{"id":"ind-fin-pay-stub-explainer","audience":"finance","category":"explaining","technique":"audience","title":"Explain a first paycheck stub to a new hourly worker","free":false,"task":"A new warehouse employee, 19, texted payroll asking why his first check is smaller than he expected. Explain his stub in exactly 4 numbered lines, each under 20 words, plain text: start with his take-home pay (no greeting), show how overtime was paid at 1.5 times his rate, and name each deduction in everyday words. No tax advice and no terms like FICA or gross without saying what they mean. Write a prompt that gets you exactly that.","materialLabel":"His question and pay stub (attached to your prompt automatically)","material":"TEXT FROM: Darnell Hughes (started Oct 20, picker, $18.00/hr)\n\"hey my check is only $598.89?? I worked 44 hours, 44 x 18 is $792. where did the rest go\"\n\nPAY STUB - Ridgeline Distribution (fictional) - Pay period Oct 20-26\nRegular hours: 40.00 x $18.00 = $720.00\nOvertime hours: 4.00 x $27.00 = $108.00\nGROSS PAY: $828.00\n\nDeductions:\n  Federal income tax withholding     $61.20\n  Social Security (6.2%)             $51.34\n  Medicare (1.45%)                   $12.01\n  State income tax                   $29.56\n  Health insurance (employee share)  $55.00\n  Safety boots (one-time, payroll deduction he signed up for)   $20.00\n  Total deductions                  $229.11\nNET PAY: $598.89\n\nPayroll notes:\n- Health insurance and boots were on his signed enrollment form.\n- Boots deduction is one-time; it won't be on the next check.\n- Darnell's supervisor says he's doing great.\n- Payroll can't give tax advice (refer to the W-4 form or a tax preparer).","rules":[{"type":"numberedItems","count":4},{"type":"maxWords","max":85},{"type":"plainText"}],"mistakes":[{"title":"Not fixing the shape","why":"The AI writes a long breakdown table with headings that won't read well in a text.","fix":"Be exact: \"Exactly 4 numbered lines, each under 20 words.\"","checks":["numberedItems","plainText"]},{"title":"Trusting the AI to count words","why":"AI is bad at counting. Ask for \"under 85 words\" and it often lands well over.","fix":"Cap each part instead: \"each line under 18 words.\"","checks":["maxWords"]},{"title":"Burying the answer","why":"The AI starts by explaining payroll in general, not his number.","fix":"Add: \"Line 1: his take-home and why overtime made his total $828, not $792.\"","checks":["r0"]},{"title":"Not saying who's reading","why":"The AI uses payroll words like FICA, gross and net that a 19-year-old may not know.","fix":"Add: \"He's 19 and new to paychecks. Everyday words, no FICA or gross.\"","checks":["r1"]},{"title":"Drifting into tax advice","why":"To be helpful, the AI suggests adjusting his W-4 or withholding.","fix":"Add: \"No tax advice; just explain the stub.\"","checks":["r2"]}],"promptHints":[{"label":"Names the reader","patterns":["19","new (worker|employee|hire)","first (job|paycheck|check)","everyday","plain"]},{"label":"Explains overtime","patterns":["overtime","1\\.5","time and a half","\\$27"]},{"label":"Bans payroll jargon","patterns":["fica","jargon","gross","no (payroll )?terms"]},{"label":"Rules out tax advice","patterns":["tax advice","w-?4","don'?t (advise|suggest)"]},{"label":"Sets a word limit","patterns":["\\d+\\s*words","word (limit|count)"]}],"hint":"The AI explains a pay stub like a payroll manual. Tell it who's reading, what to say first, and that advice is off-limits.","rubricLabels":["The very first line gives his take-home pay of $598.89 (no greeting before it), and the explanation shows his total before deductions was $828.00 because overtime pays $27 an hour (1.5 times $18)","Names the deductions in everyday words (taxes, Social Security and Medicare, health insurance, the one-time boots charge) and says the $20 boots charge won't repeat; 'FICA', 'gross' or 'net' appear only if explained","Gives no tax advice (no suggestions to change his W-4, claim allowances or lower his withholding) and every number matches the stub"]}