Absence
Workday Absence allows for self-service for leave requests (i.e., FMLA). It captures paid and unpaid time away from work including leaves of absence. Managers/Supervisors have the ability to view absences and holidays across their teams. Workday Absence collaborates with Core HR to exchange eligibility data per employee for related Leave of Absence or Time Off plans, then sends appropriate absence information to Payroll.
Does time-off requests in Workday have smaller increments, rather than just a full day?
Yes, Workday has the ability to allow users to enter the number of hours used for time off.
What will happen if the employee does not have enough time to take?
Workday has the ability to look at the amount of time off that will be available to an employee on any specific date. Workday will not allow an employee to enter negative accrual balances.
Can non-HR employees select leave types other than annual, sick, bereavement, or jury duty?
Non-HR employees can select any leave types that are available to them in Workday except FML, FAMLI, and Parental Leave, because those will be automatically added by the Sun Life integration and managed by Benefits/Admin. The four mentioned (annual, sick, bereavement, jury duty) are standard, but if other leave types are configured for their eligibility, they can select those too.
Which type of employees can enter their own sick leave?
All employees can enter their own sick leave in Workday. This is different than TimeClock Plus where there were some limitations for students to enter their own sick leave.
Can employees request their own leave types such as bereavement leave?
Yes.
How are leave requests monitored and reviewed if the employee is entering them in themselves? Who administers policy on this?
Employees have the ability to enter the request in the system, but departments will be responsible for reviewing and approving these entries. For certain types of leave, such as bereavement, the system may allow employees to enter the request directly, but the final authorization process will still be determined by HR policies and departmental guidelines.
If leave was requested prior to January 5th for leave after January 5th, was that all transferred to Workday from TimeClock Plus?
No, any leave requested in TimeClock Plus for dates after January 1, 2026, will need to be re-entered in Workday once leave balances have updated (mid-January).
Can exempt and non-exempt employees see holiday pay on their timesheets?
Non-exempt employees can see holiday pay on their timesheets. Exempt employees do not have holiday entries in time tracking but will see them on their pay slips.
Can non-student hourly employees request the use of sick leave on their timesheet?
Yes.
Are holiday hours for reduced FTE employees automatically calculated and added to employees’ timesheets?
Yes. For example, a 60% FTE employee will automatically receive 4.8 hours of holiday.
For multi-week leaves, does every work week have to be entered individually?
Leave can be entered over multiple weeks.
If someone requests a date range that includes a weekend, will those leave entries appear on Saturday and Sunday, or will they stick to the workweek?
By default, weekends are excluded when selecting a date range for leave. However, if an employee’s schedule includes weekend work, overrides can be applied to reflect that. In general, the system will skip Saturday and Sunday unless adjustments are made for specific cases. For consecutive weeks, employees can select the date range, and weekends will still be excluded unless their schedule requires otherwise.
When requesting time off, like bereavement leave, does the system require me to upload an attachment, or is that optional?
Jury Duty is the only required document.
Will the system allow a supervisor to approve leave for an absence if the employee has less time accrued than they’re requesting off?
The employee will not have the option to enter the time off if they do not have enough time to cover the accrual.
Is the supervisor the same as the absence partner?
The absence partner is a college or unit HR role, while the supervisor is a separate role.
Will Workday send an email notification to supervisors/managers when a leave request is made, like TimeClock Plus does?
Yes! Workday will send email notifications, but instead of sending one for every individual leave entry, managers will receive a daily summary or “digest” of their action items. This digest may include leave requests submitted that day or the previous day. This streamlined approach keeps inboxes manageable while ensuring managers stay informed.
To stay up to date, managers, HR partners, and employees are encouraged to regularly log in to Workday to view and manage their tasks.
Are long-range, multi-week leave entries organized by category (e.g., annual leave vs. other types)?
Yes. Leaves that have accruals—such as annual leave or sick leave—can be entered for longer time ranges. Other leave types, like short-term disability, FML, or long-term disability, will also allow extended durations. However, these will differ in how they are entered: Absence Partners or HR managers may enter some types, while others will be entered directly through Sun Life. For more information visit Family Medical Leave | Human Resources | Colorado State University.
How do personal absence calendars integrate with team or division calendars, and what about confidentiality?
Team and division calendars in Workday will show when other employees are out, helping with scheduling and coverage. However, for confidentiality reasons, no details about the type or reason for the absence will be visible—only the employee’s name and the fact that they have approved time off.
Will leave already in for 2026, in Timeclock, be moved to the new system?
Any entries for 2026 will need to be re-entered after go-live when leave balances have been updated (mid-January).
Will absence hours default to 8 or to an employee’s FTE
At go-live, all time-off types in Workday will default to 8 hours per day.
How will sabbatical leave be handled, especially for 50% over two semesters?
In Workday, situations like partial pay or grant-funded sabbaticals will likely be managed through Period Activity Pay—entered as an additional payment rather than an FTE change. This allows flexibility without altering the employee’s official FTE.
Will approved sabbaticals already entered in Oracle transfer to Workday?
Any sabbaticals currently approved in Oracle will need to be re-entered in Workday after go-live.
Is it possible to pull a report of 2026 entries from TimeClock Plus so employees can re-enter their time in Workday?
Yes. A report can be pulled from TimeClock Plus showing 2026 entries, allowing employees to re-enter their time in Workday. This process will help users become familiar with the new system.
Will FML balance tracking be done in Workday or at the Department/College level?
FML will be administered by Sun Life and automatically updated in Workday through data integration. Departments and colleges will no longer manage FML balances directly.
Will leave without pay be managed in Workday?
Yes. Leave Without Pay will be fully managed within Workday. Absence Partners will have the ability to make necessary entries and track LWOP for employees at the department level.
Will Sun Life work with departments to notify them about any Leave Without Pay (LWOP) requirements?
Leave Without Pay entries will no longer be necessary. Specific leave types—such as Family Medical Leave—will now be managed directly in Workday and integrated with Sun Life. Once a leave is approved, it will automatically appear in Workday, including the type and duration. Departments won’t need to enter this information, but HR partners and managers will still have visibility in the system.
What report should I use to see a worker’s time off balance (for myself or employees in my supervisory organization)?
The Worker Time Off Balances Details report in Workday provides a detailed view of an employee’s leave balances. You can run this report for yourself or for employees within your supervisory organizations.