Workday 101: A Step-by-Step Guide for New Users

What is Workday?

Workday is the University of Wisconsin’s online system for managing your job, pay, and personal employment information.

If you work on campus, you’ll use Workday to:

Log your hours and clock in/out
View your payslips and pay history
Set up or update direct deposit
Request time off
Access tax documents (like your W-2)

Workday connects you, your supervisor, and payroll so your hours are tracked correctly, your pay is accurate, and everything is approved on time.

Main Menu Overview

Accessing Workday

Log into MyUW

Click the Workday app

The dashboard is the first page that opens

Main Tools (Top Icons)

At the top of the screen, you’ll see several icons. As a student employee, the most important ones you’ll use are:

Payslips → View your earnings, hours worked, and pay history
Request Absence → Submit time off for things like sick days or planned absences
Enter Time → Log the hours you worked each shift

These are the tools you’ll use most frequently, so it’s important to get comfortable navigating them.

Action Bar (Tasks & Alerts)

Just below the main icons is the action bar, which shows tasks that need your attention. This helps you stay on track and avoid payroll issues.

You may see:

Hourly submissions → Time you’ve entered that needs to be reviewed or approved
Unaccounted time → Missing or incomplete hours you still need to submit
Other pending tasks related to your job

Checking this section regularly ensures your hours are accurate and submitted on time.

Time Tracking Panels

As you scroll down, you’ll see panels that help you manage your work hours:

Check In → Use this to clock in when you start working
Check In Status → Use this to clock out when you finish your shift
Documents → Access important files uploaded by the university, such as your W-2 or other employment forms

These tools make it easy to track your hours and keep all your work-related documents in one place.

Announcements

On the right side of the dashboard, you’ll find the Announcements section. This area includes important updates, reminders, or system notices related to Workday or student employment.

It’s a good idea to check this section occasionally so you don’t miss any important information

Getting Started in Workday

Payslips

To view a specific paycheck in Workday:

Log into MyUW → Open Workday → Click Pay → Select Pay Slips → Click the Pay Date you want to view.

What It Shows

Header: Pay date, type, status, print options
Company Info: UW employer details
Payslip Info: Employee ID, pay period, check date
Current & YTD Totals: Gross pay, taxes, deductions, net pay
- Current = this check
- YTD = total this year
Withholding: Federal/state filing status & allowances

This section shows your student employee paycheck history at UW.

It lists every payment you’ve received, including the pay date, pay period, gross pay, and net pay.

To use it:

Click View Pay Details to see the full breakdown (taxes, deductions).
Click Print to download one payslip.
Click Print Multiple Payslips to download several at once.

Request Absence

How to Get to Request Absence

Go to my.wisc.edu
Log in
Click Workday
Click Request Absence

Quick Path:
MyUW → Workday → Request Absence

The Request Absence circle allows you to:

Select days of absence
Press Continue
Choose a reason
Submit the request

You can also view:

Team member absences
Time balance

Supervisor view allows approval or denial of requests.

Enter time

How to Get to Enter Time

Go to my.wisc.edu and log in.
Click Workday.
Click Enter Time (or Time → Enter Time).

Quick Path:
MyUW → Workday → Enter Time

What You See

1. Pay Period & Dates
Example: Jan 25–31, 2026
This shows the exact pay period you are entering time for.

2. Daily Time Status
For each day:

Hours worked
Exceptions or alerts

Example:
“Unmatched Check-in – 2:27 pm”
This means you clocked in but did not clock out.

3. Alerts

Needs Attention
Time Period Lockout (past periods cannot be edited)

4. Time Grid
Shows hour-by-hour breakdown of your day.

5. Weekly Summary
Automatically calculates:

Regular Hours
Overtime
Differential
Total Hours

Check In and Check out

How to Get to Enter Time

Go to my.wisc.edu and log in
Click Workday
Select Enter Time (or Time → Enter Time)

Quick Path:
MyUW → Workday → Enter Time

Clicking Check In opens the time tracking screen in Workday. This is where you record the time you start working.

The system automatically fills in:

Your name
The date
The current time
Your time zone

You must select:

Time Type (ex: Regular Hours)
Position (if you have more than one job)

Optional:

Add a comment if needed

Click OK to submit.

This is the page you use to track your work hours as a student employee when you clock in.

Click Check Out when you are done working.

The screen will show:

Your name
The date
The time
Your time zone

You must choose a reason:

Meal = taking a break
Out = finished for the day

You can add a comment if needed.

Click OK to submit.

Document Panel

This section is located in Workday under your Profile:

Go to Workday
Click your Profile (top right)
Select Documents

This panel includes:

W-2 forms
Tax documents
Important records uploaded by the university

Organization Menu

Organization Menu

How to get there:

Go to Workday
Click Organization

What it shows:

Your department and team structure
Your manager and supervisory organization
Organizational charts
Roles and reporting relationships
Position details within your organization

Personal Menu

Personal Menu

How to get there:

Go to Workday
Click Personal

Quick access to:

Benefits & Pay
Expenses Hub
Learning
Personal Information
Time
Request Absence
Manage Absence

Understanding Your Payslip

How to Access Payslips

To view your paycheck details in Workday:

Log into MyUW

Open the Workday app

Click Pay
Select Pay Slips
Click the Pay Date you want to view

This will open a detailed breakdown of that specific paycheck.

What Your Payslip Shows

Each payslip includes several key sections:

Header → Shows pay date, payment type, status, and print options
Company Info → Displays University of Wisconsin employer details
Payslip Info → Includes your Employee ID, pay period, and check date
Current & YTD Totals:
- Current = what you earned in this paycheck

Understanding Your Pay

Your payslip breaks down:

Gross Pay → Total earnings before deductions
Taxes → Federal and state taxes taken out
Deductions → Other withholdings (if applicable)
Net Pay → The amount you actually take home

Reviewing this regularly helps you catch any errors and understand your earnings.

Payslip History & Records

This section stores your full paycheck history at UW.

You can see:

Pay dates
Pay periods
Gross pay
Net pay

This makes it easy to track your income over time.

Actions You Can Take

Workday allows you to manage and download your payslips:

View Pay Details → See a full breakdown of taxes and deductions
Print → Download a single payslip
Print Multiple Payslips → Download several payslips at once

These tools are useful for budgeting, records, or submitting income verification.

FAQ

Why can’t I log my time?

Your job may not be active yet
The pay period might not be open
You may be missing approvals or onboarding steps

What do warnings/errors mean when submitting time?

Common reasons include:

Missing required fields (like Position or Time Type)
Entering too many hours
Submitting time outside the allowed dates

What does “terminated” mean in Workday?

This usually just means your job has ended
It does NOT mean you were fired

How do I view my paychecks (payslips)?

Go to:
MyUW → Workday → Pay → Pay Slips

Select a Pay Date to view details