What You Need to Know about Workday 2026 R2
We are preparing for the Workday 2026 R2 production update. This release will include changes that will take effect in production on September 19, 2026. Testing is live now, and the Workday Release & Adoption site is the central source for release information, testing participation, documentation, weekly updates, and support resources.
Important Statistics
243Automatic / fixed changes | 8Functional areas | SEP 8Testing deadline | SEP 19Production go-live |
What is included in this release?
243 automatic and fixed changes are in the immediate validation scope and will take effect with the production update on September 19.
The release touches 8 Howard functional areas: Human Resources (HR), Finance, Payroll, Enterprise Technology Services (ETS), Budget, Student, Procurement, and Reporting.
144 additional setup-required capabilities are optional by design. They will not activate automatically on September 19 and can be evaluated separately for value, readiness, security, and business impact.
For this release cycle, the priority is to make ownership, access, test coverage, and readiness visible before go-live.
Who is impacted?
- Functional teams (HR, Finance, Payroll, ETS, Budget, Students, Procurement, and Reporting) are responsible for reviewing changes assigned to their area and confirming readiness.
- Employees, managers, faculty, staff, and administrators may notice changes where R2 affects the Workday processes they use, including job changes, time off, Workday Home, My Tasks, notifications, navigation, requisitioning, student processes, and reporting.
- Subject-matter experts and daily Workday users are strongly encouraged to participate, as those who perform these business processes regularly can identify potential issues, gaps, and impacts that may not be captured through a standard testing checklist.
- ETS and tenant administrators will also validate tenant-wide platform, navigation, security, and user-experience changes.
When is it happening?
Aug 5 — Release documentation published. Full release notes and a summary of changes will be available on the IT website.
Aug 15 — Preview opens, and testing begins. Faculty, staff, and student testers can begin hands-on testing of the new features in a sandboxed preview.
Aug 19 — First Workday Wednesday walk-in session. Stop by with questions and receive hands-on help from the IT team.
Sep 11 — Verification sign-off. Final testing and stakeholder approval; last chance to flag issues before launch.
Sep 19 — Production release. The new release goes live across the University. A brief system maintenance window may apply — details to follow.
How can I get involved?
Functional owners should confirm who will validate the changes assigned to their area.
Assigned testers can use the testing documents designated by functional owners to review their changes and run representative Howard business scenarios in Preview.
Subject-matter experts and daily Workday users who are not typically part of a release cycle can sign up to participate through the Workday Release & Adoption site.
Workday Wednesdays provides a recurring forum for release updates, testing information, reminders, and adoption support.
Where can I find complete release information?
The Workday Release & Adoption Site is the official home for R2 materials and the best place to start when you need release information:
Release guide and key documents
Testing information and sign-up details
Weekly updates and Workday Wednesday's information
Support resources and FAQs
Need help with the release?
Use Workday Help to open a Release & Adoption ticket for release questions, Preview access needs, testing issues, or adoption support. Routing questions through Workday Help gives teams a consistent place to document issues and receive assistance. Use the Release & Adoption site to review materials, sign up to test, follow Workday Wednesdays, and find support resources.
If you have questions or concerns, please open a ticket at huhelpdesk@howard.edu.