Penn State Workday is the University’s HR and payroll system used by employees for a wide range of employment-related tasks.
Workday is closely connected with WorkLion, Penn State’s broader employee HR portal.
Employees may use Workday for payroll, benefits, time reporting, time off, personal information, and pay-election functions according to their role and employment type.
What Is Penn State Workday?
Workday is Penn State’s cloud-based human resources and payroll platform.
The system supports applicable employee activities such as:
- Payroll
- Pay elections
- Direct deposit
- Benefits
- Time worked
- Time off
- Personal information
- HR transactions
Managers can also have additional approval and reporting responsibilities.
Penn State Workday vs WorkLion
WorkLion and Workday should not be treated as identical.
WorkLion is the central employee HR resource portal.
Workday is the transactional HR and payroll platform.
Employees may use both during normal HR activity.
Penn State Workday Payroll
Payroll functions are among the most important Workday use cases.
Employees can access applicable pay information and payroll-related settings.
Payroll records can include:
- Earnings
- Deductions
- Taxes
- Payment elections
- Other compensation information
Specific functions depend on employee permissions.
Penn State Workday Direct Deposit
Penn State identifies pay elections, including direct-deposit account information, as an employee self-service function in Workday.
This means applicable employees can manage payroll banking information through the authorized system.
Direct-deposit changes should always be treated as security-sensitive.
Never send routing or account numbers through an independent website.
Penn State Workday Pay Elections
Pay elections control applicable payment settings.
Employees should carefully verify:
- Bank information
- Account type
- Routing number
- Account number
- Effective information where shown
An incorrect change can affect payroll delivery.
Direct Deposit Fraud
Payroll-diversion scams can target employees by impersonating HR or managers.
Fraudulent requests may ask the employee to:
- Update direct deposit
- Send bank details
- Change payroll accounts
- Verify payment information
Always make payroll changes directly through authorized Penn State systems.
Penn State Workday Benefits
Workday supports applicable employee benefits functions.
Depending on eligibility, employees may use it for:
- Benefits enrollment
- Coverage information
- Benefit elections
- Dependent information
- Other benefits administration
Employees should use current University plan documentation when making decisions.
Penn State Workday Time Off
Applicable employees can use Workday to request and manage time off.
Depending on role, this can include:
- Leave requests
- Time-off balances
- Approval workflows
Managers can have responsibility for reviewing requests.
Penn State Workday Time Entry
Some employees use Workday to enter time worked.
Accurate time entry is important because it can affect payroll.
Employees should submit time according to applicable departmental procedures and deadlines.
Penn State Workday Personal Information
Workday can contain employee personal information.
Employees may have self-service functionality for maintaining applicable records.
Personal information should be updated only through authorized University resources.
Penn State Workday Tax Information
Payroll systems can include tax-related employee information.
Employees should protect any tax documents or withholding information accessed through Workday.
Never upload private tax records to an independent support site.
Penn State Workday Managers
Managers can have additional Workday responsibilities.
These may include:
- Approvals
- Employee information
- Reports
- Workforce tasks
Penn State has also introduced manager-focused resources within Workday to centralize applicable tasks and information.
Workday Journeys
Penn State introduced Workday Journeys to organize tasks, reports, links, training, and guidance around common employee and manager workflows.
The feature is intended to make complex processes easier to navigate within the Workday environment.
Penn State Workday Login
Users may encounter Penn State Sign In when accessing Workday.
Authentication can include:
- Penn State account
- Password
- Two-factor authentication
Use only the official University sign-in process.
Penn State Workday Login Problems
Potential causes include:
- Wrong account
- Incorrect password
- 2FA issue
- Browser problem
- Saved old credentials
- Network issue
- Account permissions
- Temporary service issue
Verify the correct service before attempting repeated resets.
Penn State Workday From Home
Authorized employees may be able to access Workday remotely.
Use:
- Trusted device
- Updated browser
- Secure network
- Strong account protection
- 2FA where required
Always sign out after using a shared or non-dedicated device.
Penn State Workday Security
Workday contains highly sensitive employee information.
Protect:
- Payroll data
- Bank information
- Benefits records
- Personal information
- Tax information
- Account credentials
Only authorized users should access these records.
Penn State Workday Phishing
Fraudulent messages may claim:
- Pay election needs verification
- Direct deposit failed
- Workday account expired
- Benefits enrollment is incomplete
- Password must be reset immediately
Do not enter credentials through unexpected links.
Navigate independently to official Penn State resources.
Workday vs LionPATH
Workday is for HR and payroll.
LionPATH is Penn State’s student information system.
A student employee may use both, but for different purposes.
Workday vs MyPennState
Workday is an employee system.
MyPennState is primarily an admissions and applicant environment.
These should not be treated as interchangeable.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Penn State Workday?
It is Penn State’s HR and payroll platform for applicable employee transactions and records.
Can employees manage direct deposit in Workday?
Penn State identifies pay elections, including direct-deposit account information, as an employee self-service function.
Can employees manage benefits?
Applicable benefits administration is available through Penn State’s HR environment.
Can employees submit time in Workday?
Applicable employees use Workday for time-worked functions.
Can employees request time off?
Applicable time-off functions are available through Workday.
Is Workday the same as WorkLion?
No. WorkLion is Penn State’s broader employee HR portal, while Workday is the transactional HR and payroll system.
Final Thoughts
Penn State Workday is a central platform for employee HR and payroll activity.
Employees may use it for pay, direct deposit, benefits, time worked, time off, personal information, and other HR tasks.
Workday works alongside WorkLion, while student-facing systems such as LionPATH and MyPennState serve different purposes.
Employees should use authorized Penn State systems for all payroll, benefits, banking, and personal-information changes.