Reason Codes

Reason codes allow employees to explain why they're booking out-of-policy travel. When a booking requires approval, users can select a reason code to justify the exception.

What Are Reason Codes?

Reason codes are predefined justifications that employees select when:

• Booking travel that violates policy
• Submitting a booking request for approval
• Explaining why they need an exception

Benefits:

• Standardize exception justifications
• Track why violations occur
• Inform policy improvements
• Simplify the approval process

Accessing Reason Codes

1. Go to Policies → Reason Codes
2. View the list of existing codes
3. Create, edit, or delete codes

Creating a Reason Code

1. Click Create Reason Code
2. Fill in the form:

Code

A short identifier using uppercase letters, numbers, and underscores:

• ✅ URGENT_TRAVEL
• ✅ CLIENT_REQUEST
• ✅ NO_ALTERNATIVES
• ❌ urgent travel (no spaces or lowercase)

Description

Explain when this code should be used:

• ✅ "Travel is required urgently due to unforeseen circumstances"
• ✅ "Client specifically requested this hotel/flight"
• ❌ "For urgent stuff" (too vague)

Applicability

Select which booking types this code applies to:

• Flights: Reason code available for flight violations
• Hotels: Reason code available for hotel violations
• Both: Available for all violations

Status

• Active: Code is available for selection
• Inactive: Code is hidden but preserved for historical data

3. Click Create

Managing Reason Codes

Edit a Code

1. Find the code in the list
2. Click Edit
3. Make changes
4. Click Save

Deactivate a Code

Instead of deleting, deactivate codes that are no longer needed:

1. Edit the reason code
2. Change status to Inactive
3. Save

Inactive codes:

• Don't appear in selection lists
• Remain on historical violations
• Can be reactivated later

Delete a Code

1. Click Delete on the code row
2. Confirm deletion

Common Reason Codes

Here are suggested reason codes to start with:

Travel Necessity

Availability

Comfort/Health

Cost Efficiency

Using Reason Codes

During Booking

When an employee books out-of-policy:

1. System shows policy violation
2. If action is REQUIRE_APPROVAL, reason code selector appears
3. Employee selects applicable reason code
4. Optionally adds notes for more context
5. Submits booking request

In Approval Workflow

Admins reviewing requests see:

• Selected reason code
• Additional notes
• Violation details

This context helps make informed approval decisions.

Analyzing Reason Code Usage

Track which reason codes are used most:

1. Go to Policies → Violations
2. Filter by reason code
3. Review trends

Insights you might find:

• "NO_ALTERNATIVES" used frequently → Policy too restrictive
• "CLIENT_REQUEST" common → May need client-specific policies
• "URGENT_TRAVEL" increasing → Review advance booking requirements

Best Practices

1. Start with common scenarios - Create 5-10 codes covering typical exceptions
2. Be specific - Vague codes don't provide useful information
3. Review usage - Add new codes based on "Other" selections
4. Keep active list manageable - Too many codes confuses users
5. Use consistent naming - CATEGORY_DETAIL format works well
6. Write clear descriptions - Users should understand when to select each code