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Administrator Guide
Last Updated: 2025-11-14
Concept: Importing Time Off Request Events

Concept: Importing Time Off Request Events

You can load large volumes of new time off request events into Workday using an Enterprise Interface Builder (EIB) based on the
Import Time Off Request Event Batch
 web service. You can use this web service to:
  • Load batches of time off events in bulk.
  • Load time off request events in Workday from a third-party tool.
  • Migrate validated time off events into Workday.
When loading new time off request events, Workday recommends that you:
  • Use this web service for performant data loads when the batch exceeds either:
    • 100 time off requests against an absence table.
    • 1,000 requests directly against a time off type or plan.
  • Don't disable the
    Maximum Unpaid Time Off Units Allowed
     time off validation as disabling it can lead to bad data with absence tables.
  • Don’t include time off requests more than 99 weeks old.
  • Don't load multiple files in parallel as it reduces performance and introduces risk.
  • Don't turn off re-evaluation as it can create invalid data that impacts workers’ balances and payroll.
  • For extremely large volumes of data, split the data across multiple files. However, it introduces risk.
  • Include all time off entries for a worker in the same file.
  • Load the data in 1 file to ensure easy management of large volumes of data.
  • Order requests chronologically, from oldest to most recent.

Tips for Entering Data in the EIB Spreadsheet

As you complete the Import Time Off Request Event Batch EIB template, consider these fields:
Field
Notes
Header Key
Determines the batch for a time off request event. Use the same header key to group all events in a batch.
Example: To load events in 2 batches, use
1
 for the first 500 rows and
2
 for the next 1,000 rows.
Line Key
An incremental value for each row within a header key batch.
Example: Use
1
 for the first row,
2
 for the second row,
3
 for the third row, and so on. Restart the numbering at 1 for a new batch.
Row ID
A unique numerical value for each time off entry.
Time Off Entry ID
An optional, unique value for each entry that you're loading. If you specify a value, it must be unique. When you leave it blank, Workday generates an ID automatically.

Business Process

Importing a batch of time off request events launches the
Request Time Off
 business process. You can add users to the security groups of the
Import Time Off Request Event Batch (WS Background Process)
 initiating action to enable them to load time off request events in batches.

Rescinding and Correcting Time Off Request Events

The
Request Time Off
 business process doesn’t enable you to rescind any incorrect time off entries that you inadvertently uploaded. However, you can use the Adjust Time Off EIB to correct the incorrect entries unless the entries are still in-progress. In that case, you can use the
Mass Cancel
 business process.

Validating Time Off Request Events

Workday runs a set of validations on all time off entries after it has passed through the web service operation and flags invalid entries. These validations maintain data quality when importing time off requests in to Workday. If your EIB spreadsheet contains invalid time off entries, you can view the errors in a
Failure Report
. Workday generates the failure report after you run the
Launch / Schedule Integration
 task to upload the EIB spreadsheet.