the Staff Portal. This will send an email with their Staff Portal Login ID and a link for them to set their password. Note: If using their database User ID to log into the portal they will not need to reset their password and the email will inform them to log in with their existing password and User ID. 
5. Click Save.
   • You'll immediately be directed to the Staff Summary page where you can enter additional information for this staff member. See our article The Staff Record to learn more.
6. Click Save Changes.

Staff Portal Login Email - Matched to User ID

Staff Portal Login Email - Auto-Assigned

To assign an Instructor to a class, they must first be added using Staff > Add Staff.  See Add a Staff Member / Instructor for more information.

1. Go to Classes (menu) > All Classes and select the correct class. 
2. Click the Instructor tab.
3. Add up to four instructors in the appropriate fields using the drop-down list. 
4. Click Save Changes.

1. Be sure you are viewing the correct class.
2. Click the Instructor tab.
3. Click the drop-down arrow to view a list of instructors.
4. Select the blank choice.
5. Click Save Changes.
   
   

This only deletes the instructor from the class.  To delete the instructor's staff information, see Delete a Staff Member / Instructor.

Active Staff, located under the Staff menu, is a quick way to see a list of your organization's active staff, their classes, weekly schedule, and monthly calendar. The data for this report is pulled from individual Staff records. 

Go to the Staff (menu) > Active Staff and your active staff will populate into the grid.

• Click the staff member's name to open their Staff record.
• Click the number link in the Classes column to open the Staff record > Classes (tab).
• Schedule and Calendar links open the staff member's weekly schedule and monthly calendar.
• Select and adjust the columns you would like to display in the grid.

Take Action in the Grid

This grid has the following built-in functionality:

	Use the Column Menu to sort columns in ascending/descending order, select the columns to view in the grid, filter data, and lock the column position (Set Column Position).
	Click Adjust Columns > Squeeze grid to see all the columns in the grid on a single page.
	Use the Refresh Grid icon to reload the data in the grid after making changes.
	Use the More icon to select either Print or Export to Excel. Check out this short video tutorial Print from Grids in Jackrabbit for some helpful printing tips.

1. Go to the Staff (menu) > Active Staff.
2. Click the Name of the staff member you want to delete.
3. Click the Delete button.
   
   
   
4. Click Yes in the Delete Staff pop-up window. Tip: It is a Jackrabbit Best Practice to set a staff member's status to inactive instead of deleting them. This preserves time entries and class assignments instead of permanently deleting the information.
5. The staff member's record is permanently deleted, click OK.

Deleting a Staff record does NOT delete the staff member from the Instructor tab of any classes they were assigned to. Deleting an Instructor from a specific class must be done from the Class Instructor tab.

The Search option, under the Staff menu, is a customizable report of your staff members. It allows you to search through all of your staff and find only those who meet your criteria. 

• Create a list of employees who have been with you for 5+ years for service awards.  
• Find all staff with a specific certification.
• Generate a list of your staff with birthdays in the coming month and email them a birthday greeting.

There are several ways to view Instructor Schedules.

•  Staff menu > Staff Reports > Instructor Schedules
  • Enter your Search Criteria and Submit to send the report to one of six output formats (PDF, Excel, HTML, Word, Text, Tiff).
    
    
• Staff record
  • Use the Weekly Schedule button to open the Activity Calendar filtered for that staff person for the current week.
  • Select the Instructor Calendar button to open the Classic Class Calendar - Monthly Schedule filtered for that staff person for the current month.
    
    
• Staff menu > Active Staff
  • Use the Weekly Schedule link on an instructor's row to open the Activity Calendar filtered for that staff person for the current week.
  • Select the Calendar link on an instructor's row to open the Classic Class Calendar - Monthly Schedule filtered for that staff person for the current month.
    
    
• Staff menu > Search
  • Enter your Search Criteria and Submit.
  • Use the Weekly Schedule link on an instructor's row to open the Activity Calendar filtered for that staff person for the current week.
  • Select the Calendar link on an instructor's row to open the Classic Class Calendar - Monthly Schedule filtered for that staff person for the current month. 
    
    

Get rid of your manual tracking system for substitutes! Use the Substitutes feature to assign substitutes for absent instructors. Easily record, view, and manage substitutes for all of your classes. 

Save even more time by also utilizing the Staff Availability feature. It's the perfect pairing! Substitute records are added, updated, and deleted whenever Staff Time Off is added, updated, and deleted either from within Jackrabbit or the Staff Portal.

