Human Resources Management FAQ

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PERSONAL INFORMATION

If an employee changes personal information in Workday, does that change have to be approved by the human resources (HR) office?

It will depend on the information, and HR will notify you when further steps are necessary for approval. In some cases, documentation will need to be provided to HR.

Who can view or change personal information in Workday?

An employee can view or change their personal information. Others who can view or change an employee’s personal or job-related information: their supervisor, as well as select people in the Human Resources, Dean of the Faculty, and Student Employment offices.

If an employee chooses to use a “preferred name” rather than their legal name in Workday, will that preferred name be used in any other way by the college?

Changing your “preferred name” in Workday only changes it in Workday. Legal names are the only official name for HR purposes.

TIME ENTRY

How often should hourly employees enter their worked hours into their Workday timesheet?

Hourly employees should input their hours every day they work, to ensure accuracy.

Why is it necessary in Workday for a full-time hourly employee to enter their time worked in a day in separate blocks?

This increases accuracy for payroll purposes. It also provides the necessary meal break verification required by the Department of Labor.

When should timesheets be submitted to manager for approval?

Employees should submit their timesheet to their manager or timekeeper for approval every two weeks when they have completed their hours for the pay period.

If an hourly employee works the same hours in multiple days over a week, can they copy those hours from one day to the next in Workday?

Best practices say that when an hourly employee specifically enters the hours they’ve worked each day, the time entry is much more accurate. This helps to ensure that employees are accurately credited and paid for the time they worked, including for overtime and differential time.

What happens in Workday when an hourly employee works overtime?

Workday calculates overtime hours based upon the time type, employee's personnel category, and applicable contract or handbook. Overtime hours will display at the top of the employee's Workday timesheet as the hours are entered.

Can someone submit their timesheet for approval in a pay period before the current pay period?

Time entry is for time worked, so approval can only be completed during the pay period when the hourly employee has worked those hours.

How does someone who holds two positions at the college enter their time?

When they click to open a window to enter a block of time in their timesheet, they can select the appropriate job from the “Positions” dropdown menu in the window.

How is time entry done in Workday when the lunch option is available during school break periods?

After eligible employees choose their lunch option, they should enter the actual hours they worked. Vassar has specially programmed its Workday system for these breaks, to account for appropriate hours and pay.

Can an hourly employee revise a timesheet from a previous pay period in Workday?

Yes. The corrected timesheet will need to be submitted to the manager for approval before the adjustment reflects in the employee's paycheck.

How connected are the time entry and time off systems in Workday?

Once time off requests are approved they are displayed in the employee’s timesheet.

TIMESHEET APPROVAL

By when does a supervisor need to approve a timesheet?

Approved timesheets must be submitted to Payroll four business days prior to payday to ensure correct payment. The absolute latest is by noon on the Monday immediately following the pay period.

If a supervisor will be away when a timesheet needs to be approved, can someone else be assigned to approve the timesheet in Workday?

A supervisor can use the “delegate” function in Workday to temporarily assign a colleague to approve a timesheet on the supervisor’s behalf. The assigned colleague must be parallel to or above the supervisor in the college’s organizational chart. For example, an administrator can delegate to another administrator but not “down” to a staff employee. Staff employees can delegate to other staff or “up” to an administrator.

If a supervisor forgets to approve a timesheet in Workday, will the employee be paid?

Yes, they will be paid. Through Workday the payroll staff will note when a timesheet hasn’t been approved on deadline. Someone from the staff will contact the supervisor and arrange for the timesheet to be reviewed and approved.

Is it possible in Workday for a supervisor with multiple people reporting to them to set up a list, so the supervisor can see whether the timesheets in their group have been submitted or approved for the pay period?

Supervisors can use the Workday function “Review Time” to review reported time by multiple employees who report to them, including student employees. They can view information on specific employees, and filter with categories such as time submission and approval status.

TIME OFF

How will Workday display vacation balances?

This will vary depending upon an employee’s contract or handbook. Typically it will show the accrued amount of vacation minus the number of vacation 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 any future days off that have been approved.

Does an employee need to complete a timesheet for vacation time to be approved?

No. Vacation and other time off is requested and approved separately from the worked hours an employee enters in a timesheet. But when you complete your timesheet for the pay period, it will display both the hours you worked and the approved time off you took during the pay period.

