How To Use Workday

How do I change my contact information (home address, phone, email) in Workday?

• For non-student employees, click on the Menu in the upper left-hand corner.  Then, click on the Personal Information App. In the Change section, click Contact Information.  For further instructions, see: Change Personal Information guide (pdf).

As a student employee, how do I change my home address?

• As a student employee, home addresses should be updated via Student Essentials at https://studentessentials.cornell.edu. If you have further questions regarding student address changes, please email univreg@cornell.edu.

How do I configure my Homepage?

• Navigation for Employees (pdf): Getting familiar with the Workday home page

What if my home mailing address is different from my actual home address?

• In Workday you can have a Primary and an Additional address. The Primary address is your mailing address. To change your Primary or add an Additional address, please see the Change Personal Information job aid for further details.

What if my location or workspace is incorrect?

• Location and workspace are attributes associated with an employee’s position and are used in conjunction with Facilities Inventory. It indicates an employee’s physical space where they sit. An employee is not able to update their Workspace, however, it can be updated by contacting your local HR representative (Management Partner/HR Partner).

What if my work address is incorrect?

• Business Location is not your work address, but rather is a system default address associated with the job profile. This data is not changeable by you.
• Alternate Work Location is your Cornell University primary work location and can be updated by your local HR partner. This address is used for various mailings and for tax purposes.

How do I change my preferred name in Workday?

• Your Preferred Name is distributed to numerous other Cornell systems, including Outlook and is searchable in Workday. If you wish to update your Preferred Name, click on the Personal Information worklet icon and select Change Preferred Name. No approval is need for this action.

Can I revise my timesheet?

• Yes, if the revision is within the current pay period, select the time block you want to correct and make the necessary corrections, or click ‘Delete’ to erase the time block completely. Then SUBMIT the revised time for your manager’s approval.
• If the revision is for a previous pay period, your manager (or timekeeper) will need to submit the change on your behalf for the adjustment to be reflected on your paycheck.

How does Workday display time off (vacation, health & personal) balances?

Accruals are granted at the end of the pay period, rather than daily. Balances show the accrued time minus the number of hours or days that have been used during the relevant period. If looking at time off balance as of a future date, the balance reflects only future time off events that have been approved (in-progress events excluded). For more details, see Understanding Time Off Balances.

How do I enter time off on my timesheet?

You cannot enter time off directly on your timesheet. It is entered in a different view, accessed by either clicking Enter Time> Request Time Off in the lower left-hand corner of the timesheet or by clicking on the Time Off icon on the homepage. Once time off requests are submitted, they will display on the top of your timesheet.

How do I request a vacation or health and personal day for part of a day?

• Hourly employees should:Enter your time worked for that day. Determine the difference between your typical daily total (ex. 7.8 hours) and your time worked (ex. 4.5 hours). Note: Your time worked is displayed on the timesheet under the specific day. Click Enter Time > Request Time Off in the lower left-hand corner of the timesheet screen. Enter the difference into the Daily Quantity field on the Request Time Off screen.
• Salaried employees, if you are a fulltime employee and work a standard workweek, enter .5  (½ day) only.  If you are a fulltime employee and work a non-standard workweek (or a part-time employee), please use the Time-off Calculation Tool to determine the appropriate value.
• You will also receive a Workday Notification (email) when the time off has been approved.

Can I revise a time off request (ex. plans changed or didn’t take the time off)?

You can Cancel a Time Off Request before it has been approved.  A Time Request that has been approved can be Corrected or Canceled via the Time Off Calendar. Please reference the How to Correct or Delete Approved Time Off guide for further instructions. 

What happens after I've made a request for time off?

The request will be routed to your supervisor (Workday manager) or their delegate for approval. To view further details of your Time Off Requests, click on the Time Off icon>View Time Off.

How will my supervisor (Workday Manager) know that I have submitted a Time Off request?

The supervisor will get a notification sent to their Cornell email box and also to their Workday Inbox with the details of the request.

What happens if I submit a time off request and it is not approved?

