Purpose
Turn a dense leave policy or statute into a warm, accurate, employee-facing explanation that answers the questions people actually have — am I eligible, will I get paid, is my job safe, and what do I do next — without losing legal precision. Solves the gap between HR's legally-worded policy documents and what a stressed employee needs to read during a hard moment.
When to Use
Invoke this skill when the user asks to:
- Explain an FMLA, ADA, parental, medical, or state paid leave policy to employees
- Rewrite dense statutory or legal leave language into plain English
- Create an employee-facing leave guide, FAQ, or intranet page
- Prepare a leave explanation for an onboarding packet or benefits portal
- Draft a response template for common leave questions employees ask HR
- Simplify a policy that generates repeated confusion or support tickets
Inputs Required
Before starting, collect:
- Leave type: FMLA, parental, medical/disability, ADA accommodation, state paid family leave, bereavement, jury duty, etc.
- Source policy text: The actual policy or statutory language to translate (paste it in)
- Jurisdiction: Country, and US state if applicable — leave rules vary significantly by state
- Pay during leave: Paid / unpaid / partial, plus any short-term disability or state wage-replacement interaction
- Company specifics: Eligibility thresholds, tenure requirements, how to request, who administers it (HR, third-party vendor, portal link)
- Audience tone target: Standard / especially warm (e.g., bereavement, medical) / formal
- Reading level target: Default to 8th grade unless specified
If pay treatment or the request process is unclear from the source text, flag the gap explicitly rather than guessing — accuracy on pay and job protection is non-negotiable.
Instructions
Step 1: Parse the Source Policy for the Six Core Questions
Read the source text and extract answers to the questions every employee has, in this order:
- Am I eligible? — tenure, hours worked, headcount thresholds, qualifying reasons
- What's covered? — what situations qualify, how much time, whether it's continuous or intermittent
- Will I get paid? — paid/unpaid, wage replacement percentages, interaction with PTO and disability
- Is my job protected? — job restoration rights, benefits continuation during leave
- How do I request it? — notice period, forms, documentation, who to contact
- What happens when I return? — reinstatement, any conditions, adjustments
If the source is silent on any of these, mark it as [Confirm with HR] in the output rather than inventing an answer.
Step 2: Translate Legalese Using the Plain-Language Rules
Rewrite each answer applying these conversions:
- Replace statutory terms with everyday equivalents, then note the official term once in parentheses (e.g., "unpaid time off with your job protected (this is called FMLA leave)")
- Use "you" and "we" — address the employee directly
- Convert conditions into "if/then" statements: "If you've worked here at least 12 months, you qualify."
- Break any sentence over 25 words into two
- Convert eligibility criteria into a scannable checklist
- Replace passive constructions ("Leave may be granted") with active ones ("You can take this leave")
- Keep exact numbers, deadlines, and percentages precise — simplify the language, never the facts
Step 3: Apply the Empathy Layer
Match tone to the emotional context of the leave:
- Medical / disability / bereavement: Open with acknowledgment ("We're sorry you're going through this"), reduce procedural coldness, front-load reassurance about job and pay
- Parental: Congratulatory but practical, clear on timeline flexibility
- Standard (jury duty, general): Warm but efficient Never let empathy soften accuracy — reassurance must be true. If a leave is unpaid, say so kindly but clearly.
Step 4: Build the Step-by-Step Request Walkthrough
Produce a numbered "How to request this leave" sequence with:
- Exact first action and who to contact
- Notice timing ("Tell us at least 30 days before if you can plan ahead; as soon as possible if it's an emergency")
- What documentation is needed and when
- What happens after they submit (confirmation, timeline for approval)
Step 5: Write the Plain-Language FAQ
Generate 8–12 real questions employees ask, in their own words, with short direct answers. Include the uncomfortable ones: "Will I still get paid?", "Can I be fired while I'm out?", "What if I need more time than expected?", "Does this use up my PTO?"
Step 6: Assemble the Quick-Reference Summary Box
Create a scannable at-a-glance box at the top with: leave name, who's eligible, how long, paid or unpaid, job protected (yes/no), and who to contact. This is the piece most employees actually read.
Output Format
- Structure: Quick-reference summary box → warm intro → six core questions answered as sections → step-by-step request walkthrough → plain-language FAQ → contact/next steps
- Length: 800–1,300 words
- Format: Employee-facing document with headers, checklists, if/then statements, a summary box, and a numbered walkthrough — scannable, not a wall of prose
- Sections: Summary box · Intro · Eligibility · What's covered · Pay during leave · Job protection · How to request · When you return · FAQ · Who to contact
- Tone: Clear, warm, direct — a knowledgeable HR partner explaining something to a real person, not a policy manual. Reading level ~8th grade.
Quality Checklist
Before delivering output, verify:
- [ ] All six core questions (eligibility, coverage, pay, job protection, request process, return) are answered or explicitly marked [Confirm with HR]
- [ ] Every statutory/legal term is defined in plain words on first use
- [ ] Pay treatment (paid/unpaid/partial) is stated unambiguously — no vague language
- [ ] Job protection status is stated clearly with a yes/no answer
- [ ] The FAQ contains at least 8 questions phrased the way employees actually ask them
- [ ] No exact number, deadline, or percentage from the source was altered or dropped
- [ ] The summary box lets someone understand the essentials in under 30 seconds
Notes
- Accuracy outranks warmth every time — a kind explanation that misstates job protection or pay creates real harm and legal exposure. When the source is ambiguous, flag it; never smooth over a gap with an assumption.
- State paid leave laws (CA, NY, NJ, WA, CO, and others) often stack on top of federal FMLA and interact with company policy — if jurisdiction is provided, address how these layer together.
- This produces employee-facing communication, not legal advice. Recommend a final review by HR or legal counsel before publishing, especially for medical, ADA, and disability content.
- The summary box and FAQ typically reduce repeat HR questions the most — prioritize their clarity.
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