Using Workday Request Framework to monitor employee requests during COVID-19

As COVID-19 continues to impact our daily lives, many uncertainties lie ahead for employers and employees. As your team works to keep your employees safe while navigating the changing guidance from local governments, Alight is committed to sharing tools to assist you during this time. Workday Request Framework is a great tool for you to monitor requests from your employees as your organization adapts.

This guide provides information on Workday Request Framework, how employers can most effectively use it during this time and Alight’s recommendations on how to set it up.

What is Workday Request Framework?

Workday Request Framework is a tool that was introduced in Workday 29 that allows you to create business requests within Workday. Request Framework allows you to configure requests as a business process, allowing you to create, manage and audit requests directly within Workday. This provides the huge benefit of enabling you to take existing paper processes and create them in Workday with a completely auditable trail.

How can it be used?

Request Framework will allow your organization to move away from users relying on spreadsheets, emails, verbal change and enhancement requests, which make it difficult to track requests and prioritize issues—and virtually impossible to report on. The framework allows you to use Workday to build these requests into your business process, track and report on them and configure request approval processes for auditing purposes. Using this feature as your organization tracks requests relating to the impact of COVID-19 reduces the burden on any resource fielding high volumes of one-off intake types requests during this time.

How can I use it to track my employees during COVID-19?

As your organization navigates the complexities of COVID-19, Request Framework can be used to keep track of your workforce in a manageable and auditable way. Below are some suggestions on how you could use this functionality:

Add contingent worker request

This process may be helpful due to an increase in personal and/or medical leaves related to COVID-19.

Learning content idea request

As your workforce adapts to the local government guidance, they may have a new working environment. Allowing them to submit content ideas for learning courses to help them navigate this may be beneficial to help your employees adapt.

Reasonable accommodation request

See a configuration example

Examples could include work from home accommodations/equipment (printers, soft phones, ergonomic solutions) or for personal protective equipment dependent on industry (gloves, goggles, face shields, face masks and respiratory protection, when appropriate.)

Relocation or flexwork requests

Examples include requesting/tracking requests to work virtually, shared work requests, work hours reduction requests, alternative work schedule requests (staggering worker schedules in order to limit contact or maintain social distance)

Reimbursement requests

For example, allowing managers to request mobile phone access and reimbursement for their direct reports or allowing reimbursement requests for eligible expenses directly from employees.

Year-end requests to rollover additional holiday/vacation

You may have an increase in the number of employees cancelling their Personal Time Off (PTO) or in some circumstances employees may be asked to delay taking PTO as they are an essential worker. This form will allow those employees to request to rollover additional holiday/vacation at the end of the year.

Request Rescind Hire

This form would allow you to track an increased volume of employees who can no longer work or where you are required to freeze hiring but offers have already been extended and accepted.

Custom Report requests

This would allow you to report on or track any of the above or worker details.

Alight recommendations

As you set up Workday Request Framework for your organization, consider Alight's recommendations and best practices:

Option	Description	Example
Workday Object	Link a request to a Workday Object. This will enable you to view the request history in the audit trail and to specify the object instance when you close a request.
Questionnaire	Require users to complete a questionnaire when they initiate a request. You can add a Request Initiation Questionnaire to a request when you create or edit the request type.	− Further down in the business process, if, for example, you would like to include a Questionnaire Step on your Rule-Based BP for your specific Request Type, you can similarly place a Segment-based Security Group on the Questionnaire Results – Domain Security Policy, which will secure the results of that Questionnaire to the Segment-based group that you designate.
Security Configuration	Select the security groups that can initiate, view the details of and correct requests. These security groups must be on the corresponding actions of the request business process security policy.	− Take advantage of Segment-based Security Groups that are allowed on the View: Requests – Domain Security Policy that will further isolate which security groups would be able to view specific Request Types (such as one specifically tied to COVID-19). − From a reporting perspective, you can use a Segment-based Security Group on the Report: Requests – Domain Security Policy to secure the results of your specific Request Type to those groups that comprise your Segment-based Security Group.
Close Step Configuration	Specify groups to enable users to further categorize the request or the resolution.
Unique Request ID	Unique Request ID can be added with the use of calculated fields to overcome the current Workday limitation (and existing Brainstorm) for which there is currently no delivered Sequence ID Generator associated with requests. This will, more importantly, assist a customer with auditing and tracking requests.	− For the specifics of the report itself, you can include a unique Request ID as well as pull in any of the answers from both the Request Questionnaire and downstream Questionnaire Steps, business process statuses, etc.

If you would like help using Workday Request Framework to track your employee requests, contact us today at workday.solutions@alight.com.