---
sourceDocument: Zurich Employee Service Management
sourceDocumentLink: https://www.servicenow.com/docs/r/zurich/employee-service-management
Release :
- zurich
ft:locale :
- en-US
ft:publication_title :
- Zurich Employee Service Management
ft:clusterId :
- emplsm
bundleId :
- emplsm
workflow :
- Employee
---
# Approvals experience reference
# Approvals experience reference {#ariaid-title1}
* Release version: Zurich
*
* Updated July 31, 2025
*
*  4 minutes to read
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## Summary of Approvals Experience Reference
This reference serves ServiceNow customers implementing and managing approval experiences within the Zurich release.
It covers default task configurations, role requirements, integration details with SAP Concur and Workday, mobile approval support, and usage of out-of-the-box (OOTB) action groups.
The guidance helps customers optimize approval workflows, ensure proper role-based access, and integrate approval data securely with external systems.
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## Default Task Configurations and Role Requirements
* Default task configurations for approvals use **sysapproval** as the reference column and **screquest** or **screqitem** as reference tables.
* These configurations extend the Employee Center To-do related list and can be customized as per organizational needs.
* Users must have either **approvaluser** or **businessstakeholder** roles to approve IT requests in Employee Center. Role enforcement is not applied in Core UI16 due to platform-level ACL considerations.
* If approval todos are not visible, verify that the approver has the appropriate roles; fallback mechanisms apply to parent or default configurations when child table configurations are missing.
## SAP Concur Integration
* Integration is enabled via the SAP Concur Spoke plugin (snsapconcurspok).
* A scheduled job runs daily to pull Concur reports and updates relevant records in Concur Sync and Expense Report Staging tables.
* Transformation maps convert staging data into expense reports, and approval records are created based on approver fields.
## Workday Integration
* Workday leverages RAAS reports to send data externally, with only open requests shown on approvers' My Tasks pages.
* Approval and rejection actions use an Integration System User (ISU) to safeguard approver credentials and securely log actions with user-specific comments.
* Limitations include delegation handling and possible duplicate entries for multi-level approvals due to ISU usage.
* Attachments are limited to 12 MB maximum.
* Several provided scripts support Workday approval processes and enable customization.
* Data protection requires correct user roles (e.g., HR admin) and usage of default purge policies to manage sensitive data retention.
## Approvals on Mobile
* Only approvals stored in the **sysapprovalapprover** table appear on Now Mobile via generic cards.
* This feature can be disabled by setting the system property **snmetodos.allapprovalsmobileenabled** to false.
## Out-of-the-Box Action Group Usage
* Use the OOTB Approvals action group to enable common approval actions like Approve and Reject.
* To display actions in the "My Items" widget, configure To-do configurations within Employee Center administration and map the action group accordingly.
## Additional Configuration and Extensions
* Customers can add non-task tables to To-dos or Task configuration via scripted extension points for expanded approval scenarios.
* Numerous related configuration forms and reference materials support customization and integration of approval experiences.
Use the following reference information for better approval experience.
## Default task configurations {#approval-hub-ootb__id_vr1_lct_h5b}
Use the following default task configurations available for approvals.
* Request with sysapproval as reference column and sc_request as reference table.
* Requested item with sysapproval as reference column and sc_req_item as reference table.
{#approval-hub-ootb__ul_lxh_qxz_vtb}You can customize the task configurations to suit your requirements. The data model is an extension to the Employee Center To-do configuration as a related list. Follow the instructions [Enable task configuration for approvals](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/qTTRVgh4h0fHIvMqFZxfHQ "Provide the approvers with more in-context information about the approval requests for informed and prioritized approval workflows.") about configuring the approval experience. For more information on how to configure approvals, see [Approvals hub](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/saSWVEgyoynW6_RQyZ0Fyg "Enable the approver with the in-context information for informed and prioritized approval decisions.").
Note:
A user must have the approval_user or business_stakeholder role to approve IT requests (not applicable to other requests such as HR approvals) on Employee Centre. Role validation has not been implemented in Core UI16 because modifying ACLs in UI16 might have broader implications at the NowPlatform level.
## Unable to see Approval todos {#approval-hub-ootb__section_qbz_bfr_xxb}
Ensure you have the approver_user or business_stakeholder roles to see the approval todos for the sc_request or sc_req_item items. In the _getClosureFunction() method of Script Include todoPageUtils:
if (tableName == 'sysapproval_approver') {
if (!(gs.getUser().hasRole('approver_user') || gs.getUser().hasRole('business_stakeholder'))) {
var queryString = "sysapproval.sys_class_name!=sc_request^sysapproval.sys_class_name!=sc_req_item^NQsysapprovalISEMPTY";
grTask.addEncodedQuery(queryString);
}
}
## Fallback to parent table configuration {#approval-hub-ootb__section_zzy_fs3_dvb}
When the child table does not have task configuration, fallback is one level above its hierarchy and picks the task configuration of the parent table. When the task parent is not available, fallback is to the default
configuration.
