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Administrator Guide
Last Updated: 2026-09-18
Mass Adjust Compensation Steps

Mass Adjust Compensation Steps

You can update compensation step defaults and generate compensation events for eligible workers at scale using the
Mass Operation Management
 task. You can apply percentage-based or amount-based increases to target populations based on a top-down selection hierarchy of packages, grades, profiles, and steps.
U.S federal customers can configure this task to automatically initiate and complete associated Personnel Action Request events alongside workers’ compensation events.
Inactive compensation steps are ineligible for updates.
    1. In the
      Security Groups
       field, select
      Compensation Administrator
      .
    2. In the
      Access to Segments
       field, select
      Compensation Step Adjustment
      .
    3. Select
      OK
      .
    4. In the related actions menu of the new security group, select
      Security Group
      Maintain Domain Permissions for Security Group
      .
    5. Add
      Mass Operation Management
       to the
      View
       and
      Modify
       fields.
    6. Select
      OK
      .
    7. Access the
      Activate Pending Security Policy Changes
       task.
  2. (U.S. federal only) Access the
    Personnel Action Request Setup
     task.
    In the
    Mass Actions
     tab, select
    Compensation Step Adjustment
    , then select
    OK
    .
  3. Access the
    Mass Operation Management
     task.
    In the
    Mass Operation Type
     field, select
    Compensation Step Adjustment
    .
  4. Select an
    Input Report
    .
    You must use a custom report that includes compensation steps. You can copy the Workday-delivered
    Active Compensation Steps
     report to use as your own custom report for this field.
  5. (Optional) Select the
    Validate Only
     check box.
    This check box enables you to preview the validations of steps and positions without committing data or creating compensation events.
    Because mass operations are difficult to reverse, Workday recommends you select the
    Validate Only
     check box for your first run of this mass operation to preview the results.
  6. Select the allowed actions for Employees using Default and Employees using Override. As you complete this section, consider:
    Option Description
    Adjust to New Defaults
    Workday sets the assigned value to the new default you configure in the mass operation.
    Adjust by Same Amounts
    Applicable only to
    Employees using Override
    .
    Workday calculates the difference between the old default and the new default you configure in the mass operation. Workday adjusts the employee’s assigned value by that difference.
    Example: the old default was 500 and the new default is 600. The difference is 100. The employee’s override amount was 700. The adjustment to the employee’s assigned value is 700 + 100 = 800.
    Adjust by Same Percentage
    Only available if your mass operation
    Action
     is
    Increase by Percentage
    .
    Applicable only to
    Employees using Override
    .
    Do Not Adjust
    Workday bypasses the position when you run the mass operation, and workers in that position won’t receive a compensation step adjustment.
  7. Complete the Report Definition section.
    You must at minimum select a
    Compensation Package
    . The lowest-level hierarchical value you select is what receives the mass step adjustment. The prompts in this section return information as of the date you access and configure the mass operation. They only return active packages, grades, grade profiles, and steps.
  8. (U.S. federal only) Complete the PAR sections of the mass operation.
    The PAR information you enter applies to all PARs created from this mass operation.
  9. Select
    OK
    .
Workday first evaluates the compensation steps you want to adjust. If valid, Workday then evaluates the positions that are assigned those steps. If the positions are valid, Workday creates and completes step adjustment compensation events for all workers on those positions.
If a step or position is invalid, Workday bypasses it in the mass compensation adjustment.
Workday bypasses steps that are:
  • Undergoing an in-progress individual or mass adjustment event.
  • Inactive. If a step was active at the time you configured the mass operation, then inactivated before the effective date of the mass operation, Workday bypasses the step. See the Example section of this topic.
  • (Amount-based adjustments only) Configured with a
    Currency
     or
    Frequency
     that doesn't match the
    Currency
     or
    Frequency
     you select for the mass operation.
Workday bypasses positions that are:
  • Undergoing an in-progress compensation review.
  • Undergoing an in-progress compensation event, including hold events such as
    Leave of Absence
    .
  • Configured with the
    Do Not Adjust
     allowed action.
  • (U.S. federal) Assigned a pay and/or grade retention status by using pay rate determinants of the
    Grade Retention
     or
    Pay Retention
     type. See Assign Pay and Grade Retention to Workers.
(U.S. federal) Workday initiates and completes a
Personnel Action Request
 event for each worker who receives a compensation event as a result of the mass action.
This example illustrates how Workday determines if it will bypass a step that has been inactivated.
If the:
  • Mass operation effective date is 2026-08-05.
  • Mass operation is scheduled to process on 2026-07-31.
  • Step 1 inactivation effective date is 2026-08-01.
Then Workday bypasses Step 1.
If the:
  • Mass operation effective date is 2026-08-05.
  • Mass operation is scheduled to process on 2026-07-31.
  • Step 1 inactivation effective date is 2026-08-06.
Then Step 1 receives a compensation update as part of the mass operation.
If you need to roll back the mass compensation step adjustment event, you can:
  • Access the
    Set Up Compensation Step Adjustment
     task and create step adjustments on the same effective date as the original mass operation's effective date. Workday recommends this option because the latest event on that effective date takes precedence. You must wait for the mass operation to process before taking this action.
  • (Worker events only) Run the
    Mass Rescind Business Processes
     task. Select
    Compensation Change for Compensation Plan Event
     in the
    Business Process Types
     field. This action only affects worker compensation events, and won't revert compensation step default amounts. See Setup Considerations: Mass Operations on Business Processes.