Reflect 3 Attempt 01

HR Employee-Lifecycle Onboarding Closeout Skill

When to use

Use this skill when solving PeopleOps employee-lifecycle tasks that require verifying onboarding closeout readiness, leave source precedence, payroll assignment readiness, recruitment reconciliation, or policy case folder/notice quality against the Northwind People Lifecycle Portal remote API. The skill covers five task archetypes:

1. Onboarding closeout verification (employee leave + payroll setup)
2. Policy case folder/notice review (folder readiness + formal notice quality)
3. Recruitment reconciliation (candidate outcomes + cost + payroll handoff)
4. Leave source precedence (approved assignment vs stale profile summary)
5. Payroll assignment and accrual readiness (submitted vs draft assignment)

Remote API reference

• Base URL: <remote-env-url>
• Web UI: <remote-env-url>/
• Auth: none required (read-only REST API under /api/*)
• Health check: GET /health
• Login credentials (ops.lead@peopleops.local / PeopleOps#2026) are illustrative only.

Step-by-step SOP

Step 1: Read the manifest and summary

GET /api/manifest    # learn available modules and file counts
GET /api/summary     # live record counts and departments

Step 2: Identify the entity in the prompt

Extract the employee ID (e.g. EMP-104), case ID (e.g. CASE-RW-221), or opening ID (e.g. REQ-DA-77) from the task prompt.

Step 3: Gather employee detail (leave assignment history)

GET /api/employees?q=<employee_id or name>

The employee object carries leave_balance_days (profile summary), salary_band, status, department, hire_date. This is the profile summary — it may be stale.

Step 4: Gather payroll ledgers (leave assignments + salary assignments)

GET /api/payroll-ledgers?q=<employee_id>

This is the authoritative source for both leave assignments and salary assignments. Each record has a record_type field:

• Leave assignment — leave policy + approved days + status (Approved/Superseded/Draft)
• Salary assignment — base_salary + status (Submitted/Draft) + period + accrual_batch_id
• Other types: HRMS leave ledger, People Ops adjustment — these are ledger entries, not primary assignments. Check status (Submitted/Approved/Superseded/Draft).

Key rule: The status field determines whether the record is authoritative.

• Approved/Submitted = authoritative for the current period
• Superseded/Draft = excluded

Step 5: Gather full case detail

GET /api/cases?q=<keyword>          # search for the case
GET /api/cases/<case_id>            # FULL detail: approvals, attachments, comments, audit_events

Full case detail includes nested approvals[], attachments[], comments[], and audit_events[] arrays that are NOT present in the search results.

Step 6: Gather policy definitions

GET /api/policies                   # all policies
GET /api/policies/<policy_id>       # single policy detail

Critical policies:

• LEAVE-SRC-001 — Leave Source Precedence
• PAY-SRC-001 — Payroll Assignment Source (includes recruiting handoff gate)
• POL-DOCS-2026 — Lifecycle Folder Checklist
• HR-POL-014 — Remote Work Policy (notice requirements)

Step 7: Gather documents folder

GET /api/documents?q=<keyword or document_id>

Each document folder has:

• files[] — files currently present
• required_files[] — files that must be present
• tags[] — tags currently present
• required_tags[] — tags that must be present
• ready — boolean (true only if all required files AND tags are present)

Step 8: Gather formal notice messages

GET /api/messages?q=<keyword or case_id>

Each message has:

• quality — "valid" or "defective"
• defects[] — list of specific defects from: missing_ack_deadline, missing_appeal_instructions, missing_waitlist_status, missing_correct_policy
• status — "Draft" or other

Step 9: Gather notifications

GET /api/notifications?q=<keyword or case_id>

Notifications mirror message content and carry the same defect/quality fields.

Step 10: Gather audit events

GET /api/audit                      # all audit events
GET /api/audit?case_id=<case_id>    # filtered by case
GET /api/audit/<audit_id>           # single audit event detail

Each audit event has:

• event — event type (e.g. leave.profile_mismatch, payroll.ready, notice.defect, case.close_blocked, folder.tag_missing)
• detail — descriptive text, often containing the QA result and key identifiers

Step 11: Gather attachment content (if referenced in case)

GET /api/attachments/<attachment_id>

Returns attachment text content with folder checklist details.

