Staff Attendance Policies & Procedures

Attendance Information   

The school district recognizes that, from time to time, it may be necessary for employees to be absent from work for various circumstances and has, accordingly, provided a number of authorized leave benefits for use in the event of illness, emergencies, and other matters as they may arise. Any employee who needs to be absent from work or who expects to arrive late or leave work early must adhere to applicable Board of Education policies and administrative regulations related to the same. If the occasion arises and an absence is necessary, all staff must follow the procedures outlined below:

1. Place Absence in RedRover

2. Inform Office Staff

3. Inform grade level admin and classroom team

Thank you for your dedication and commitment to being present and engaged.

Staff Hours   

Teachers' Work Hours

7:15 AM until 3:30 PM

Teacher Assistants' Work Hours

7:20 AM until 3:15 PM 

• Teachers are required to remain at school on some Wednesdays for faculty meetings or school professional development in-service. Please refrain from scheduling any appointments after school on Wednesdays. 

• Any staff member who expects to be more than 5 minutes late must call the office and inform their classroom team. This is a courtesy call only, and does NOT mean it is "OKAY" to be late. 

• All staff are expected to adhere to established work hours. Staff members who are habitually late will conference with an administrator.  Arrival and departure times are monitored by the Principal. Do not leave the campus without paperwork signed by an administrator.

Red Rover

Exempt and non-exempt staff, including instructional assistants, must use Red Rover.

Click here for Red Rover Training. 

NOTE: Non-Exempt Employees will use the Red Rover Exception Form document to report actual in/out times for MISSED PUNCHES. If the employee forgets to punch "in" or "out", or punches incorrectly, they should use the Timecard Exception to report their actual "in" or "out" times for the day. The Red Rover Exception Form  should be completed by the employee on the day of the exception.  Abuse of this form will not be tolerated. 

Teacher & Staff Absences   

• Classified/non-exempt (hourly) employees will need supervisor written approval to work over their scheduled hours. Here are a few reminders as you supervise employee hours:

• All certified/exempt employees must check in each day in Red Rover or enter appropriate leave to account for the day. 

• All classified/non-exempt (hourly) employees must sign in and out each day in Red Rover.  

• Modifications to an employee’s scheduled hours should be approved in writing by the supervisor in advance (ie. employees shouldn’t be changing their hours without supervisor written approval)

• Full-time classified/non-exempt employees (working a minimum of 6 hours a day/30 hours a week) must be scheduled for a lunch break and should clock out and back in upon their return. 

• Lunch is for 30 minutes or an hour depending on the needs of the district. For example, a non-exempt employee taking a 30 minute lunch would be scheduled for 8.5 hours–they would be on the clock for 8 hours and off the clock for their 30 minute lunch break.

• Lunch break is off the clock for a minimum of 30 minutes 

• Employees must be free of work responsibilities during lunch that is off the clock. 

• Instructional assistants that are supervising students during lunch stay on the clock and are not required to have a separate lunch. 

• A 15 minute break is on the clock and employees do not need to clock in and out. Employees working 8 or more hours can take up to two 15-minute breaks in addition to their scheduled lunch break. 

• Non-exempt employees need their supervisor’s written approval prior to working overtime.

Instructional Assistant Absences

• All instructional assistants MUST notify their supervising teacher and the Main Office in case of an absence. 

• Absences must also be reported in Red Rover. This notification must be made so the supervising teacher may make the necessary adjustments in the prepared lessons. 

• Failure to not create an absence in Red Rover will result in you NOT being compensated.

Return to Work Restrictions:  From time to time, staff may come back to school with restrictions from the doctor. All employees who have been released by their medical provider to return to work are required to email or fax your Physician’s Release Form to leavedept@cms.k12.nc.us  or 980-343-3996 to the Benefits Department prior to your first day back from leave. It is the responsibility of the employee to obtain this return to work authorization from their medical provider prior to returning to work. It is the employee’s responsibility to notify Benefits as soon as possible regarding restrictions as it may delay the return to work process. For additional information, including access to forms, visit the CMS Benefits site. 