And, to make the Substitutes feature even better🪄, you control settings that can:

• allow instructors to view and manage the classes they are going to substitute in the Staff Portal. 
• advise parents when a substitute has been assigned to a class in the Parent Portal.
• notify parents and students at Self Check-in when a regular instructor is away and a substitute has been assigned.

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Get Set Up to Use Substitutes

Before getting started with the Substitutes feature, there are some settings to review.

How the Substitutes Feature Works

Introducing 'The Players'

The Substitutes feature touches several areas of Jackrabbit:

• Class record > Instructors tab 
• Substitutes report
• Dashboard Alert

When you are also saving heaps of time by using the Staff Availability feature, another area comes into play:

• Staff record > Availability tab

And you can save even more time by bringing in the Staff Portal along with Staff Availability! 

Okay, now that we know who is who, let's go through how they all play in the sandbox together. 

Create a Substitute Record

Substitutes are managed using a Substitute record. A Substitute record is created in two ways.

Assign a Substitute within Jackrabbit

On the Instructors tab of the Class record, select the Assign Substitute button to open the Assign Substitute window.

• If there is more than one instructor, select the instructor who will be absent.
• Use the calendar to select the dates (From and To) of the instructor's absence. There is a substitute record created for every class the instructor will miss in the date range. Note: Days the class doesn't meet are disabled on the calendar.
• Options for assigning the substitute:
  • Select Substitute - Use the drop-down menu to select the substitute. If you have many names in the list, use the Search All Substitutes field to look for a specific name (instructors already assigned to the class will not be available for selection).
    Tip: Showing Staff Skills allows you to ensure you are selecting a substitute who is qualified to teach the class. 
  • Assign Later - To record the instructor's absence but not select a substitute at this time, select Assign Later. Substitute records marked Assign Later will trigger an Alert icon in the Alerts section of the Executive Dashboard (see below).
  • Not Needed - To record the instructor's absence but not select a substitute at all for the absence, select Not Needed. Doing this will have the instructor's absence reported on the Classic Weekly and Daily View Class Calendars (see below).
• Optionally add Comments (max 500 characters). These comments are included in the notification emails sent to the absent instructor and the substitute. They are also shown in the grid on the Instructors tab of the Class record and the Substitutes report.

Automatically Create a Substitute Record

When using Staff Availability, a Substitute record is automatically created when a Time Off entry is added for an instructor. #timesaver💥. The time off can be added from within Jackrabbit or by staff in the Staff Portal.

The addition of a Time Off entry starts a process where Jackrabbit compares the time off with the instructor's schedule and creates a Substitute record for each of their classes that meet during the time off. Those records are added to the Instructor tab of each Class record and are marked Assign Later. They are also added to the Substitutes report and the Executive Dashboard Alert (if within the next 30 days). 

Notes:

• If there has already been a Substitute record created for a class occurrence in the period of time off, Jackrabbit will not create a duplicate record.
• When a Time Off entry is added, a toast message will pop up (thus its name!) to let you know how many Substitute records were created. It will contain a link that opens the Substitute report for your review.
• Substitute records automatically created in the Staff Portal will include a comment Auto-created by Staff Portal Time Off entry. Those created within Jackrabbit will have the comment, Auto-created by Admin Time Off entry. These comments are viewable on the Substitutes report, in the Class record > Instructors tab, and in the Staff record > Availability tab.

Edit a Substitute Record

A Substitute record can be edited using the row menu ( ) in the Substitutes grid on either the Instructors tab of the Class record or on the Substitutes report. 

When utilizing Staff Availability, a Substitute record is edited when an edit is made to a Time Off entry. For any edits made to a Time Off entry, Jackrabbit compares the edited time off period to the instructor's schedule and will create or delete Substitute records as needed. Time Off entries can be edited either in Jackrabbit on the Availability tab of the Staff record or by staff through the Staff Portal.

Delete a Substitute Record

Delete individual substitute records using the row menu ( ) in the Substitutes grid on either the Instructors tab of the Class record or on the Substitutes report. Use the checkboxes to choose substitute records and then select the more menu () to delete several records at once (Mass Delete). Note: Once any checkboxes have been selected, the individual row menus are removed from the grid, and the Print and Export to Excel options are removed from the more menu.

Staff Availability deletes Substitute records when either a Time Off entry has been edited to exclude the class for which it was created or the related Time Off entry has been deleted.