## SAP Concur reference info {#approval-hub-ootb__section_qs3_j3x_pxb}
Use the following information for SAP Concur integration.
* All Concur actions are present in SAP Concur Spoke (sn_sap_concur_spok) plugin.
* Scheduled job Pull concur reports (sysauto_script) is triggered daily. This scheduled job internally calls the Concur Integration record from the Integration Source table (sn_hr_integr_fw_source) of the ESM framework.
* Schedule job runs and updates the record in the Concur Sync Details table (sn_ex_cnc_concur_sync_details) with latest timestamp.
* Concur reports from ServiceNow are synced in the Concur Expense Report Staging table (sn_ex_cnc_concur_report_staging).
* Reports from the Staging table are transformed in the Concur Expense Report table (sn_ex_cnc_concur_report) by the ESM framework. Use the transformation map Concur Report Transform Map in the Table Transform Map table (sys_transform_map).
* Approval record is created in the Pulled Integration To-do table (sn_hr_integr_fw_todo_inbound) based on the Approver field in the Concur Expense Report table.
{#approval-hub-ootb__ul_xzj_r3x_pxb}
## Workday reference info {#approval-hub-ootb__section_yhb_yp3_1yb}
Use the following information for Workday integration.
* Workday uses RAAS reports to send data to external system. For more information on RAAS and field-level info about leaves, timesheets, compensation, job change, job requisition, or leave of absence, see [Workday HR Spoke](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/access?context=workday-hr-spoke&version=zurich&pubname=zurich-integrate-applications&ft:locale=en-US).
* Only the open requests are displayed on the approvers My tasks page.
* Approval and rejection actions are performed using an Integration System User (ISU). ISU is a virtual user (and not an actual user) which helps in the safe-keeping of approver credentials. With the use of ISU, approval and rejection records protect the sensitive data according to your configuration in Workday. For example,
* When John Doe, the approver enters time sheet approved as comment, the comment shown as `John Doe(john.doe@acme.com): Time sheet approved`.
* When John Doe performs the action Approve, a comment is added in Workday as `John Doe (john.doe@acme.com): Action -- Approve`.
* When John Doe performs the action Reject, a comment is added in Workday as `John Doe john.doe@acme.com): Action -- Reject`.
* When John Doe performs the action Reject with a comment-Request is not in compliance with company policy, two comments are added `John Doe (john.doe@acme.com): Action--Reject` `John Doe(john.doe@acme.com): Request is not in compliance with company policy`.
{#approval-hub-ootb__ul_xwg_t35_fyb}
* Approve or reject actions are shipped out-of-the-box for all use cases.
* When an approval is delegated from one approver to another in Workday; report data source is not able to handle the delegation change such as delegated task and other delegation details.
* When a request requires a multi-level approval with level 1 approved in Workday and ServiceNow, you may see two entries for the same approval. This is a limitation with the ISU use.
* Attachments support a max limit of 12 MB. Ensure the attachment size is below 12 MB.
* Use the following scripts:
* WorkdayApprovalToDosClientUtilSNC: Retrieves records for the purge process in Workday approvals.
* WorkdayApprovalToDosHelperSNC: Contains constants related to Workday approvals.
* WorkdayApprovalToDosClientUtil: Extends WorkdayApprovalToDosClientUtilSNC and allows users to define custom code.
* WorkdayApprovalToDosHelperUtils: Extends WorkdayApprovalToDosHelperUtilsSNC and enables users to define custom code.
* WorkdayApprovalToDosHelperUtilsSNC: Provides functions for Workday approvals.
{#approval-hub-ootb__ul_md5_cpv_fyb}
* Ensure you configure the right user controls and privileges for Compensation Change and Spend Authorization use cases. Only the authorized users can view the sensitive records and data from Workday.
* For data protection, use the default purge policy to delete data more often. By default, data purge happens after in 30 days.
* Ensure only the HR administrator \[sn_hr_core.admin\] has access to the sensitive information as explained in [Remove HR Administrator role from IT System Administrators](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/u682BXt0lJFwIrzXxxgkJQ "After system configuration, remove the HR Administrator role (sn_hr_core.admin) from IT System Administrator role (admin) to help prevent IT System Administrators from viewing sensitive HR information via forms, lists and UI.").
{#approval-hub-ootb__ul_ln3_443_1yb}For more information on how to configure approvals, see [Approvals hub](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/saSWVEgyoynW6_RQyZ0Fyg "Enable the approver with the in-context information for informed and prioritized approval decisions.").
## Approvals on mobile {#approval-hub-ootb__section_xlb_wnv_dzb}
Only approvals that are in sysapproval_approver table are shown using the generic card in Now Mobile.
