Workday FAQ

The Workday system has posed ongoing issues to McGill employees and students, causing problems with hiring, paychecks, and more. AGSEM has compiled information and resources about understanding your rights and navigating the Workday system.

**If you are not unionized through AGSEM, per provincial and federal law, you do not have access to AGSEM representation or AGSEM’s grievance procedures with McGill. However, you still have rights! This includes that you must be paid within 30 days of starting your contract. You can file a complaint through the CNESST (if your rights have been violated) here.**

​(Last updated January 15, 2023)

What is Workday?

Workday is an HR information system that replaced Banner, which cost millions of dollars. This shift is part of the R2R (“recruitment to retirement") program. Workday is a cloud-based system, been in planning for several years​. McGill did not consult with AGSEM or other unions on the shift to Workday.

​As a system, Workday creates additional steps in the hiring process—this means additional time that local support staff have to spend on hiring and applications, adding pressure to local admin during the hiring freeze.

Logging into Workday

Once you are receive a TA-ship offer from McGill, a staff email address (first.last@mcgill.ca) will be created for you. You need this email to access your Workday account as an employee.

You should use your McGill student credentials for student-related activities, and your McGill staff credentials for staff-related activities, including logging into Workday. You will not be able to log into Workday with your student credentials.​

You need to connect to the McGill VPN prior to logging into Workday. Opening a private browser is recommended as well.

Once you are offered the job, you will receive a custom notification in Workday, which is also sent to your staff email (first.lastname@mcgill.ca) and your personal email (the one you used to apply for your position). The email will ask you to complete your onboarding activities on Workday within 72 hours, such as:

• Manage your direct deposit information
• Complete Province Tax Elections
• Complete Federal Withholding Elections
• Change your emergency contacts
• Review Documents on Policy on Harassment and Discrimination and Policy Against Sexual Violence
• Provide your equity data
• Edit your previous employment history
• Edit your personal information, including indicating your chosen name
• Additional information on obtaining your McGill staff login credentials is available here.

Please contact McGill IT Support if you have any technical difficulty.

Once you have your employee credentials, you can also consult resources from the McGill Academic & Administrative HR Knowledge Base.​

If you believe your rights were violated, please contact grievance.department@agsem-aeedem.ca.

What are my Rights?

You have a right to be paid within 30 days of starting work, per Article 17.03 of the AGSEM collective agreement and the Labour Standards Act.

You have a right to be paid by direct deposit: Article 17.03 requires all employees to be paid by direct deposit. Cheques sent to the wrong address, lost in the mail, or kept at 688 Sherbrooke do not constitute payment of wages. You can indicate your direct deposit information in Workday.

You have a right to equipment and materials: Article 15.01 requires that TAs are provided with all necessary equipment and materials needed to fulfill duties. This applies to staff email, myCourses, and/or Zoom Pro that may not have been available because a TA appointment was not processed.

You have a right to compensation for all hours of work: Article 11.05 requires that TAs are compensated at the TA rate for all additional hours of work. The hours that a TA spends on training materials required for an essential component of their employment are the employer’s hours. Time spent assisting the employer in resolving his own administrative problems are the employer’s hours. This constitutes unpaid labour. If you are spending a lot of time on Workday issues, put these on your Workload form - these hours are part of your TA contract.

You have a right to compensation for your full contract even if you ultimately do not work all your hours: Article 11.03 states that “The University shall not require an Employee to reimburse or to carry forward to another term any hours not worked in the appointment.” If you have a 180 hour contract but complete your tasks within 175 hours, for example, you do not need to pay back those 5 hours or complete an extra 5 hours during your next contract.

What should I do if I have a problem with Workday?

Still haven’t been paid? Missing a cheque? ​

• Open a ticket with HR by contacting hr.hr@mcgill.ca.
• Contact grievance.department@agsem-aeedem.ca.​

You’ve been paid, but it was late, and you want compensation for the delay.

• Contact the union to verify the dates you were paid and the payment you have received.
• McGill is not capable of compiling accurate employment data, so we’ll give them a bill.

You are having issues with your employee email, myCourses, Workday, or Zoom Pro?

• Open a ticket with HR and/or IT.
• If your ability to do your job effectively or to apply for a TA position is impacted, contact the union to discuss recourse.
• If you have trouble applying for a TA position through Workday, submit a .pdf application to your department via email. ALL applicants have the right to apply via email. Copy grievance.department@agsem-aeedem.ca in case the department does not want to accept your application.