This document provides employees with directions on how to request a Leave of Absence (LOA) in Workday.

Not what you are looking for? Use the button below to visit our Library and find the information you need!

Library of Workday Knowledge Base Articles

• Before initiating a leave of absence it’s important to have a conversation with your Supervisor or HR Partner and review the Leave of Absence Policies.
• IMPORTANT: Academic Workers do not follow this process because they request LOAs through the Provost’s office and their unit HR Partner.
• After submitting a leave of absence request, a Leave Administrator will determine employee eligibility based on the information provided.
• If the LOA is due to a qualifying life event (e.g., birth/adoption) and you wish to enroll child(ren) in a University of Chicago medical plan, this must be done within 31 days of the date of birth/adoption using Workday. You have 31 days to complete any qualified life event benefit changes in Workday, as well.
  • See the Changing Benefits for Life Events in Workday Knowledge Base article for more information.
• To complete the leave request, you will need to know the following:
  • Estimated Last Day of Work.
  • Estimated First Day of Absence.
  • Estimated Last Day of Absence.
  • Leave Type.
  • If Medical Leave: Paid time off accruals. See the Viewing Time Off Balances and Requests in Workday Knowledge Base Article for more information.
  • If Leave is for Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA): Official completed FMLA form.
• At least one supporting document is requested. You may continue with the LOA process without uploading any documents.
  • If the Leave of Absence is for FMLA, upload the completed federal FMLA form or other medical certification that confirms leave necessity and expected duration.
  • If you have any questions, work with the Leave Administrator to determine which documents are required.
• Personal LOAs and Intermittent Leave requests cannot be initiated by an employee but instead must be initiated by the employee’s HR Partner. In certain other cases, an HRP may also request the LOA on behalf of the employee.
• If you have any questions, please contact leaveadministration@uchicago.edu.

Steps

1. Log into Workday using your CNetID and password.
2. Select Menu in the top-left corner, then choose the Request Absence App under the Personal category.
3. A monthly calendar will display with two tabs along the top: Calendar and Date Range. Both tabs allow you to request a leave of absence; choose the tab of your preference.
   1. Regardless of the tab you are on, at the bottom there is a View Balances hyperlink and a View Teams hyperlink.
      1. Select View Balances to see a summary of your accrued hours as of the current date. Update the Select as of date field at the top to view time off balances as of another date. A total time off balance amount will display at the bottom of the screen.
      2. Select View Teams to see a list of your teammates’ time off requests. A teammate is considered as any employee that belongs to the same Supervisory Organization in Workday as you.
   2. The Calendar tab allows you to request leave of absence using a monthly calendar display.
      1. To navigate between months, use the Previous and Next arrows at the top right of the calendar, or select the downward arrow next to the month and year to jump to a specific month within the selected year.
      2. To choose multiple consecutive days in a row, select and drag the mouse across several dates.
      3. To deselect a date, choose the date again.
   3. The Date Range tab allows you to request a leave of absence using a specific range of dates.
      1. Enter the corresponding Start Date and End Dates.
4. Select Continue.
5. The Request Absence dialog box will appear.
   1. Use the Hamburger Menu (the icon with three dots and three dashes) to the right of the Type of Absence field and select Leave of Absence and then choose Employee Staff Request.
6. Select Continue.
7. Review the Instructional Information at the top of the new screen.
   1. Type of Absence field auto-fills with Employee Staff Request, do not change.
   2. Last Day of Work field auto-fills as one day before the First Day of Absence previously chosen.
   3. First Day of Absence and Estimated Last Day of Absence fields auto-fills based on dates previously selected.
      1. Use the calendar icon to modify either of these dates. Changes to the First Day of Absence will automatically update the Last Day of Work field.
   4. Request Amount auto-calculates based on the dates entered and is not editable.
   5. IMPORTANT: Utilize the Comment to Approver box to provide detailed information about the LOA request. The LOA administrator team will determine the appropriate Leave Type based on the information provided in this box.
   6. Use the Hamburger Menu to select the most appropriate Reason for the LOA request.
   7. Documentation is recommended. Under Attachments, choose Select files and use the file explorer to add any supporting documents. Select the Category of Leave of Absence.
      1. To add more documents, choose the Upload button to be brought back into the file explorer.
8. Select Submit.
9. A dialog box pops up with the next task (Complete Questionnaire) to complete. Select Complete Questionnaire.
   1. If the dialog box disappears, select the Mail icon in the top-right corner of the page to navigate to My Tasks, and then choose the Absence Request task on the left side of the screen.
10. Within the Complete Questionnaire page, complete the following questions to the best of your ability regarding your request for leave:
    1. Leave Type (Required) – Choose among Medical Leave, Parental Benefit, Care of Family Member, and Intermittent Leave by selecting the appropriate radio dial.
    2. The Reason for Leave (Required) section opens once the applicable Leave Type is chosen. Options presented in this section are determined by the selected Leave Type.
       1. If Medical Leave>Health condition (self) is selected, you must also indicate how to use paid time off accruals.
    3. Who is your supervisor?
    4. Who is your department Human Resource Partner?
    5. Please provide a home email address, cell phone number, and mailing address in the below text box. The email address may not be your @uchicago.edu email or any other University of Chicago extension. (Required)
    6. Review the University's FMLA policy and type your full name in the text box below to acknowledge the following statement: (Required)
       1. I understand that I am required to inform my supervisor of my intention to request a leave of absence prior to submitting this request to HR-Leave Administration. I further understand that I am not required to share personal health information with my supervisor but am informing them for work planning purposes only.
11. After completing the questionnaire to the best of your ability, select Submit.
12. The process then routes to a Leave Administrator who determines what additional documentation is needed.
13. At this point you will receive a Workday notification and, if enabled, a Workday-generated email sent to your “@uchicago.edu” email address.
    1. For additional details about Workday notifications, see the Updating Notification Preferences in Workday Knowledge Base Article.
14. Once an LOA is approved, the Leave Administrator notifies Payroll (for accrual tracking and payments during LOA), updates the LOA in Workday, and sends confirmation to you, your HRP, and payroll.

 Upon Conclusion of LOA

1. Employees must contact their supervisor prior to returning to work upon conclusion of the LOA. Please refer to the applicable policy under which your absence was approved for information regarding the process for returning to work. If the LOA is for your own serious health condition, you will be required to submit a release from your healthcare provider indicating you are physically able to complete the essential functions of your job. Your supervisor or HRP will confirm return to work plans with you no later than seven days in advance of your return.
2. If your leave was approved for fewer than 13 weeks, but cannot return to work, you may need to submit updated medical documentation to Leave Administration in support of your request for an extension. Leave Administration will discuss the request with your HR representative.
3. If additional time off is needed AND the additional time off being requested extends the total time off beyond 13-weeks, you must provide updated medical documentation to Leave Administration in support of your request for an extension. Leave Administration, your HRP, and Employee and Labor Relations will engage with you in an interactive process to determine whether reasonable accommodation can be approved.
   1. The request should be submitted as soon as the need for additional time is known.
   2. If eligible, employees may be required to apply for Long Term Disability benefits. Leave Administration will assist employees with determining whether this is necessary.