The Project/Task/Issue status preferences in Setup >> Project Preferences >> Statuses allow you to add descriptions to each status. But, I have yet to see when or where these descriptions are actually shown to users.
We have custom statuses that are not self-evident, or should only be used in certain circumstances. The description field is perfect to convey those details, but no one can see it. Instead, when the user mouses over a status, the tool tip simply repeats the name of the status. I'm not sure why.
The tool tip on mouse over should show the description. Same goes for priorities and severities. Otherwise, the description field serves no purpose.
Similar posts:
https://support.workfront.com/hc/en-us/community/posts/115004589853-Task-description-added-in-mouse-...
https://support.workfront.com/hc/en-us/community/posts/115004323353-Add-tool-tip-for-task-issue-stat...