How would an hourly employee use Workday when they want to use vacation or personal time for part of a day they work?

There are two steps in Workday. First, in the “Time” section they will fill in their timesheet with the hours they worked on that day. Then in the “Time Off” section, they will submit the hours they took on that day using vacation, personal time, etc. [NOTE: When the time off is approved, those hours will display on their overall timesheet alongside the work time they entered for that day. The employee will also see an item in their Workday “Notifications” box when the time off has been approved.]

Can time off be requested and approved in Workday before the current pay period?

Yes. The amount and type of time off will display in their timesheet which we will be approved later in the relevant pay period.

Can vacation be requested in Workday if it shows the employee has a negative balance of vacation time?

This varies by employee category at Vassar. For each employee, the college has programmed its Workday system to reflect their contract or handbook. So employees should check their relevant documents.

Where does an employee enter a sick time request in Workday?

If sick time applies to their contract or handbook, they should submit the request through the “Time Off” section of Workday. Follow the same approach for all the different types of time off, such as vacation, personal time, bereavement, jury duty, birthday, and banked holiday. When you are submitting the request in Workday, you will choose from the menu of time off “types” that are listed in your employee contract or handbook.

For administrators, what qualifies as personal time in Workday?

Their personal time is all time off other than vacation.

What if an employee requests time off, the request is approved, then the employee’s plans change and they can’t take the time off?

An employee can cancel the approved request using the "Time Off" section of Workday before the timesheet is submitted for the pay period. If an adjustment needs to be made to a previous timesheet, then that timesheet will need to be corrected and submitted to a manager for approval.

TIME OFF APPROVAL

If an employee is sick can their supervisor enter a time off request for them?

Yes. But it’s fine for the employee to enter their request when they return to work.

Are personal time requests approved the same way as vacation requests in Workday?

This will depend upon an employee’s contract or handbook.

When an employee has two supervisors, which supervisor receives the employee’s time off requests for approval?

If the employee has two separate jobs in the system, then both supervisors are notified of the approval. If the employee is paid through a split budget under one job, then only one designated supervisor is notified for the approval.

PAY

Can an employee see and print out a payslip in Workday?

Yes, use the “Pay” section of the system to view and print payslips.

What about old payslips?

A special request will need to be submitted to the payroll office for any payslip from before March 20, 2017.

Can I get a paper timeslip if I have my pay direct deposited into a bank account?

Yes, use the “Pay” section of the system to view and print payslips.

BENEFITS

When can an employee change their benefits in Workday?

Some can be changed in the “Benefits” section of Workday any time, some only when a certain life event occurs (such as marital status or the birth of a child), and others only during the annual Open Enrollment period in November. When you click “Change Benefits,”  then choose your “Benefit Event” from the list that comes up, the benefits you can change will display one after the other.

Can an employee change their SRA in Workday?

No. You’ll use the new Vassar Retirement Plan portal which became available at the same time as Workday. You can find links to the portal in the “Benefits” section of Workday when you follow “Change Benefits."

When I click ‘Retirement Savings’ it shows the College contribution as ‘zero percent.’

That display is a side effect of a benefits set-up that’s needed in the system. Your actual benefit percentage -- 7%, 11% or 12% — is calculated in Workday. You can see the dollar figure that percentage amounts to by looking on your pay stub in Workday, under "Employer Paid Benefits.”

Why would Workday only show information on some of an employee’s dependents, but not all of them?

Vassar gets dependent information from an employee in two ways: if the dependent has been included in a Vassar benefits program, or if an employee has volunteered information (for their personnel records) on a dependent who is not part of a Vassar benefits program.

What will happen in Workday when dependent children turn 26 and can no longer be covered by an employee’s health insurance?

Workday is integrated with our health and dental insurers and will remove the dependents as needed.

Why do I have to change my life insurance beneficiaries in WorkDay? I already filled out a paper form.

It’s good practice to review and change your beneficiaries often. The Workday record will stay current and easily updated whenever you need to.

STUDENTS

How do student employees enter their time in Workday? How are their timesheets approved?

Students use the same time entry interface in Workday as all employees who complete timesheets. Their supervisor reviews the timesheet in Workday and either approves it or sends it back to the student for a correction.

Will students be sent an email reminder to complete their timesheets?

Yes, students like all employees will receive an email reminder when their timesheet is due.