Step 12: Gather recruitment data (for recruitment tasks)

GET /api/recruitment?q=<opening_id>

Returns candidates, offer_register, cost_ledger, notice_packets, payroll_precheck_records.

Endpoint calling order summary

For any task, call endpoints in this order:

1. /api/manifest — orientation
2. /api/employees?q=<id> — employee profile summary
3. /api/payroll-ledgers?q=<id> — leave assignments + salary assignments (authoritative)
4. /api/cases/<case_id> — full case detail (approvals, attachments, comments, audit_events)
5. /api/policies and /api/policies/<id> — policy definitions
6. /api/documents?q=<id> — document folder readiness
7. /api/messages?q=<case_id> — formal notice quality
8. /api/notifications?q=<case_id> — notification defects
9. /api/audit?case_id=<case_id> — audit events with QA results
10. /api/attachments/<id> — attachment content (follow from case attachments)
11. /api/recruitment?q=<opening_id> — recruitment data (for recruitment tasks only)

Field definitions and answer conventions

Common answer fields across task types

Enum values by field

leave_source: leave_assignment_history, employee_profile_summary, case_summary_only

leave_precedence_source: approved_assignment_current_period, profile_summary_current_period, case_summary_only

precedence_source: approved_assignment_over_profile, employee_profile_summary, case_summary_only

payroll_status / payroll_source_status: submitted, draft, superseded

closeout_action / next_action: approve_onboarding_close, block_close_and_reissue_notice, open_records_remediation

approval_closeout_gate: approval_sufficient_when_records_clean, approval_not_sufficient_when_folder_or_notice_defective

final_control_result / control_result: approve_closeout, hold_for_folder_and_notice_defects, ready_with_monitoring

audit_scope: payroll_assignment_readiness, document_notice_findings_only, leave_source_precedence_only

notice_quality: valid, defective

notice_defects (list[enum]): missing_ack_deadline, missing_appeal_instructions, missing_waitlist_status, missing_correct_policy

closeout_blockers (list[enum]): missing_required_files, missing_required_tags, defective_formal_notice

draft_exclusion_rule: exclude_draft_assignment, draft_allowed, exclude_superseded_only

audit_result: profile_summary_stale, ready_with_monitoring, block_close

final_decision: approved_with_conditions, approved, rejected, held

evidence_source_order: approval_history_folder_notice_audit, folder_notice_audit, audit_only

folder_required_tag_action: no_tag_action, add_required_tag

notice_evidence_source / notice_quality_source: notice_packet_inspection, message_notice_inspection, case_summary_only

escalation_action: open_records_remediation, block_close_and_reissue_notice, no_action

records_remediation_owner: Records, People Ops Compliance, Payroll QA

notice_remediation_action: reissue_defective_notices, no_notice_action, send_new_offer_notice

onboarding_handoff: create_payroll_precheck, create_submitted_assignment_after_acceptance, no_payroll_handoff

payroll_handoff_gate: accepted_offer_only, accepted_offer_and_submitted_assignment, all_interviewed_candidates

payroll_assignment_status_required: submitted_after_acceptance, submitted, draft_allowed

offer_exclusion_reason_for_waitlisted: no_accepted_status_or_offer, waitlisted_not_selected, already_rejected

handoff_control_result: submitted_handoff_required_after_acceptance, submitted_handoff_required, no_handoff_required

candidate_status_source: interview_feedback_and_offer, case_summary_only, message_only

candidate_outcome_control: committee_decision_with_offer_confirmation, message_status_only, case_summary_only

selected_offer_status: accepted, draft, withdrawn, none

cost_source: recruitment_cost_ledger, case_summary_only

waitlisted_followup_action: send_waitlist_notice, reissue_waitlist_notice_not_rejection, no_action

rejected_followup_action: send_rejection_notice, no_action, reissue_rejection_notice

