Library › Writing AI › Finance and accounting

Explain a first paycheck stub to a new hourly worker

Practice: Saying who it's for. About 5 minutes.

About this exercise

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.

Common mistakes when you ask AI for this

  • Not fixing the shape. The AI writes a long breakdown table with headings that won't read well in a text. Try: Be exact: "Exactly 4 numbered lines, each under 20 words."
  • Trusting the AI to count words. AI is bad at counting. Ask for "under 85 words" and it often lands well over. Try: Cap each part instead: "each line under 18 words."
  • Burying the answer. The AI starts by explaining payroll in general, not his number. Try: Add: "Line 1: his take-home and why overtime made his total $828, not $792."
  • Not saying who's reading. The AI uses payroll words like FICA, gross and net that a 19-year-old may not know. Try: Add: "He's 19 and new to paychecks. Everyday words, no FICA or gross."
  • Drifting into tax advice. To be helpful, the AI suggests adjusting his W-4 or withholding. Try: Add: "No tax advice; just explain the stub."

What a strong prompt includes

  • Names the reader
  • Explains overtime
  • Bans payroll jargon
  • Rules out tax advice
  • Sets a word limit

Practice this now ↑

Related exercises