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Administrator Guide
Last Updated: 2024-04-19
Concept: Importing Reported Time Blocks

Concept: Importing Reported Time Blocks

The
Import Reported Time Blocks
 web service enables you to import reported time blocks into Workday Time Tracking using Workday Enterprise Interface Builder. Consider using this web service to:
  • Import time blocks that workers didn't enter through self-service time entry.
  • Load a batch of time blocks in bulk, such as holiday time blocks.
  • Import large batches of time blocks for testing purposes.
  • Edit and delete time blocks in mass.
  • Approve or rescind the imported time blocks using the
    Reported Time Batch Event
     business process.
  • Use imported time blocks in calculations, route them to managers for approval, and pass them to Payroll for payment.

Spreadsheet Setup

As you complete the EIB template, consider these fields:
Element
Notes
Header Key
An incremental value for every set of 1,000 rows of data.
The header key determines how many entries Workday batches for each job. We recommend that you batch together 1,000 time block entries per job. Example: Use
1
 for the first 1,000 rows and use
2
 for the next 1,000 rows.
Don't use a different header key for each row, as this will cause each row to run as separate jobs and leads to performance issues.
This field is only available on web service versions earlier than 36.2.
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, and
3
 for the third row. Start the numbering over again, with 1, for each batch.
This field is only available on web service versions earlier than 36.2.
Spreadsheet Key
An incremental value for each row. Example: Use
1
 for the first row,
2
 for the second row, and
3
 for the third row.
Worker
The employee ID for the worker.
Worker Time Block
The reference ID for the worker time block. After you import time blocks into Workday, Workday assigns the worker time block a reference ID. To edit or delete a time block, you must enter the reference ID for the time block.
To view the reference IDs for a group of worker time blocks, use the
Reference ID
 report field on the
Time Block
 business object. To view the reference ID for a single time block, access the related actions menu of the time block.
Delete Time Block
Enter Y or N to indicate whether to delete the time block.
In Date Time
Out Date Time
Use these columns to enter the date and time of In/Out time blocks.
Times are automatically in PST, so you might need to populate a UTC offset amount to load time blocks correctly.
Example:
 October 25, 2018 at 8:00AM CET is:
2018-10-25T08:00:00+02:00
Time Entry Code
The reference ID of the time entry code. Access the time entry code reference ID using the related actions menu of the time entry code.
Quantity
Date
Use these columns to enter the date and quantity of Hours Only time blocks.
Comment
Enter a comment for a time block.
The
Require Comments on Time Entry Changes
 setting on the time entry template doesn't apply to web services.
Project Role
The worker's project role. This value is derived from the worker's assignments on a project's resource plan line.

Editing and Deleting Time Blocks

To edit a time block, enter the Time Block Reference ID in the
Worker Time Block
 column along with the updated time block information. When you import the batch, Workday will override the values on the existing block with the new values you entered. To delete a time block, enter
Y
 in the
Delete Time Block
 column of the EIB spreadsheet.
The same restrictions that apply to the time entry calendar apply to the EIB. If you can't delete a time block on the calendar, then you can't delete it through the web service. Example: If the time block belongs to a locked period.

Reported Time Batch Event Business Process

Importing a batch of reported time blocks launches the
Reported Time Batch Event
 business process. Update the business process security policy so that relevant workers can approve or rescind the time blocks before Workday processes and creates time blocks. If approval steps conflict with the requirements of your organization, add a business process condition for external load so that Workday automatically processes the time blocks.
Workday treats time blocks identically to reported time blocks created directly in Workday, meaning that:
  • The time blocks display on the worker's time entry calendar in a
    Not Submitted
     status.
  • The imported time blocks are subject to the same calculations and validations as time blocks entered directly into Workday.
  • Workers can make corrections and submit the time blocks for manager approval.

Rescinding Batches

You can rescind a
Reported Time Batch Event
 business process event to back out a batch of time blocks you imported. To rescind an event, navigate to the related actions menu of the event and select
Business Process
Rescind
 or use the
Mass Rescind Business Processes
 task.
When you rescind, Workday removes all of the time blocks that you imported in the batch event. However, rescinding a batch won't back out changes you made by editing or deleting time blocks. To restore those blocks, you must run another import with the correct time block information.
Using the
Import Reported Time Blocks
 web service EIB, Kevin:
  • Edits an existing time block on 2019-02-04.
  • Deletes an existing time block on 2019-02-07.
  • Creates a new time block on 2019-02-08.
Worker
Worker Time Block
Delete Time Block
Date
Quantity
21722
WORKER_TIME_BLOCK_-1-38
2019-02-04
8
21722
WORKER_TIME_BLOCK_-1-41
Y
2019-02-07
8
21722
2019-02-08
8
The time blocks display on the worker's time entry calendar as:
2019-02-04
2019-02-05
2019-02-06
2019-02-07
2019-02-08
8 hours
8 hours
Later, Kevin decides to rescind the
Reported Time Batch Event
 business process event. Workday:
  • Removes the new time block that Kevin imported for 2019-02-08.
  • Doesn't change the edited time block on 2019-02-04.
  • Doesn't restore the deleted time block on 2019-02-07.
After Kevin rescinds, the time blocks display on the worker's time entry calendar as:
2019-02-04
2019-02-05
2019-02-06
2019-02-07
2019-02-08
8 hours

Overlapping Time Blocks

When you import time blocks that overlap with existing time blocks, you must resolve the overlapping time blocks once they are in Workday. Correct the time blocks on the timesheet before submitting time.
While the Worker Time Block Inbound Connector is still available, we recommend using the
Import Reported Time Blocks
web service for improved error handling and performance.