About Workday
My company rolled out Workday last year and everyone was told to get the app. I was honestly pretty reluctant at first. The idea of having my payroll, benefits, and all my work info on my personal iPhone felt invasive. I held off for a few weeks, but then I missed a deadline to update my tax forms because I forgot to log in on my laptop. After that, I caved and downloaded it. I’ve been using it for several months now, and my feelings are mixed. It’s genuinely useful for the stuff I need to do, but I can’t shake the privacy side of it. It’s my main phone, with my personal photos and messages, and now it’s also got my salary details and social security number. That’s a lot of eggs in one basket.
Features & Highlights
The features that actually work are the reason I keep it installed. Checking my pay stub is the main one. Every other Friday morning, a notification pops up and I can see my deposit right there. I don’t have to remember a password for the desktop site or find my laptop. Requesting a vacation day is also stupidly simple. Last Tuesday, my dentist called with a last-minute cancellation for Thursday. I was in line at the grocery store, opened the app, and submitted the time-off request before I even got to the cashier. It approved instantly. The company directory is another solid feature. It has photos and job titles, so when I get an email from someone in marketing, I can quickly look them up and know who I’m talking to.
User Experience
For the most part, it’s smooth on my iPhone 15 Pro. The menus are straightforward and it loads quickly. But it’s clearly designed for a company’s HR department first, and for me second. Some sections, like looking at the detailed breakdown of my retirement plan contributions, are just a wall of text and numbers copied from the desktop site. It’s not formatted for a small screen at all. I also notice it logs me out pretty frequently, which I guess is a security measure, but having to re-authenticate with my company password every few days is annoying. The search function is a lifesaver when I’m trying to find the policy on remote work or the form for tuition reimbursement.
Pricing
The app is free, which is the only way this would fly. My company pays a fortune for the Workday platform, so employees getting the app for free is the bare minimum. I wouldn’t pay a cent for it personally. It’s a tool my employer provides to make their own processes more efficient. That said, since it costs me nothing and saves me from having to boot up my work laptop at home, I’ll use it. The value is entirely in the convenience, not in the app itself as a product.
Updates & Support
I see updates in the App Store every few weeks. The notes are always useless—just “bug fixes and performance enhancements.” I have noticed it feels a bit snappier after some updates, so they are doing something. I’ve never had to contact support, which is good. A colleague in my department had an issue where her sick time wasn’t showing correctly, and she said our internal IT had to escalate it to Workday. It took them three days to fix it. That makes me think if I ever have a real problem, I’m in for a wait. I rely on the app, but I don’t fully trust it to be fixed quickly.
Security & Privacy
This is my biggest hang-up. I read the privacy policy before installing. Workday collects a ton of data—device info, location, how I use the app. They say it’s for “analytics and security,” but that’s always the line. Since it’s linked to my work account, they have my full name, address, social security number, bank details, and my entire job history. The app requires a ton of permissions, including network access and the ability to prevent my phone from sleeping. I get why, but it still feels like overreach. I have a strong passcode and Face ID on my phone, but I wish the app itself had an option for an extra PIN or something. Knowing all that sensitive work data is just sitting there makes me nervous. I’m careful never to leave my phone unlocked, but the risk feels real.
Can I check my pay stubs and request time off directly from the Workday app?
Yes, the app makes it easy to view your pay stubs with a simple notification every payday, and you can request vacation days in just a few taps—even from a grocery store line. It also includes a company directory with photos and job titles to help you identify colleagues.
Does the Workday app let me update my tax forms on my phone?
Absolutely, you can update tax forms and other HR documents directly in the app, which is much more convenient than waiting to log in on a laptop. Just be aware that you may need to re-enter your password fairly often due to frequent logouts.
Why does the Workday app log me out so often, and is there a way to stay logged in?
Frequent logouts are a built-in security measure to protect your sensitive work data, especially since the app contains personal info like your salary and Social Security number. Unfortunately, there’s no way to disable this, but it helps keep your information safe if your phone is lost or stolen.
Some sections in the Workday app are hard to read on my phone—what can I do?
Certain areas, like retirement plan details, are copied from the desktop site and aren’t optimized for small screens, making them look like a wall of text. For those sections, try rotating your phone to landscape mode or use the desktop site on a laptop for a better view.
How does Workday compare to apps like ADP or BambooHR for managing HR tasks?
Workday offers a more modern, smooth experience for everyday tasks like pay stubs and time-off requests, but its mobile app can feel cluttered with complex HR data. Competitors like ADP are often simpler for payroll, while BambooHR excels in user-friendly design, but Workday’s company directory and instant approvals are standout features.