• For hourly employees, time off approvals are approved automatically.
• For salaried employees, if your supervisor (Workday Manager) has taken no action, the time off request will remain in your inbox until action is taken and the updated balances will not be reflected. In such cases, you may wish to speak with your supervisor as a follow-up.

Can I view my vacation and Health & Personal Leave accruals for future dates?

Yes, Workday provides users the ability to forecast accruals by using Time Off>View>Time Off Balance and entering a date to a time in the future.

Will the system allow me to have a negative balance?

While Workday will allow negative balances to occur, you should always consult with your supervisor and/or your Human Resources representative before going into a negative balance situation.

How do I fix a Time Off Request that I previously submitted?

If the Time Off request has not been approved, click your name in the upper right-hand corner, click on the Inbox link. Click on the Archive tab (on the left-hand side of your screen). Select the appropriate Time Off request (with an Overall Status of In Progress), and click on Cancel. Note: You must add a note in the Comments box before you click on the final Submit button. If it has already been approved, from the Time Off worklet icon, you can use the Request a Time Off Correction (pdf) to correct your original request.

How do I report my time if I work a non-standard week?

If your full-time or part-time work week is non-standard (for example, four ten-hour days) you must calculate what your day is "worth" when reporting your time off request. The calculation compares each day to a standard working day based on your appointment hours. Please use the Non-Standard Work Week Calc Tool, located at the top of the Request Time Off page, to assist you.

Who can I contact if my time off balances are not accurate?

Consult the HR representative in your department or unit. They will forward any relevant request to the Time Off Partner should a correction be needed.

Can I view future dated changes to my compensation in the Pay Change History tab?

Compensation history will only display current or historical changes.

How do I view my current paycheck?

You may view pay slips for any pay period for which paychecks were processed in Workday. The Payslip link, from the Home page enables you to view and print a copy of your payslip: Pay worklet icon > View Payslip.

How do I change my withholding elections?

Withholding elections are changed from the Pay worklet icon on the Home page: Pay worklet icon > Withholding Elections > Complete Federal Withholding Elections > enter future effective date (withholding cannot be retroactive) > OK > fill out W-4 form > OK.

Will withholding changes take effect immediately?

Yes, your withholding information will be updated according to the date you request in Workday. To ensure your withholding changes are reflected in your next paycheck, make sure to submit your changes by the HR/Payroll deadlines.

How do I print my W-2?

To access your W-2 in Workday please log into Workday, on the Home page, select the Pay icon, view My Tax Documents and then select the appropriate Tax Year and then View/Print. With this feature, you can print your 2014 W-2 to file with your tax forms. Note: Former students and employees will receive a paper W-2 (if they chose not to opt out of a paper W-2) and are able to access the electronic version via Workday at this time. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the Payroll Office at 255-5194.

Why isn't my Total Compensation viewable?

To view your total compensation, click on your name in the top right of your screen. Then, click on the View Profile link, and then the Compensation tab. There, you will see your total current compensation and additional payments called allowances.

How can I find out what benefits I am enrolled in, the coverage and their cost?

To find this information: Start with your Home page, click on the Benefits worklet icon  and then select Benefit Elections in the View menu.   The details on this page include your benefits enrollment, your coverage and the associated costs.  This view will also provide this information and include additionally any Retirement Savings Elections.

Why don't I see my additional life insurance under my benefits? I know I carry additional insurance for my husband and myself.

You may notice Workday is not displaying all of your benefit elections information. Certain benefit elections are only stored with Cornell's vendors. Examples include supplemental group life insurance, personal accident insurance and auto & home owner insurance. We encourage you to review the items on your payslip for the appropriate deductions.

Why don't I see my beneficiary(ies) in Workday? How can I add my Beneficiaries?

While it appears that you can use Workday to add beneficiary data, this task cannot and should not be performed directly in Workday. All beneficiary changes, including additions, must be updated directly with the Cornell vendors. Vendor websites can be accessed on the Contact Benefits Providers page, or within Workday by selecting "Benefits and Pay" from the menu, and then "Suggested Links">"Benefit Provider Links".   Please contact your provider to view, add or modify your beneficiary information.