What authentication method does Workday use?

Workday uses OAuth 2.0 with a registered API Client. You'll need to provide your Client ID, Client Secret, and a Refresh Token — all generated from within your Workday tenant by an administrator.

Can I check PTO balances for my direct reports?

Yes. The `get_time_off_balances` tool retrieves current PTO balances for any worker within the security scope configured for your Integration System User. Data is returned per plan type (vacation, sick, personal).

Does it support Workday Report-as-a-Service (RaaS)?

Absolutely. Use the `execute_raas_report` tool with your report URL to retrieve any custom Workday report, including those with prompt parameters. Results are returned in JSON format.

Can I navigate the entire organizational hierarchy?

Yes. The `get_org_structure` tool fetches supervisory organizations, cost centers, and company hierarchies, allowing you to traverse the full org tree from any starting point.

Workday MCP Server for VS Code Copilot 9 tools — connect in under 2 minutes

Name: Workday
Availability: InStock
Author: Vinkius

code.visualstudio.com/docs/copilot/chat/mcp-servers

Built by Vinkius GDPR 9 Tools IDE

GitHub Copilot in VS Code is the most widely adopted AI coding assistant, embedded directly into the world's most popular code editor. With MCP support in Agent mode, Copilot can access external data and APIs to generate context-aware code grounded in real-time information.

Get MCP Server for AI Agents

ASK AI ABOUT THIS MCP SERVER

Open in ChatGPT Open in Claude Open in Perplexity

Vinkius supports streamable HTTP and SSE.

RecommendedModern Approach — Zero Configuration

Vinkius Desktop App

The modern way to manage MCP Servers — no config files, no terminal commands. Install Workday and 2,500+ MCP Servers from a single visual interface.

Download Free Open SourceNo signup required

Classic Setup·json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "workday": {
      "url": "https://edge.vinkius.com/[YOUR_TOKEN_HERE]/mcp"
    }
  }
}

Fully ManagedVinkius Servers

60%Token savings

High SecurityEnterprise-grade

IAMAccess control

EU AI ActCompliant

DLPData protection

V8 IsolateSandboxed

Ed25519Audit chain

<40msKill switch

Stream every event to Splunk, Datadog, or your own webhook in real-time

* Every MCP server runs on Vinkius-managed infrastructure inside AWS - a purpose-built runtime with per-request V8 isolates, Ed25519 signed audit chains, and sub-40ms cold starts optimized for native MCP execution. See our infrastructure

About Workday MCP Server

Connect your Workday tenant to any AI agent and manage your human capital operations through natural conversation.

GitHub Copilot Agent mode brings Workday data directly into your VS Code workflow. With a project-scoped config, the entire team shares access to 9 tools. Copilot queries live data, generates typed code, and writes tests from actual API responses, all without leaving the editor.

What you can do

Worker Profiles — Query employee data, job profiles, supervisory organizations, and worker history across your entire workforce
Payroll Insights — Retrieve payroll run summaries, compensation breakdowns, and benefit elections for any worker
Organizational Structure — Navigate supervisory hierarchies, cost centers, and company structures through simple queries
Time Off & Absence — Check PTO balances, pending time-off requests, and absence history for team members
Recruiting Pipeline — Monitor open positions, candidate pipeline status, and job requisition approvals
Compensation Planning — View compensation plans, merit increases, and bonus allocations across business units
Custom Reports — Execute Workday Report-as-a-Service (RaaS) queries for tailored data extractions

The Workday MCP Server exposes 9 tools through the Vinkius. Connect it to VS Code Copilot in under two minutes — no API keys to rotate, no infrastructure to provision, no vendor lock-in. Your configuration, your data, your control.

How to Connect Workday to VS Code Copilot via MCP

Follow these steps to integrate the Workday MCP Server with VS Code Copilot.

Create MCP config

Create a .vscode/mcp.json file in your project root

Add the server config

Paste the JSON configuration above

Enable Agent mode

Open GitHub Copilot Chat and switch to Agent mode using the dropdown

Start using Workday

Ask Copilot: "Using Workday, help me...". 9 tools available

Why Use VS Code Copilot with the Workday MCP Server

GitHub Copilot for Visual Studio Code provides unique advantages when paired with Workday through the Model Context Protocol.

VS Code is used by over 70% of developers. adding MCP tools to Copilot means your team can leverage external data without leaving their primary editor

Project-scoped MCP configs (`.vscode/mcp.json`) let you commit server configurations to your repository, ensuring the entire team shares the same tool access

Copilot's Agent mode integrates MCP tools seamlessly with file editing, terminal commands, and workspace search in a single agentic loop

GitHub's enterprise compliance and audit features extend to MCP tool usage, providing visibility into how AI interacts with external services

Workday + VS Code Copilot Use Cases

Practical scenarios where VS Code Copilot combined with the Workday MCP Server delivers measurable value.

Live API integration: Copilot can query an MCP server, inspect the response schema, and generate typed API client code in the same step

DevSecOps workflows: security teams can give developers access to domain intelligence tools directly in their editor for real-time vulnerability assessment during code review

Data pipeline development: Copilot fetches sample data via MCP and generates transformation scripts, validators, and test fixtures from actual API responses

Documentation generation: Copilot queries available tools and auto-generates README sections, API reference docs, and usage examples

Workday MCP Tools for VS Code Copilot (9)

These 9 tools become available when you connect Workday to VS Code Copilot via MCP:

execute_raas_report

Results are returned in JSON. The URL can include prompt parameters. Execute a Workday Report-as-a-Service (RaaS) report

get_payroll_results

Get payroll results for a worker

get_time_off_balances

Get time off balances for a worker

get_time_off_requests

Get pending time off requests for a worker

get_worker

Get detailed profile for a specific worker

list_job_requisitions

List open job requisitions

list_supervisory_orgs

Shows org names, managers, and headcounts. List supervisory organizations

list_workers

Use the search parameter to filter by name, employee ID, or other attributes. List or search Workday workers

query_resource

Examples: locations, companies, costCenters, businessUnits. Query any Workday REST API resource

Example Prompts for Workday in VS Code Copilot

Ready-to-use prompts you can give your VS Code Copilot agent to start working with Workday immediately.

"How many active employees do we have in the Engineering department?"

"Show me the PTO balance for John Smith."

"Run the 'Monthly Headcount Report' for Q1 2026."

Troubleshooting Workday MCP Server with VS Code Copilot

Common issues when connecting Workday to VS Code Copilot through the Vinkius, and how to resolve them.

MCP tools not available

Ensure you are in Agent mode in Copilot Chat. MCP tools only appear in Agent mode.

Workday + VS Code Copilot FAQ

Common questions about integrating Workday MCP Server with VS Code Copilot.

Which VS Code version supports MCP?

MCP support requires VS Code 1.99 or later with the GitHub Copilot extension. Ensure both are updated to the latest version. Older versions of Copilot may not expose the Agent mode toggle.

How do I switch to Agent mode?

Open the Copilot Chat panel and look for two mode options: "Ask" and "Agent". Click "Agent" to enable autonomous tool calling. In Ask mode, Copilot provides conversational answers but cannot invoke MCP tools.

Can I restrict which MCP tools Copilot can access?

Yes. VS Code shows a tool consent dialog before any MCP tool is invoked for the first time. You can also configure tool access policies at the organization level through GitHub Copilot settings.

Does MCP work in VS Code Remote or Codespaces?

Yes. MCP servers configured via .vscode/mcp.json work in Remote SSH, WSL, and GitHub Codespaces environments. The MCP connection is established from the remote host, so ensure the server URL is accessible from that environment.