To disable the feature change the value of
this sys_property: sn_me_todos.all_approvals_mobile_enabled to false.
## OOTB action group use {#approval-hub-ootb__section_mln_qb1_f1c}
Use the out-of-the-box Approvals action group to display the actions such as Approve and Reject. For more information, see [Action framework](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/dzX55TPTuQ8tg~4tH5oY5g "The action framework includes some frequently used action items for quick access. You can use several default actions and create custom actions.").
Note:
For actions to appear in my items widget, you can add the OOTB Approvals action group from AllEmployee CenterAdministrationTo-dos Configurations, click an existing to-dos configuration, navigate to the To-do Configuration Details record, and use the OOTB action group under Fields Mapping.
## Additional information {#approval-hub-ootb__section_rcq_nt3_dvb}
* Click the URLs for additional information and context.
* Allow BUs to add non-task tables easily to the list in the To-dos or Task configuration reference tables by passing non-task tables as an array in the Scripted Extension Points. sn_hr_sp.TodoNonTaskTables, and sn_ex_sp.RefNonTaskTables.
{#approval-hub-ootb__ul_d21_pt3_dvb}
**Related concepts**
* [Browser Extension for Employee Center forms](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/430~B4AYcqacv4tkKRoPNQ "The Browser Extension for Employee Center forms provide information about various configurations required to set up the extension.")
* [Employee Center widgets](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/Bvwx93dlEICW~jGaxFQvsQ "You can use base system widgets as-is in the portal or clone them to suit your own business needs.")
* [Enhanced Requests Experience forms](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/XKBOAWdsGhPA8a86eJKLOQ "The forms provide information to set up the Enhanced Requests Experience.")
**Related reference**
* [Activity Configuration form](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/XKQEy~MQwAgtk_hgAIpvhA "Use the Activity Configuration form to do a basic configuration or an advanced configuration for an activity.")
* [Activity Configuration Detail form](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/A3UqTfS06sVz~l6AGP7DOA "Use the Activity Configuration Detail form to specify which records you want to retrieve from a table when certain conditions are met for a basic activity configuration.")
* [Connected Content form](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/aQIbKVr88OR1OlKbBCXn3w "Use the connected content form to associate content to the topics in your taxonomy.")
* [Default Employee Profile Header Configuration record](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/9DGSVb~x6MAe~_LZVItnsg "The default Employee Profile header configuration record contains the following field values.")
* [External Link form](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/ReXZBEIgN1N_LX82ip5bTQ "Use the External Link form to create an external link.")
* [Guided Self-Service reference](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/vEZa9LXfA0BROS00Q03N3A "Use the following reference information for the Guided Self-Service functionality.")
* [Menu Item form](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/JNhn4pbJzc6fYM4YFPGdAw "Use the Menu Items form to configure the items for the More menu on the Employee Center header.")
* [Portal notification configuration form](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/U43s3eU_nv1f1DVOQetI5g "The portal notification configurations form enables you to create a unified notification system for your preferred portal.")
* [Portal notification content form](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/qDe3Ix5ydHjpELcjRYlc7A "The field descriptions provided here are required to configure your portal notification messages.")
* [Trigger conditions form](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/qgY~GVLVABA05_Jcmhly1Q "The field descriptions provided here are essential to create the trigger conditions for your portal notification messages.")
* [Quick Link form](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/cf6XWb2xEakVVsRWtE~05A "Use the Quick Link form to create a new quick link and specify the content type for the quick link.")
* [Tab widget mapping form](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/6IuErWxi~M_XzKx7CA0X~w "You can use the tab widget mapping form to display widgets on a tab and control their visibility.")
* [Taxonomy form](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/M1rTTOc23DV3vMOE0iVCew "Use the taxonomy form to create your own taxonomy for the Employee Center portal.")
* [Topic form](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/FfoqFnNEx4cdbFybhsznag "Use the topic form to create topics for the new or cloned taxonomy.")
* [User Criteria form](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/FHfnEBzIibjXZ0knqDM4SQ "Add a user criteria record to decide which users, roles, and groups can access a quick link.")
* [User Criteria output](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/Eag9ZCAoAfrp2fcLRiQSBQ "User Criteria output based on Available For and Not Available For values.")
* [Schedule appointment form](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/WX2MfnMp4bEw04pgD4YEVw "Use the Schedule appointment form to select a reason and provide contact information for your appointment.")
* [Location Consent form](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/hq9bb5MDSJVv~lDeNVVmFQ "The location consent form helps you configure the communication channels for appointment bookings.")
* [Website configuration form](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/nqqAG4V4YlTwKQVvFNcx6Q "The field descriptions provide a point of reference when you're configuring the Browser Extension for Employee Center for a website.")
*[\>]: and then