public function submitAbsenceAdmin()
    {
        $userId = (int)(session()->get('user_id') ?? 0);
        if ($userId <= 0) {
            return redirect()->to('login')->with('error', 'Please log in first.');
        }

        $semester   = (string)($this->semester   ?? '');
        $schoolYear = (string)($this->schoolYear ?? '');
        if ($schoolYear === '') {
            return redirect()->to('/administrator/absence')->with('status', 'error')->with('message', 'Semester or school year not configured.');
        }
        $semesterResolver = new SemesterRangeService($this->configModel);

        $dates      = (array)($this->request->getPost('dates') ?? []);
        $reasonType = trim((string)($this->request->getPost('reason_type') ?? ''));
        $reasonText = trim((string)($this->request->getPost('reason') ?? ''));

        if ($reasonText === '') {
            return redirect()->to('/administrator/absence')
                ->with('status', 'error')
                ->with('message', 'Reason is required.');
        }

        $reasonBase = ($reasonType !== '') ? strtolower($reasonType) : '';
        $reason     = $reasonBase !== '' ? ($reasonBase . ': ' . $reasonText) : $reasonText;

        $allowedDates = $this->allowedAbsenceDates();
        $allowedSet = array_fill_keys($allowedDates, true);

        $roleName = $this->userModel->getUserRole($userId) ?: null;

        $saved = 0; $invalid = [];
        $savedDates = [];
        $dates = array_values(array_unique(array_map('strval', $dates)));
        foreach ($dates as $d) {
            $d = trim((string)$d);
            if ($d === '') continue;
            $dt = date_create_from_format('Y-m-d', $d);
            if (!$dt || $dt->format('Y-m-d') !== $d || empty($allowedSet[$d])) {
                $invalid[] = $d;
                continue;
            }

            $semesterForDate = $semesterResolver->getSemesterForDate($d);
            if ($semesterForDate === '') {
                $semesterForDate = $semester;
            }

            $ok = $this->staffAttendanceModel->upsertOne(
                userId: $userId,
                roleName: $roleName,
                date: $d,
                semester: $semesterForDate,
                schoolYear: $schoolYear,
                status: StaffAttendanceModel::STATUS_ABSENT,
                reason: $reason,
                editorId: $userId
            );
            if ($ok) { $saved++; $savedDates[] = $d; }
        }

        if (!empty($invalid)) {
            return redirect()->to('/administrator/absence')
                ->with('status', 'error')
                ->with('message', 'Invalid dates: ' . implode(', ', $invalid));
        }

        // Send notification email to principal with request details
        try {
            $user = $this->userModel->find($userId) ?: [];
            $fullName = trim(($user['firstname'] ?? '') . ' ' . ($user['lastname'] ?? '')) ?: 'Administrator';
            $userEmail = $user['email'] ?? '';
            $role      = $roleName ?: 'admin';
            $dateList  = !empty($savedDates) ? implode(', ', $savedDates) : implode(', ', $dates);

            $subject = sprintf('TimeOff Request: %s (%s) — %s', $fullName, ucfirst((string)$role), $dateList ?: 'No dates');
            $submittedAt = utc_now();

            $body = '<div style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:1.5;">'
                  . '<h3 style="margin:0 0 8px;">New TimeOff Request</h3>'
                  . '<p style="margin:0 0 12px;">A staff time-off request was submitted from the administrator portal.</p>'
                  . '<table cellpadding="6" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse:collapse;">'
                  . '<tr><td><strong>Name</strong></td><td>' . esc($fullName) . '</td></tr>'
                  . '<tr><td><strong>Email</strong></td><td>' . esc($userEmail) . '</td></tr>'
                  . '<tr><td><strong>Role</strong></td><td>' . esc((string)$role) . '</td></tr>'
                  . '<tr><td><strong>Semester</strong></td><td>' . esc($semester) . '</td></tr>'
                  . '<tr><td><strong>School Year</strong></td><td>' . esc($schoolYear) . '</td></tr>'
                  . '<tr><td><strong>Reason Type</strong></td><td>' . esc($reasonType ?: '-') . '</td></tr>'
                  . '<tr><td><strong>Reason</strong></td><td>' . esc($reasonText) . '</td></tr>'
                  . '<tr><td><strong>Dates</strong></td><td>' . esc($dateList ?: '-') . '</td></tr>'
                  . '<tr><td><strong>Submitted At</strong></td><td>' . esc($submittedAt) . '</td></tr>'
                  . '</table>'
                  . '</div>';

            $linkService = new StaffTimeOffLinkService();
            $token = $linkService->createToken([
                'uid'          => $userId,
                'email'        => $userEmail,
                'name'         => $fullName,
                'role'         => $role,
                'dates'        => $dateList ?: '-',
                'reason'       => $reasonText,
                'reason_type'  => $reasonType,
                'submitted_at' => $submittedAt,
                'origin'       => 'administrator portal',
            ]);
            $notifyUrl = base_url('timeoff/notify/' . rawurlencode($token));
            $body .= '<p style="margin-top:16px;">Click <a href="' . esc($notifyUrl) . '">Send confirmation email to '
                  . esc($fullName) . '</a> so the staff member is notified automatically. '
                  . 'This link expires in 14 days.</p>';

            $mailer = \Config\Services::emailService();
            $principalEmail = env('PRINCIPAL_EMAIL') ?: 'principal@alrahmaisgl.org';
            $mailer->send($principalEmail, $subject, $body, 'notifications');
        } catch (\Throwable $e) {
            log_message('error', 'Failed to send TimeOff email (admin): ' . $e->getMessage());
        }

        return redirect()->to('/administrator/absence')
            ->with('status', 'success')
            ->with('message', $saved . ' day(s) saved as absent.');
    }