Tracking and Reporting for Substitutes

Executive Dashboard

On the Executive Dashboard, in the Informative Alerts section of the Alerts widget, the Substitutes next 30 days alert displays the number of records for substitution dates in the next 30 days. 

• Users with the right permissions can click the Substitutes next 30 days alert to open the Substitutes report filtered for the next 30 days; this filter can be cleared to view all substitutes. 
• This alert displays the number of records for substitution dates in the next 30 days that are marked Assign Later in a gray circle. This indicates that a substitute still needs to be found for the class and assigned on the Instructor tab of the Class record.

Substitute Report

The Substitute report is accessed from either the Reports menu > Find Reports or from the link in the Dashboard alert for Substitutes next 30 days.

• Individual substitute records can be edited or deleted using the row menu ().
• Options to Print, Export to Excel, or Mass Delete are located in the more menu ().
• Use the search fields in each column to filter for specific records.

Activity Calendar

Use the Calendar link (top right) available on every Jackrabbit page to access the Activity Calendar. If the Classic Weekly Class Calendar opens, use the Activity Calendar button to switch calendars.

Week View

• Hover over an activity card to view the absent instructor and the substitute if one has been assigned.

Day View

• Hover over an activity card to view the absent instructor and the substitute if one has been assigned.

Agenda View

• Hover over an activity in the list to view the absent instructor and the substitute if one has been assigned.

Room View

• Hover over an activity card to view the absent instructor and the substitute if one has been assigned.

Instructor View

• The activity will appear in both the absent instructor and the substitute instructor's columns.
• An icon and a zebra stripe on the activity card indicate that an instructor is absent and that a substitute will be teaching.
• Hover over an activity card to view the absent instructor and the substitute if one has been assigned.

Classic Class Calendars

Weekly View

Use the Calendar link (top right) available on every Jackrabbit page to access the Classic Weekly Class Calendar. If the Activity Calendar opens, use the Classic Calendar link in the calendar header to switch calendars.

• Hover over a class to view the absent instructor and the substitute if one has been assigned.

Day View

Use the Calendar link (top right) available on every Jackrabbit page to access the Classic Weekly Class Calendar. If the Activity Calendar opens, use the Classic Calendar link in the calendar header to switch calendars.

Click the Day View (button), or a specific day/date in the calendar, to open a Day View.

• Staff Skills for each instructor are displayed on the Classic Daily Class Calendar.
• Staff Availability is shown for staff members who have entered time off or availability for that day.
• The class block is added to the substitute's column on the Classic Daily Class Calendar.
• The class block with the absent instructor is shown with a diagonal overlay.
• Hover over either class block to view class information, including the absent instructor and the substitute if one has been assigned.

Classic Monthly Class Calendar

The Classic Monthly Class Calendar is accessed by pointing to Classes (menu) > Class Reports > Monthly Schedule/Calendar.

• Hover over a class to open a small summary pop-up with Class Name, Start/End Times, Current Size, Current Openings, Current Waitlist #, Start / End Dates, Instructor's Name/Substitute Name, Meeting Day, and Class Fee.
• Check the Show Instructors checkbox at the top of the page to show instructors and substitute names with classes.

Weekly Schedule

In a Staff record, select the Weekly Schedule button to open a calendar for the current week, filtered for that instructor. As well as their own classes, those they are assigned to as a substitute will be displayed.

Staff Portal > My Schedule

Within the Staff Portal, the My Schedule tab features a useful section called My Substitutions. This area allows logged-in staff members to conveniently view both the classes they are scheduled to substitute for, as well as the classes that will have a substitute in their place.

Parent Portal > Class Cards

In your Parent Portal Settings, you have the option to display substitutes and provide details about any substitutions in the classes the students are enrolled in.

Self Check-in

When checking in, parents and students are informed if there is a substitute assigned for their regular instructor.

Jackrabbit understands that keeping staff certification records up to date plays an important role in your business. The Staff Certifications feature streamlines this process for you.

• Ensure students are protected by keeping staff certifications current.
• Maintain historical reporting; expired certifications are not overwritten and remain in the staff record.
• Monitor certification alerts from the Executive Dashboard.

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The Pay Rate report provides you with a list of staff pay rates based on filters (Search Criteria) you select. 

Get to this report from the Staff menu > Staff Reports > Pay Rate Report.

• Customize your report to list employee pay rates based on Pay Type, Pay Rate Status (Current/Future), and Department.
• Review your employee's current pay rate and the effective dates.
• Review pay rates to determine if you can increase the rates for your employees.