Business rules

Leave source precedence (LEAVE-SRC-001)

• The latest approved or submitted leave assignment for the period controls leave entitlement.
• Draft, voided, and obsolete (superseded) records are excluded even when profile summaries conflict.
• An approved leave assignment overrides a stale employee profile summary.
• When the ledger (payroll-ledgers), policy document (LEAVE-SRC-001), and audit detail all confirm the approved assignment, the profile summary must be ignored (profile_policy_ignored: true).
• Use precedence_source: "approved_assignment_over_profile" and leave_precedence_source: "approved_assignment_current_period".

Payroll assignment source (PAY-SRC-001)

• Use the current submitted salary assignment for base salary and accrual checks.
• Draft planning assignments do not affect payroll readiness or accrual checks.
• Exclude draft assignments using draft_exclusion_rule: "exclude_draft_assignment".
• The payroll source status is "submitted" (the authoritative assignment's status).

Recruiting handoff gate (PAY-SRC-001 section 4.2)

• The recruiting payroll handoff is created only after a selected candidate has an accepted offer.
• The handoff must be submitted; draft prechecks do not satisfy the assignment gate.
• payroll_handoff_gate: "accepted_offer_only" — the gate trigger is the accepted offer. The submitted-status requirement is captured separately in payroll_assignment_status_required.
• draft_payroll_allowed: false — draft assignments/prechecks never satisfy the gate.
• offer_exclusion_reason_for_waitlisted: "no_accepted_status_or_offer" — the waitlisted candidate is excluded from the offer/payroll handoff because they have no accepted offer status or offer record. Use this label, not the committee-decision label "waitlisted_not_selected".
• onboarding_handoff: "create_submitted_assignment_after_acceptance" — create a submitted (not draft) assignment after the offer is accepted.

Folder readiness (POL-DOCS-2026)

• A folder is not ready unless all required files AND all required tags shown in the folder checklist are present.
• folder_ready = the folder object's ready boolean.
• missing_files = items in required_files not in files.
• required_tag_present = true only if all required_tags are in tags.
• folder_required_tag_action: "add_required_tag" if any required tag is missing, otherwise "no_tag_action".
• closeout_blockers includes "missing_required_files" if any files are missing, "missing_required_tags" if any tags are missing, and "defective_formal_notice" if the notice is defective.

Notice defect detection

• Inspect the formal notice (message + notification) for defects.
• notice_quality: "defective" if any defect is present, otherwise "valid".
• Defect types: missing_ack_deadline, missing_appeal_instructions, missing_waitlist_status, missing_correct_policy.
• notice_defects lists all defects found in the message's defects[] array.
• notice_evidence_source / notice_quality_source: "notice_packet_inspection" when inspecting notice_packets in recruitment data; "message_notice_inspection" when inspecting /api/messages.

Approval closeout gate

• If both the folder is ready (no missing files, no missing tags) AND the notice is valid (no defects): approval_closeout_gate: "approval_sufficient_when_records_clean" and final_control_result: "approve_closeout".
• If either the folder is not ready OR the notice is defective: approval_closeout_gate: "approval_not_sufficient_when_folder_or_notice_defective" and final_control_result: "hold_for_folder_and_notice_defects".
• If the assignment is ready but requires monitoring (per audit): final_control_result / control_result: "ready_with_monitoring".

Audit selection and scope

• Audit scope must match the task type:
  • Leave source precedence task: audit_scope: "leave_source_precedence_only"
  • Document/notice review task: audit_scope: "document_notice_findings_only"
  • Payroll assignment readiness task: audit_scope: "payroll_assignment_readiness"
• Supporting audit events: include only audit events relevant to the task scope.
  • For leave tasks: include leave.* events (e.g. leave.profile_mismatch).
  • For payroll tasks: include payroll.* events (e.g. payroll.ready).
  • For document/notice tasks: include notice.defect and folder.* events.
• Excluded audit events: exclude adjacent audit events that are outside the task scope.
  • For leave tasks: exclude folder.tag_missing, notice.defect events.
  • For document/notice tasks: exclude leave.*, payroll.* events.
  • Leave the list empty [] if no adjacent events exist.

