Purpose
Turn a benefits program description into a complete, employee-ready FAQ document — organized by benefit category, written in plain language, with clear action steps and deadlines — so HR spends less time answering the same questions and employees make confident enrollment decisions.
When to Use
Invoke this skill when the user asks to:
- Prepare an FAQ or Q&A document for open enrollment
- Explain a new or changed benefit to employees in writing
- Reduce repetitive benefits questions coming into HR
- Build a benefits reference guide for an employee handbook or intranet
- Translate a carrier or broker summary into employee-friendly language
- Create enrollment communication materials with deadlines and next steps
Inputs Required
Before starting, collect:
- Benefits program description: Overview of what's offered — health, dental, vision, retirement, and any other benefits
- Plan details: Plan names, tiers, premiums, deductibles, and employer contributions if available
- Enrollment window: Open enrollment start and end dates, effective date of coverage
- How to enroll: The platform, portal, form, or process employees use
- What's changing: Any changes from the prior plan year (new plans, cost changes, dropped benefits)
- Audience notes: Company size, employee types (full-time, part-time, hourly, remote), any known confusion points
- Where to get help: HR contact, benefits hotline, or broker resource for follow-up questions
If plan-specific numbers are missing, generate structural questions and mark answers where the user must insert exact figures — never invent premium or deductible amounts.
Instructions
Generate 30-40 FAQs Across 8 Benefit Categories
For each question, write:
- The question phrased the way an employee would actually ask it (first person, plain language)
- A direct answer in 2-4 sentences — lead with the answer, then explain
- An action step where relevant (what the employee should do and by when)
Never use insurance jargon without immediately defining it in the same sentence. Terms like deductible, premium, copay, coinsurance, out-of-pocket maximum, and vesting must include a one-line plain-English definition the first time they appear.
Category 1 — Enrollment Basics (5-6 questions) The mechanics of signing up. When enrollment opens and closes, who is eligible, what happens if you miss the window, whether you need to re-enroll each year.
- Always state the deadline explicitly in the answer
- Cover the "do nothing" scenario — what coverage employees default to if they take no action
Category 2 — Medical/Health Plans (6-7 questions) Plan options and how to choose between them. Differences between plan types (HMO, PPO, HDHP), what each covers, how to estimate total cost beyond the monthly premium.
- Include a "how do I pick a plan?" question with a simple decision framework (frequency of care vs. cost tolerance)
- Define plan-type acronyms in plain language on first use
Category 3 — Dental & Vision (3-4 questions) Coverage, whether it's bundled or separate, in-network vs. out-of-network basics, common covered services.
- Clarify whether these are automatic or require separate election
Category 4 — Costs & Contributions (4-5 questions) How much comes out of each paycheck, what the employer pays, how pre-tax deductions work, cost differences between coverage tiers (employee only, employee + spouse, family).
- Explain pre-tax vs. post-tax in one plain sentence
- Where exact figures are unavailable, use a clear placeholder note for HR to fill in
Category 5 — Dependents & Life Events (4-5 questions) Adding a spouse, partner, or children; what documentation is needed; qualifying life events that allow mid-year changes (marriage, birth, loss of other coverage) and the deadline to report them.
- State the typical 30-day window for life-event changes and where to report them
Category 6 — Retirement & Savings (4-5 questions) 401(k)/403(b) participation, employer match, vesting, HSA/FSA basics and the difference between them, contribution limits.
- Define vesting and employer match plainly
- Clarify the HSA vs. FSA "use it or lose it" distinction
Category 7 — Additional Benefits (3-4 questions) Life insurance, disability, EAP (employee assistance program), wellness perks, and any voluntary benefits. What's included automatically vs. what requires election.
Category 8 — Getting Help & Next Steps (3-4 questions) Who to contact, where to find plan documents, how to make changes, what to do if enrollment isn't working. End every path with a named resource.
Build the Quick-Reference Summary
After the categorized FAQs, produce a compact summary block:
- Key dates: Enrollment open, enrollment close, coverage effective date
- What you must do: The single most important action and deadline
- What happens if you do nothing: The default outcome
- Where to get help: Named contact and resource
Output Format
- Structure: Short intro paragraph → 8 labeled categories with numbered Q&A pairs → Quick-Reference Summary block at the end
- Length: 1,400-1,900 words; 30-40 total questions
- Format: Scannable Q&A — bolded questions, concise answers, action steps flagged inline
- Sections: Intro → 8 benefit categories in order → Quick-Reference Summary
- Tone: Warm, clear, and jargon-free — like a knowledgeable HR colleague explaining benefits over coffee, not a policy document
Quality Checklist
Before delivering output, verify:
- [ ] Total question count is between 30 and 40 (count them across all categories)
- [ ] Every category has questions within its specified range
- [ ] Every insurance term (deductible, premium, coinsurance, vesting, etc.) is defined in plain language on first use
- [ ] No premium, deductible, or contribution figures are invented — unknown numbers are flagged for HR to insert
- [ ] The enrollment deadline appears in the enrollment-basics answers and the Quick-Reference Summary
- [ ] Every "Getting Help" answer ends with a named resource or contact, not a dead end
Notes
- The single highest-value question is almost always "what happens if I do nothing?" — employees fear defaulting into the wrong plan; answer it clearly and early
- When plan details are thin, favor structural questions that stay accurate regardless of exact numbers, and clearly mark where HR must fill in specifics
- If the program changed from last year, add a short "What's New This Year" callout near the top — employees skim for changes first
- Keep answers to 2-4 sentences; if an answer runs long, split it into two questions
How to use this skill
This file is a Claude Code skill in Anthropic's standard format — markdown with YAML frontmatter at the top.
Installing in Claude Code:
~/.claude/skills/<folder-name>/SKILL.md— auto-loads in every session anywhere on your machine (recommended for skills you'll use across multiple projects)<your-project>/.claude/skills/<folder-name>/SKILL.md— auto-loads only when working in that project (recommended for project-specific skills)
Restart Claude Code or open a new session to register.
Using in Claude.ai, ChatGPT, Gemini, or other AI tools:
- Drag this file into a new chat, or copy and paste its contents
- Send your task or request as your next message — the AI will apply the skill where it fits
For Claude Code skill details: https://docs.anthropic.com/en/docs/claude-code/skills