Search Criteria

You can filter your list of staff pay rates using any or all of the Search Criteria and Jackrabbit will compile the report to meet ALL of the criteria chosen.

Report Results

The report results can be further customized with the ability to show or hide columns of information, sort columns, or modify column widths.

• Click the Show/Hide Columns button, to select which columns of information you want displayed.
• Click a staff member's name to open their Staff record > Compensation tab.

The Instructor Scheduled Time report, found under the Staff (menu) > Staff Reports, displays a summary of classes for each instructor.

• Ensure a balance of teaching hours for each instructor.
• Use as class rolls for private lessons.

Search Criteria

Use Search Criteria to narrow down results to the classes you want to work with.

Report Results

The Staff Portal provides a secure place for your staff to: view their class and events schedules, record time worked in the time clock, enter their availability, record student attendance or skills/levels, view Lesson Plans, and create and view Resources.

• Be Secure -The Staff Portal is isolated from your Jackrabbit database, allowing your staff to manage their classes and time outside of Jackrabbit without needing access to sensitive data such as contact and financial information.
• Be In Touch - The Staff Portal is a great way to communicate with your staff. Use the Staff and Department News to broadcast messages in the Staff Portal. A login message can be entered into an individual staff member's record, and it will display on their News tab in My News.
• Be Mobile - Jackrabbit's Staff Portal is 'responsive', which detects the size of the device being used and will adjust to fit the screen size. This makes using the Portal much easier on a smart device!

Set Up and Explore the Staff Portal

Why should you use the Staff Portal for your organization? Let's have a look at the setup, functionality, and reporting options available to you with the Staff Portal.

	Set Up Your Staff Portal	Ready to get started? Use the Guided Staff Portal Setup to get going in 5 easy steps! Staff can access the Staff Portal in multiple ways: Use a Link to Launch the Staff Portal Remotely Launch the Staff Portal from Within Jackrabbit Launch the Staff Portal for Multi-Locations Save and Launch the Remote Access Staff Portal as an App on a Mobile Device If a staff member forgets their password, they can click the Forgot Your Password?  link at any time to generate a new one. See Reset a Staff Portal Password for more details.
	Staff Portal Settings	Once you have gone through the Guided Staff Portal Setup (above), there are additional settings that control staff access and features they can use in the portal:  General Staff Portal Settings Settings for Staff Portal Attendance Settings for Staff Portal Skills/Levels Settings for the Staff Portal Time Clock Need to make some updates to individual settings for multiple staff members? Check out these additional articles: Edit All Staff Portal Settings  Edit All Staff Portal Login IDs
	Staff Portal Features	These are the features (tabs) included in the Staff Portal. News - create announcements for specific staff members, all staff, and by departments. See Staff Portal News for more info. My Schedule - Instructors can view their schedule of classes and events. No need to send your instructors their schedules - they can view and print their schedules from here, including any classes they are substituting for! Increase efficiency and allow staff to enter their own availability and time off through their Staff Portal. My Time Card - Staff can use the Time Clock to enter their worked hours. Refer to the Enter Time in the Staff Portal Time Clock section for more details on different time entries. Manage Classes - Staff members can take attendance, update skills/levels, view lesson plans, email students, and add resources. Refer to Manage Classes in the Staff Portal - The Main Page for additional information.
	Reports	Staff Portal reports are an excellent way to keep track of staff members and their required tasks. These reports include: Incomplete Portal Attendance Report Staff Portal Login ID Report Staff Portal Log

Want to practice what you've just learned?  Great!  Go to https://app.jackrabbitclass.com/jr4.0/Login  and log in with the credentials below for your Jackrabbit edition.

Add a staff member and assign them to a class.

1. Add a staff member with a fake name and address by going to Staff on the menu bar and clicking on Add Staff.
2. Open a class by going to Classes > List Active Classes and select a class (link) in the Class column.
3. Click on the Instructors tab and select the staff member from the drop-down list.  If the staff member isn't listed, check your staff member has the Instructor field set to "Yes" on their Staff Record (page).

When you have worked through all of the articles outlined in the lesson, select the Take the Quiz button to be taken to the Lesson #3 Quiz where you can test your understanding of the concepts in this lesson.  You will be asked to enter an email address for quiz results to be sent. The quiz includes Review questions.

Quiz #3 - Staff Management

Return to Supervisors and Managers Menu to continue to next lesson

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