Last updated: October 9, 2026
When UW employment ends, access to most UW NetID-based systems generally ends on the employee’s termination date. This helps protect University systems and data by aligning employment-based access with an individual’s current relationship to UW.
Your access depends on your UW affiliations
Many people have more than one relationship with the University. If your only active UW affiliation is the employment appointment that is ending, most employment-based system access will end when that appointment ends. If you have another active UW affiliation or appointment, such as another staff or faculty appointment, student status or retiree status, you will retain the system access associated with that continuing role.
Access former employees retain
After employment ends, former employees may continue to have access to certain services, including:
- Workday former employee access
- UW NetID account management
- Identity.UW
Limited use cases for extended system access
In most cases, system access should end when employment ends. There are, however, limited situations in which an individual has a defined UW responsibility that requires continued system access. The appropriate approach depends on the nature and expected duration of that work.
Extended access should be used only to support a specific, legitimate UW responsibility and should continue only for as long as that access is needed. Questions? Reach out to your HCM Named Support Contact.
Fixed-term appointments with a short, defined extension: For an employee in a fixed-term appointment, there may be situations in which system access is needed briefly after the Compensation End Date to complete previously agreed-upon responsibilities associated with the appointment.
The Employment End Date in Workday is a required field for fixed-term appointments. It is used for reporting and does not itself initiate a business process. The Employment End Date should reflect the date on which system access should end and should align with the employee’s Termination Date.
If the need for continued system access is known when the hire is created — for example, when grading responsibilities extend beyond the end of the academic quarter — enter the anticipated access end date at that time. If the need is identified later, the Employment End Date may be updated to the new specified date when the extension is approved.
The Compensation End Date should continue to reflect when compensation for the appointment ends.
Scenario 1: An employee begins a fixed-term appointment on September 16 with an Employment End Date and Compensation End Date of December 15. The employee needs access through December 22 to complete grading responsibilities associated with the appointment. The Compensation End Date remains December 15. The Employment End Date and Termination Date are updated to December 22. Pay ends December 15 and system access ends when the employee terminates on December 22.
Ongoing responsibilities requiring access for a longer period
When an individual needs access for an ongoing UW responsibility that extends beyond their current employment and does not have the same short, defined end period, the existing appointment should not simply be extended for access purposes.
Instead, use the Change Job business process to move the individual into the appropriate unpaid affiliate or other job code that reflects their continuing UW relationship.
Scenario 2: An employee’s current employment ends June 15, but the individual has an ongoing student mentoring commitment through December 31. The HR Partner uses the Change Job business process to move the individual into the appropriate job code for the continuing responsibility rather than extending the original employment solely to preserve system access.
Gaps between termination and emeritus status
There may be a short gap between an eligible faculty member’s retirement date and completion of the process that establishes their emeritus affiliation. Because employment-based access ends at termination, the individual could temporarily lose access to systems they will again be eligible to use once emeritus status is established.
When continued access is necessary during this interim period, use targeted manual provisioning for the specific systems required until the emeritus affiliation is in place. Manual access should be limited to the systems needed and only for the duration of the gap.
Scenario 3: A faculty member retires June 30 and is expected to receive emeritus status, but the emeritus affiliation will not be established in the system until July 15. The individual needs continued access to specific UW systems during that two-week period. The appropriate system owner provides targeted manual access through July 15. Once the emeritus affiliation is active, access is determined by the individual’s emeritus relationship to UW.