Not Ready Codes: What They Are & How to Use Them
Not ready codes — also called auxiliary (aux) codes or reason codes — are the labels agents select to show why they are logged in but not available to take contacts.
Stepping away for a break, in a meeting, doing training, fixing a system issue: each gets its own code.
Done well, they're one of the most useful diagnostic tools in a contact centre — the data that tells you where your signed-on time actually goes, and the raw material for accurate shrinkage and staffing.
Done badly, they become a surveillance tool that agents quietly game — and the moment that happens, the data you were relying on stops being true.
This guide explains what not ready codes are, the common examples, how they feed your key metrics, and how to use them without breaking trust.
What they are
Codes agents pick to record why they're logged in but unavailable — break, lunch, meeting, training, admin, system issue, and so on.
Why they matter
They show where signed-on time goes, feed shrinkage and adherence, and help you plan staffing accurately — if the data is honest.
What this guide covers
The definition, common code examples, how they connect to your metrics, how to design a good code set, and the pitfalls to avoid.
What are Not Ready Codes?
Not ready codes are the reason codes an agent selects in the contact centre platform (the ACD) to indicate they are logged in but in a "not ready" state — present and signed on, but not available to be routed a contact.
They're known by several names: aux codes, auxiliary codes, reason codes or not ready reason codes. They all mean the same thing.
The point of the code is the "why". An agent isn't just unavailable — they're unavailable because they're on a break, in training, in a meeting, or dealing with a system outage.
Capturing that reason turns raw unavailable time into useful management information.
In plain English
A not ready code answers one question: "If this agent is logged in but not taking contacts, what are they doing?"
Get honest answers and you can plan and support brilliantly. Make agents afraid of the answer and they'll give you a false one.
✓ A not ready code IS
- A label for why a logged-in agent is unavailable
- A workforce-management measurement input
- The same thing as an aux, auxiliary or reason code
- Often a record of legitimate, necessary activity
✗ A not ready code is NOT
- The same as being logged off / signed out
- The same as available (ready, waiting for a contact)
- Automatically "wasted" or unproductive time
- A tool for policing or punishing agents
Common Not Ready Code Examples
Code sets vary by operation, but most fall into two groups — and separating them is one of the most useful things you can do, because they behave very differently in planning.
Planned not-ready
Activities you can roster and forecast for:
- Break / comfort break
- Lunch / meal break
- Team meeting / briefing
- Training
- Coaching / one-on-one
Unplanned & operational not-ready
Activities that happen in the moment:
- System / technical issue
- Admin or offline task
- After-call work (where it's a code, not a separate state)
- Outbound call-back or follow-up
- Other / unavailable
💡 The goldilocks rule
Too few codes and you learn nothing ("not ready: 22%" tells you nothing actionable).
Too many and agents miscode, guess, or pick "other" — and your data turns to mush. Aim for enough codes to see the real picture, and no more.
Why Not Ready Codes Matter
Signed-on time is the most expensive resource a contact centre has. Not ready codes are how you understand where it goes — and that understanding drives everything from staffing accuracy to whether your agents feel trusted.
For team leaders
Codes show what's really happening on the floor — whether a queue blew up because of a system outage, an over-scheduled meeting, or genuine demand. They turn "the agents weren't available" into a reason you can act on.
For WFM & planning
Accurate not-ready data is the backbone of shrinkage calculations and staffing models. Get the codes right and your forecasts get right; get them wrong and you plan on fiction.
For agents
A fair code set protects agents too — it shows that breaks, coaching, training and system problems are legitimate, accounted-for time, not something they're secretly being marked down for.
How Not Ready Codes Feed Your Metrics
Not ready codes rarely live alone — they're an input to several of the most important workforce metrics. Getting the codes right is what makes those metrics trustworthy.
Shrinkage
Not-ready time is a core component of shrinkage — the share of paid time agents aren't available to take contacts. Your code data is where shrinkage figures come from, broken down by cause.
Adherence & conformance
Codes show whether agents are in the right state at the right time. They underpin conformance and schedule adherence — are people doing the activity they were scheduled to?
Occupancy & ACW
Not-ready time sits alongside talk time and after-call work in the picture of how signed-on time is used — and it directly affects occupancy, since not-ready time is signed-on but not on contacts.
The data is only as good as the codes
Every one of these metrics inherits the quality of your not ready codes.
If agents miscode — out of confusion, or because they're hiding from a code that gets them in trouble — your shrinkage, adherence and occupancy numbers are all quietly wrong.
Clean codes aren't an administrative nicety; they're the foundation the whole measurement stack sits on.
Designing a Good Not Ready Code Set
A good code set is clear, fair and useful. This is the order that gets you there.
Cover the real reasons — but no more
List the genuine reasons agents go not ready in your operation, then resist the urge to add a code for every edge case. Each extra code is another chance to miscode.
Make codes clear and mutually exclusive
Every code should have one obvious meaning, with no overlap. If an agent has to think about which of two codes applies, your data will be inconsistent.
