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Workday Release Scheduled for September 20

09/12/2025

Twice a year, in March and September, Workday – SLU’s integrated, cloud-based administrative and finance system – releases feature upgrades designed to increase functionality and enhance the user experience. The September update is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 20, 2025. 

Below learn about what changes you can expect, what steps (if any), you might need to take to prepare for the new upgrades, and what dates Workday will be unavailable during this routine maintenance.

Workday Unavailable During Release Update

Just like any major software upgrade, there is necessary downtime while the changes are implemented. Workday will be unavailable for use on Saturday, Sept. 20 from 1 a.m. through 8 a.m. CST. This timeframe extends the normal weekly maintenance by a few hours, but employees and administrators should make plans to anticipate this downtime.

New Features and Enhancements

While some updates coming this weekend will focus on back-end improvements that end-users will not notice, there are also many exciting changes included in this release.

Worker Profile Modernization

Profile pictures will appear slightly larger and the current blue background will be replaced with a clean white design for a more modern look.

Quick Actions Button

There will now be Quick Actions button along the top of the Workday homepage, offering streamlined access to frequently used tasks such as My Payslips, Give Feedback, Create Request.  These will appear on both web and mobile platforms. Five buttons are displayed by default, with an overflow icon that reveals up to five additional buttons. These are not currently configurable by users.

Pinned Global Navigation Menu

Workday is introducing a persistent navigation panel that stays visible on the left side of your screen as you move throughout Workday.

This will allow access to key applications and pages from a fixed sidebar, enhancing consistency and reducing clicks. Note: Users will need to reconfigure their shortcuts after the update.

Workday Assistant

This is a conversational chatbot inside Workday that helps you quickly get to information and tasks. User can access the Assistant by clicking the chat bubble icon next to the bell in the upper-right corner of your Workday screen. Users can ask the Assistant to help with tasks like checking your time off balances, viewing your payslip, or finding a coworker.

Manager Insights Hub

This centralized platform for managers brings together everything you need in one convenient location, eliminating the need to navigate between multiple systems and reports.

Managers will be able to quickly access critical team information, review pending approvals, and act on time-sensitive items—all from a single dashboard.

Goals Cards

The goals tab under performance will now feature a cleaner, card-style interface for easier navigation.

To see more details about a particular goal, user can click on the due date within the card. User will also have easier access to archiving goals by using the archiving goals link at the bottom of each goal card. Please discuss with your leader prior to achieving any goals to ensure there is an accurate reflection of what goals you have been currently working on this year.

Workday Issues after Release Weekend

While ITS does not anticipate any major changes to Workday there is always a chance. If users experience any issues with Workday after the release, contact the following: