{"id":"sheet-hr-pto-balance-math-cap","audience":"hr","category":"spreadsheets","track":"data","technique":"verification","title":"Work out PTO balances with the carryover cap applied","free":false,"task":"Employees earn 1.25 PTO days per full month worked, and carryover from last year is capped at 5 days. Write exactly 4 numbered lines, one per employee, each showing carryover (after the cap) + days earned through October 31 - days used = balance. Plain text, under 110 words.","materialLabel":"Your PTO table (attached to your prompt automatically)","material":"PTO tracker - balances as of October 31, 2026\n\nEmployee | Start date | Carryover from 2025 | Days used in 2026\nAna Reyes | 2019-04-01 | 3 | 6\nBen Torres | 2015-08-15 | 8 | 10\nCy Harmon | 2026-07-01 | 0 | 1\nDee Walsh | 2021-02-01 | 5 | 14\n\nPolicy excerpt:\n- Accrual: 1.25 days per full month worked in the calendar year.\n- Carryover: unused days roll into the next year, up to a cap.\n- New hires accrue from their first full month.\n\nNotes:\n- Ben says his balance should be 10.5 because he had 8 left last year\n- Payroll's export shows Cy with 12.5 earned, which looks like a full-year number\n- Balances go out with the Nov 15 paycheck","rules":[{"type":"numberedItems","count":4},{"type":"maxWords","max":110},{"type":"plainText"}],"mistakes":[{"title":"Not giving the cap","why":"The AI uses Ben's full 8 days, agreeing with his 10.5.","fix":"Add: \"Carryover is capped at 5 days.\"","checks":["r1"]},{"title":"Giving everyone a full year","why":"The AI accrues 10 months for Cy, who started in July.","fix":"Add: \"Count only full months worked in 2026.\"","checks":["r2"]},{"title":"Balances without math","why":"The AI lists balances you can't check before payroll.","fix":"Show it: \"1. Ana: 3 + 12.5 - 6 = 9.5\".","checks":["r0","r2","numberedItems"]},{"title":"Long or formatted output","why":"AI adds a policy summary in bold.","fix":"Add: \"Only the 4 lines, plain text.\"","checks":["maxWords","plainText"]}],"promptHints":[{"label":"States the cap","patterns":["cap","max(imum)? 5","5 days"]},{"label":"Gives the accrual rate","patterns":["1\\.25","per month"]},{"label":"Handles the new hire","patterns":["full months?","cy","july","start date"]},{"label":"Asks to show the math","patterns":["show (the )?math","\\+.*-.*=","working"]},{"label":"Asks for plain text","patterns":["plain","no bold","no markdown"]}],"hint":"Leave-balance math hides two traps: caps and partial years. Give the AI both rules and ask for the math on every line.","rubricLabels":["Ana shows 3 + 12.5 - 6 = 9.5 and Dee shows 5 + 12.5 - 14 = 3.5","Ben's carryover is capped at 5, not 8: 5 + 12.5 - 10 = 7.5 (not 10.5)","Cy earns only 4 months (July-October): 0 + 5 - 1 = 4, not 12.5 earned, and every line shows the math before the balance"]}