Separate planned from unplanned
Distinguish rosterable activities (breaks, meetings, training) from in-the-moment ones (system issues, ad-hoc admin). The split is essential for honest shrinkage and forecasting.
Align codes to your shrinkage categories
Map each code to the shrinkage bucket it belongs in, so the data flows straight into planning without manual translation or guesswork.
Train agents on correct use
Make sure everyone knows what each code means and when to use it. Consistent coding is a training outcome, not an assumption — and it's where most data quality is won or lost.
Review usage and clean up
Watch for codes nobody uses, an "other" bucket that's ballooning, or patterns that suggest gaming. Prune and refine the set periodically so it keeps reflecting reality.
Common Not Ready Code Mistakes
The biggest mistakes aren't technical — they're about how the codes are used and what culture that creates.
❌ Too many codes
A sprawling list of 30 codes invites guessing and miscoding. Agents pick whatever's closest or default to "other", and your insight drowns in noise.
❌ Too few codes
A single "not ready" bucket tells you that time was lost, but not why — which is useless for fixing anything. You need enough granularity to act.
❌ Weaponising the codes
The most damaging mistake. Use aux codes to police and punish agents, and they'll learn to game them — hiding in a "system issue" code, under-recording breaks — and the data you depend on becomes fiction.
❌ Stigmatising legitimate time
Coaching, training, comfort breaks and system problems are normal, necessary parts of the day. Treating any "not ready" time as inherently bad pushes agents to misreport it.
❌ No training, inconsistent coding
If two agents code the same activity differently, your data can't be compared or trusted. Inconsistent use quietly corrupts every metric the codes feed.
❌ Set it and forget it
Operations change; code sets drift. Without periodic review, you end up with dead codes, missing ones, and an "other" bucket hiding the real story.
The one that matters most: not ready codes are a diagnostic tool, not a stick. The instant agents feel the codes are used to catch them out, they start gaming them — and you lose the very data the codes exist to provide.
Use them to understand and improve your operation and support your people, not to surveil them, and the numbers stay honest.
Frequently Asked Questions About Not Ready Codes
What are not ready codes?
They're the reason codes an agent selects in the contact centre platform to show why they're logged in but not available to take contacts — for example break, lunch, meeting, training, admin or a system issue.
They turn raw unavailable time into useful information about why agents are off the queue.
Are aux codes, reason codes and not ready codes the same thing?
Yes. "Aux code" (auxiliary code), "reason code", "not ready reason code" and "not ready code" are different names for the same concept.
Terminology varies by platform and vendor, but they all describe the label an agent uses to record why they're in a not-ready state.
What are common not ready code examples?
Typical planned codes include break, lunch, team meeting, training and coaching.
Typical unplanned or operational codes include system/technical issue, admin or offline task, after-call work (where it's a code rather than a separate state), outbound call-backs, and a catch-all "other".
Most operations split these into planned and unplanned for planning purposes.
Is after-call work a not ready code?
It depends on the platform. In some systems, after-call work (ACW or wrap) is its own dedicated state, separate from "not ready".
In others, it's captured as a not ready code. Either way it's important to track ACW distinctly, because it's call-related work, not the same as a break or a meeting.
How do not ready codes relate to shrinkage?
Closely. Not-ready time is one of the biggest components of shrinkage — the percentage of paid time agents aren't available to take contacts.
Your not ready code data, broken down by reason, is where much of the shrinkage figure comes from, which is why accurate coding matters so much for planning.
How do not ready codes relate to adherence and conformance?
They're the raw data behind both.
Conformance and schedule adherence measure whether agents are in the state they were scheduled to be in — and not ready codes are how the system knows which state an agent is actually in at any given moment.
How many not ready codes should we have?
Enough to capture the real reasons agents go not ready, and no more.
There's no magic number, but if agents are regularly defaulting to "other" you have too few, and if you have codes nobody uses or that overlap, you have too many.
Aim for a clear, mutually exclusive set that maps cleanly to your shrinkage categories.
Should agents be disciplined based on their not ready codes?
Be very careful here. Not ready codes are a measurement and diagnostic tool, not a performance-management weapon.
Using them to police or punish agents almost always backfires — people game the codes, the data becomes unreliable, and trust erodes.
Use the data to spot problems with scheduling, systems or workload, and address genuine adherence issues as coaching conversations grounded in fairness, not as gotchas.
Where to Next
Summary: Not Ready Codes
Not ready codes — also called aux, auxiliary or reason codes — are the labels agents use to record why they're logged in but unavailable to take contacts.
They turn raw unavailable time into useful information, and they're a core input to shrinkage, adherence and conformance, and a key part of the picture of how signed-on time is used.
A good code set is clear, mutually exclusive, splits planned from unplanned activity, and maps cleanly to your shrinkage categories.
Too many codes create noise; too few create blind spots; and inconsistent use quietly corrupts every metric they feed.
Above all, remember what they're for. Not ready codes are a diagnostic tool to help you plan better and support your people — not a surveillance system.
The moment agents feel the codes are used to police them, they'll game them, and you'll lose the honest data the codes exist to provide.
Use them with that in mind and they become one of the most valuable sources of insight you have.