Staff Tardies

All staff need to report to school no later than 7:20 AM. Tardies will be monitored by the administration. If consistent tardiness should occur, you will be conferenced with by an administrator and you will receive a documented reprimand and payroll will be notified of any needed adjustments. 

Any staff member who expects to be more than 5 minutes late must call the office and inform their classroom team. This is a courtesy call only, and does not mean it is "ok" to be late. All staff are expected to adhere to established work hours. Staff members who are habitually late will conference with an administrator, and/or have a letter placed in your file, as well as be subject to an action plan or possible termination. 

Once you check in, you are expected to be on campus for the duration of the school day. Clocking in and going back to your car to park is strictly prohibited. 

Request to Arrive Late or Leave Early

• • Part Time Staff – (you work less than 7 1/2 hours daily) if you leave the campus for any reason, fill out a Request to Arrive Late or Leave Early form for emergencies only.  You are required to put the information in Red Rover, find an administrator and request the leave in person (you may be requested to provide a doctor's note). Do not put forms in an administrator’s mailbox, under the door or request by email/phone call. If it is not approved and you leave the campus, it will be considered abandonment of your job. An example of leaving the campus without approval is clocking in and going back out to park your car across the street. Staff should be aware that Red Rover only allows you to put in for a half or whole day absence. 

  • Full Time Staff – (you work 7 1/2 hours daily) if you leave the campus for any reason, fill out a Request to Arrive Late or Leave Early form for emergencies only.  You are required to put the information in Red Rover, find an administrator and request the leave in person (you may be requested to provide a doctor's note). Do not put forms in an administrator’s mailbox, under the door or request by email/phone call/text message. Forms must be approved BEFORE you are allowed to leave the campus. If it is not approved and you leave the campus, it will be considered abandonment of your job. An example of leaving the campus without approval is clocking in and going to park your car across the street. Staff should be aware that Red Rover only allows you to put in for a half or whole day absence. 

  • Per CMS Legal Department - Staff who leave campus to take care of off-campus business are required to complete  EMERGENCY Request to Arrive Late or Leave Early form,  present the form to an administrator in person, and get approval before leaving campus. Use the same form [blue form] as mentioned in the previous section. This applies to each and every time you leave campus for a smoking break or other off campus business. In addition, you will need to "punch out" when you leave and "punch in" when you return to the building. Leave can only be entered for ½ day and full day increments.

Click here to read CMS Board Policy GCMB “Attendance by Employees” 

Click here to read CMS BOE Attendance info  

                 (each school puts in their specific procedures)

All employees are required to follow the Board Policy for Standards of Conduct P-STND

Falsification or inappropriate alteration of or making false statements or misrepresentations regarding information used or contained in any employment records, including but not limited to applications for employment, time cards, leave forms, payroll data, expense records, personnel file materials, government reports, and any other like documents. 

Sick Leave

• Sick leave is used when any staff member or an immediate family member is ill. Staff members must report their absences—full day or half-day--using the Red Rover  system so that a substitute can be assigned. Staff members are reminded that it is their responsibility to input all absence time in Red Rover. Sick leave will not be approved before or after a holiday without a doctor's note. 

Be certain to enter your absence (sick leave, personal days, workshops, etc.) in  Red Rover (Teachers, TAs, SLPs, BMTs). 

Personal Leave

A staff member may request personal leave without stating a reason. CMS policy states that personal leave should not be taken before or after a holiday, except in an emergency and as approved by the principal. Teachers only, please read this new CMS BOE Policy.

• Submit your absence in Red Rover in order for  the principal to approve it. The request is due 5 days before the requested absence day(s).

• All teachers and instructional assistants are asked to follow the Red Rover procedures for recording personal leave. 

• Family Medical Leave Act Information- CMS HR Department Website  (you must be logged into your CMS Intranet site for these links to work) 

  • ○ complete the on-line Leave Request Form 

• If employee puts in 3 consecutive days of sick leave, a message will appear in Red Rover stating that they may qualify for a leave of absence.

• Once the confirmation number is received, a message will give the employee directions on how to apply for a leave of absence (if applicable).

