How do I request FMLA in Workday?

Summary

Information for employees and supervisors about requesting FMLA through Workday.

Body

Question

How do I request FMLA in Workday?

Instructions

Important Notes: 

  • Enter Anticipated Leave Requests Ahead of Time
    • If you have an expected FMLA (i.e., scheduled surgery or procedure, etc.) make sure you enter your FMLA request as soon as possible before the leave. 
    • HR will need to send you paperwork to certify your leave. This paperwork will have items for your healthcare provider or family member’s healthcare provider to complete. This often takes some time. Please give at least two weeks notice for an expected FMLA event. 
    • If you have an unexpected or emergency FMLA, contact HR as soon as you are able to. We can then send information to you, and enter in provisional FMLA time for you. We will still need the FMLA paperwork completed and returned within 15 days of your leave starting, however. 
    • If you are requesting paid parental leave, please contact HR first. This is a complex leave type, and HR will discuss this leave with you first.
  • Supervisors Submit Timesheets for Employees Out on FMLA
    • Employees are responsible for letting their supervisors know that they must submit timecards on the employee’s behalf when the employee is out, and supervisors MUST submit timecards for the employee when the employee is out on FMLA. 
    • Supervisors can submit timecards for employees on their behalf, and must do so for employees out on FMLA. Supervisors should note in comments for the timesheet that they are submitting on the employee’s behalf as the employee is out on FMLA.

Requesting FMLA in Workday Instructions

1. In Workday, go to the Absence app. You must request FMLA leave through the Absence app on Workday. If you request FMLA hours through your timesheet, and not the app, then your timesheet will have processing errors. All leave requests must first come through the Absence app.  
 

On your Workday homepage, click on "Absence". You can also access it by clicking on the Menu button and under "Personal", click on "Absence"

2. Select Request Absence.

In the Absence screen, select "Request Absence"

3. Select the date range you will be absent for. Select only work days. If your leave will cross multiple months, be sure to click into the next month and select days in that month.

In your Absence Calendar, you can hit "Select Date Range" button or select each date on your calendar individually

 

4. Click on “Request Absence” button when you’ve selected all the days for your leave.

Absence Calendar: Once all dates are selected, click on the "Request Absence" button on the bottom left corner.

5. You will see this box come up. Select Family Medical Leave. For worker’s comp leaves or paid parental leaves, don’t attempt to enter those on your own. Consult with HR, as those are more complex leaves. 

Select Absence type will pop up, make sure to select Sick Leave under the FMLA category

6. Once you select FMLA, you will need to select the type. For most people, FMLA will be paid by sick leave. Unless you are receiving short-term disability, you will need to expend your sick leave balances before you can receive unpaid FMLA, or before you can take vacation leave for FMLA. If you will not have enough sick leave to cover your entire leave--or you will take sick leave for one week, and then unpaid leave after that week due to receiving short-term disability--then enter a paid sick leave FMLA for as much sick leave as you have to use (or for the 1st week if using short-term disability after the elimination week). Then enter an unpaid leave for the rest of the time you are out.

Note: In the case of one paid FMLA leave and one unpaid FMLA leave being needed to cover the entire time out, this will result in two separate FMLA requests being entered into the system.

Select Absence Type visual for selecting "Sick Leave Classified - FMLA"

7. For a paid leave, you must first use up your sick leave (unless you are also receiving short-term disability payments, in which case you can choose to not use sick leave after your short term disability payments start after the waiting period) before you can take an unpaid leave. If you will be receiving short-term disability payments, you are required to notify HR of that. If you will be receiving short-term disability payments, you are required to notify HR of that. For paid FMLA leave, you must first select the Family Medical Leave (FMLA) absence type.


Select Absence Type Visual pop up: Select "Family Medical Leave (FMLA)" for paid leaves

8. Once you are under the FMLA leave type, the system will give you several options to choose from. Unless you have already exhausted your sick leave, choose the sick leave option. Your sick leave will be listed either as Sick Leave-Classified (FMLA) sick leave if you are a classified employee, or by type if you are unclassified employee (Sick Leave—MSUAASF, Sick Leave—IFO).


Select Absence Type Visual Pop-up: Alternate Holiday Taken FMLA showcased

9. Once you select the absence type, the system will ask you to enter what position you are requesting leave for. If you have more than one position (i.e., you are in a work out of class) make you sure choose the correct position. Ask HR if you need help.

Select Absence Type - Final view before you click Next

10. You can enter a brief note as to why you will be out. Don’t attach documents at this point. Review the dates and click on submit when finished.  

 Request Absence Summary image before clicking submit

 

11. You will see an acknowledgment that your request has been submitted, and the dates you chose will be gray on the calendar. Gray dates mean that they haven’t been approved yet.

Absence Calendar view will show the dates were submitted

12. The next step is paperwork The next step is paperwork for you to complete. Workday will send you a notice in the system that you need to complete a questionnaire. You must complete this questionnaire. HR will not even be able to see your leave request until you complete the questionnaire. Click on the notice in “Awaiting Your Action” or on the inbox to do the questionnaire.

Workday Main Menu View of Awaiting Your Action - Absence Request

13. Complete all of the questions. 

In Workday Tasks - Complete the FMLA Questionnaire

14. The questionnaire will ask what type of paid leave you want to use, if you are requesting unpaid leave after paid leave is used up, and if you want to use on an intermittent basis at all (i.e., if you will need to take half a day off for a week for follow-up treatments, etc.) Only once you’ve answered all questions (including the Tennessen notice Yes/No box at the very bottom), click on “Submit” at the bottom.

FMLA Questionnaire View before you submit

15. Once you submit, you will see a notice that Campus HR will review and approve or deny your leave.

View of the submitted Questionnaire

16. HR will review your FMLA request, and will respond either through Workday or by email, sending you FMLA documents that need to be completed. These documents will include:

  • FMLA Eligibility notice
  • Authorization for release of medical information
  • Certification forms for your healthcare provider or your family member’s healthcare provider to complete
  • Employee Rights Under the Family and Medical Leave Act form
  • Short-term disability information (if you have short-term disability coverage)
  • Fitness for duty form to allow you to return to work (if the leave is for your own medical issue)

Important Note: These documents must be returned within 15 days of the start of the leave. HR will need these forms before your FMLA leave can be approved. Once HR has received these forms, HR will approve or deny the FMLA. 

17. Once HR has approved your FMLA, you will receive a notice in Workday that your absence request has been approved.

​​​​Workday Absence Request Approved visual

18. Once your FMLA is approved, your supervisor will need to submit your timecards (unless you are IFO) for you each week that you are out. Your timesheet will show up as unsubmitted unless your supervisor submits it.  

In Workday, your supervisor needs to submit your timecards. Visual of that screen.

 

Contact HR directly for any questions related to FMLA: humanresources@stcloudstate.edu.

 

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Details

Details

Article ID: 154103
Created
Fri 11/15/24 3:24 PM
Modified
Thu 7/31/25 5:29 PM