Note: This is a printed version of https://employeehelp.workday.uw.edu/your-time-absence/time-entry. Please visit this page on the ISC website to ensure you're referencing the most current information.

Employee Workday Help

Time Entry

Last updated Wednesday, October 15, 2025

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What is time entry?

Time entry is the process of adding, editing, removing, or otherwise managing time blocks in the Workday timesheet. Time entered in a timesheet should accurately account for the actual hours worked by an employee. Time blocks typically align with an employee’s Work Schedule.

Do I need to enter time in Workday?

Understanding Your Job Profile(s)

Before we define who enters time into Workday, you will want to be familiar with the following vocabulary terms, and know which categories you fall into.

    • Exempt (E) employees are those who are not eligible to earn overtime.*
    • Non-Exempt (NE) employees are those who are eligible to earn overtime.

*Some exempt populations are eligible for overtime, such as those covered by a labor contract or those with university-approved exceptions.

    • Salaried (S) employees are those whose Base Pay is set up as a salary. This rate is split over two pay periods per month.
    • Hourly (H) employees are those whose Base Pay is set up at an hourly rate of pay. The amount earned each pay period is dependent on the number of hours reported in Workday timesheet. Nonpermanent Intermittent (NI) employees are hourly employees that have either an Employee Type of Intermittent or Nonpermanent Hourly.

If you do not know if you are E, NE, S, and/or H, this can easily be looked up in Workday. To do so, follow these steps:

  1. In Workday, select the “person” icon at the top right of the screen.
  2. Select View Profile under your Name.
  3. In the Job Details section, find your Job Profile. The parentheses following your Job Profile will display your NE, E, H, and/or S designation. You may also see your compensation grade (a number) or union name.

If you have more than one job at UW, each job may have a different designation. To switch between multiple jobs, select the arrow icon under your name to switch and investigate the Job Profile you have for each job. 

Employees Who Enter Time in Workday

  • Non-Exempt Salaried (NE S) employees
  • All Hourly (H or NE H) employees
  • Specific populations of Exempt (E) employees on campus:
    • 1199NW Research/Hall Health nurses
    • Applied Physics Lab professional staff (for costing purposes only)
    • Professional staff on oceangoing research vessels (HR-approved only)
    • Excepted Staff (HR-approved only)

Employees Who Do Not Enter Time in Workday

  • Exempt Salaried Employees (E S), see the section above for exceptions.
  • All medical centers employees enter their time in Kronos.

When and how do I enter time in Workday?

If you need to enter time into Workday, be aware that time entry can be pay- and benefits-impacting. As a result, understanding WHEN and HOW to enter your hours worked will help ensure your pay and benefits are delivered to you properly.

When do I need to enter time?

  • All timesheets must be submitted and approved in Workday by no later than 9:00 pm PST on the upcoming Timesheet Approval Deadline.

2025 Timesheet Approval Deadlines

Month First Deadline Second Deadline
January Monday, Jan 6 Friday, Jan 17
February Tuesday, Feb 4 Wednesday, Feb 19
March Tuesday, Mar 4 Wednesday, Mar 19
April Friday, Apr 4 Monday, Apr 21
May Monday, May 5 Monday, May 19
June Wednesday, Jun 4 Wednesday, Jun 18
July Thursday, Jul 3 Monday, Jul 21
August Tuesday, Aug 5 Tuesday, Aug 19
September Thursday, Sep 4 Friday, Sep 19
October Monday, Oct 6 Monday, Oct 20
November Tuesday, Nov 4 Wednesday, Nov 19
December Thursday, Dec 4 Thursday, Dec 18

The above deadlines* are indicated on your Workday timesheet as the “Time Period Lockout,” followed by dates framing the soon-to-conclude pay period.

The time blocks you submit are subject to approval by your Time and Absence Approver. Typically, your direct supervisor has this role, but practices can vary from unit to unit.

*These deadlines are UW-wide. However, individual units/departments may sometimes choose to set their own, earlier deadlines. Check with your Time and Absence Approver to confirm what your deadline(s) are each month.

How do I enter my time?

We provide several resources, linked below, to assist you in learning how to enter your time. Read through the description prior to choosing where you’d like to start.

Resource Description
Enter Time User Guide Use this User Guide for entering, adjusting, and removing time blocks on your timesheet. It outlines all of the roles and procedures involved in this Business Process.
Enter Time Quick Guide (PDF) This Quick Guide can be used as a brief reference tool for entering time.
Overtime Concepts for Time Entry in Workday (Self-Paced e-Learning Course) This course overviews some of the key concepts and nuances for overtime in Workday. Concepts include understanding Work Schedules and overtime concepts.
These resources are for employees who enter time via Accu-Time, a Punch In/Punch Out system that integrates with Workday. The major units that use this system are Housing & Food Services, Intercollegiate Athletics, and Facilities.

 

What if I make a mistake?

Most of the time, you should fix errors yourself and re-submit the timesheet for re-approval. However, some corrections must be made by your Time/Absence Initiate due to timing.

What is the timing of the error?

The ability to make corrections is heavily dependent on timing based on the Payroll and Workday Approval Deadline Calendar. Deadline distinctions for fixing mistakes are outlined below:

Use the resources in the How Do I Enter My Time? section of this web page for help with the following statements:

  • I made a mistake. If you find you’ve made an error after you have submitted your time for approval, and even after your time has been approved, you can make adjustments to your hours and resubmit your timesheet. Any changes you make after your time has approved and processed for the time period will affect your following paycheck.
  • My Time and Absence Approver found a mistake. Your Time and Absence Approver may send your timesheet back to you with comments for items to edit. Be sure to make the edits and submit the timesheet again for approval prior to the deadline.

If the University is in the middle of payroll processing, you will be locked out of making adjustments to the pay period being processed. This window will lift in accordance with the calendar. We may be able to help! Occasionally, if the mistake is caught quickly enough and/or is a simple fix, the Payroll team may be able to help. Have your unit’s administrator(s) reach out to the Payroll Office.

Which of the following statements applies?

  • I didn’t record my hours correctly, but there were no issues with my paycheck. After the Payroll Calculation Window closes, you can adjust your timesheet and re-submit it for approval to keep your records accurate. Use the resources we mentioned in the How Do I Enter My Time? section of this web page for help.
  • I suspect an overpayment/underpayment that I can adjust on my timesheet now. After the Payroll Calculation Window closes, you can adjust your timesheet and re-submit it for approval. We recommend having your Time and Absence Initiate re-run the calculations on your timesheet in these scenarios. Workday should automatically pick up the issue and correct it on your next paycheck. Use the resources we mentioned in the “How Do I Enter My Time?” section of this page for help with the following.
  • I suspect an overpayment/underpayment that can’t be fixed without payroll’s intervention. We recommend checking the Overpayments and Underpayments pages for more information and how to get help.

Getting Help

If you need further assistance with your time entry process, we recommend following the guidance on the How to Get Workday Help page.