• If the employee submits a request for leave with supporting documentation and is approved, Benefits will notify the Supervisor, Treasurer and Human Capital Partner  via email.

• If an employee is out for 5 days due to an illness, please direct them to contact their Benefits Administrator.

Benefits Administrator Contact List 2025-2026)

*All consecutive sick leave absences will not result in a leave of absence. Employee must apply and be approved by Benefits.*  

Annual Leave/Teacher Workdays

The CMS school calendar includes pre-scheduled annual leave/teacher workdays. Refer back to the teacher workdays section of this Faculty Handbook. 

                      Click here  to read CMS Board Policy GCMB “Attendance by Employees” 

Staff members with additional leave days are provided with optional leave days when students are not in attendance. If you are planning to take an Annual Leave day and not report to work, be sure to notify both an administrator and the Treasurer well in advance of your intentions. You must submit an absence in Red Rover.   If you are working on an Annual Leave Day, be sure to check in (exempt employees only)  so that you receive credit for your attendance. Unless your attendance can be verified, your attendance will not be reported to payroll and you will not be paid. Work hours for a Teacher Workday is to be consistent with a normal school day in the hours worked.

Critical Leave Time ( Time NOT APPROVED)

Leave will not be approved during critical times of the school year, including but not limited to the first two weeks of the school year and end of year testing window that spans from mid-May to June 10, 2025.  [refer to Staff Attendance policy revised Jan. 2022] 

Worker's Compensation

All CMS on-the job injury reporting forms must be submitted within 24 hrs of the injury. Please follow the steps below when an employee is injured on the job:

1. Complete CMS on the Job Injury Reporting Form-Completed and signed by Supervisor.

2. Contact  980-343-1103 or 980-343-7448 for Local or State Claim Status before sending employee to Concentra.** This must be checked to ensure proper funding of claim**.

3. Complete Medical Treatment Referral form-Completed and signed by Supervisor

4. Notify Benefits Department within 24 hours of injury via workerscompensation@cms.k12.nc.us 

     or  fax 980-343-3996

Please note: Employees injured on the job can use Workers’ Compensation (DR. Apt ONLY) reason 74 in Red Rover for the initial date of  injury or medical appointments related to workers’ compensation.  Please let an administrator know of any scheduled Workers' Compensation doctor's appointments so that this leave time can be entered for you.   There is a seven day waiting period in which they can use their sick, annual leave, or day without pay. If employees are out past the seven day waiting period, Benefits will process a leave of absence.

Child Involvement 

Eligible employees who are a parent, guardian or person standing in loco parentis of a school-aged child may take up to four (4) hours per school year to attend or otherwise be involved in their child's public or private grade school, pre-school, or child care facility. In addition, although not required by state law, such parental involvement leave shall be with pay as a local benefit provided by the Board of Education to its employees. 

The Board of Education also provides one (1) day of paid leave (without substitute deduction) for attendance by employees at their son or daughter's high school graduation (whether such relationship is by birth, adoption or when standing in loco parentis). Such graduation time off is not available for pre-school, elementary, middle school, college or other graduations. In addition, time off under this policy is not available for graduation attendance in excess of one (1) day, even if related travel is involved. 

Absences for parental involvement leave must be approved in advance by an employee's immediate supervisor following submission of a written request for the same at least 48 hours before the date and time of the requested leave. Employees are required to furnish written verification of attendance or participation from the child's school. 

Additional CMS Leave Options

CMS  recognizes that “life happens” and there are many life-changing events for which CMS employees may qualify for either “paid” or “unpaid” leave of absences, such as: Personal serious health condition including maternity, Care for child/spouse/parent with serious health condition, Adoption of a child, Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), Military, Intermittent Leave, Educational. 

For more information regarding benefits and leave options please see the CMS Benefits page https://mybensite.com/cmsk12/index.php.  Employees with personal or sick leave absences totaling four or more within a quarter will engage in a 1:1 meeting with administration to review the nature of their absences. Results of this conversation could be but are not limited to a personalized plan established for future absences, future RFAs for the current quarter/semester may be denied, impact on employee evaluation. These results will be on a case-by-case basis.