Escalation owner

• records_remediation_owner: "Records" when the issue is missing files or missing tags in the document folder.
• records_remediation_owner: "People Ops Compliance" for cross-module or compliance escalations.
• records_remediation_owner: "Payroll QA" for payroll draft/assignment issues.
• escalation_action: "open_records_remediation" when folder/files need remediation.
• escalation_action: "block_close_and_reissue_notice" when the formal notice is defective and must be reissued.
• notice_remediation_action: "reissue_defective_notices" when the notice has defects.

Cost-summing (recruitment)

• recruitment_cost_total = the sum of all amount values in the recruitment cost_ledger[] array.
• cost_source: "recruitment_cost_ledger" — always use the ledger, never the case summary.

Candidate outcomes (recruitment)

• selected_candidate = the candidate with committee_decision: "Selected" AND an entry in the offer_register with status: "accepted".
• waitlisted_candidates = candidates with committee_decision: "Waitlisted" (IDs only).
• rejected_candidates = candidates with committee_decision: "Rejected" (IDs only).
• notice_followup_required = candidate IDs whose notice packet status is "not_sent" (IDs only, no other text).
• waitlisted_followup_action: "send_waitlist_notice" when the waitlist notice has not been sent.
• rejected_followup_action: "send_rejection_notice" when the rejection notice has not been sent.
• candidate_status_source: "interview_feedback_and_offer" — outcomes come from committee decisions and the offer register.
• candidate_outcome_control: "committee_decision_with_offer_confirmation" — committee decisions confirmed by offer register status.
• selected_offer_status: "accepted" — from the offer register.

Common misjudgments and exclusion rules

These are errors that reduced judge scores during training. Avoid them:

1. payroll_handoff_gate: Use "accepted_offer_only", NOT "accepted_offer_and_submitted_assignment". The gate is the trigger condition (accepted offer). The submitted-status requirement is a separate field (payroll_assignment_status_required).

2. offer_exclusion_reason_for_waitlisted: Use "no_accepted_status_or_offer", NOT "waitlisted_not_selected". The exclusion reason is the absence of an accepted offer status or offer record, not the committee's waitlist decision.

3. Leave records to exclude: Exclude ALL non-authoritative leave records — both Superseded AND Draft. Do not include only one type. The excluded list should contain every ledger ID that is not the authoritative approved/submitted assignment.

4. Payroll records to exclude: Exclude ALL Draft salary assignments. A Draft salary assignment with a higher salary number is still excluded in favor of the Submitted assignment.

5. audit_scope mismatch: Do not use a document/notice audit scope for a leave task, or vice versa. The audit scope must match the task archetype exactly.

6. Excluded audit events: For leave tasks, document/folder audit events (e.g. folder.tag_missing) must be listed in excluded_audit_event_ids, not in supporting_audit_event_ids. Only leave-scope audit events go in supporting.

7. closeout_blockers: Include ALL applicable blockers, not just one. If both files are missing AND the notice is defective, include both "missing_required_files" and "defective_formal_notice".

8. Folder tag check: required_tag_present is true only if ALL required tags are present. A single missing required tag means required_tag_present: false and folder_required_tag_action: "add_required_tag".

9. Notice defects: Copy defects exactly from the message's defects[] array. Do not infer defects that are not listed, and do not omit defects that are listed.

10. Cost total: Sum ALL cost_ledger items. Do not exclude any line item, even if it seems like an outlier or administrative charge.

11. evidence_source_order: For tasks that review approvals, folder, notice, and audit, use "approval_history_folder_notice_audit". Do not abbreviate to "folder_notice_audit" if approval history was also reviewed.

12. precedence_source vs leave_precedence_source: These are different fields with different enum values. precedence_source uses "approved_assignment_over_profile" while leave_precedence_source uses "approved_assignment_current_period". Do not confuse them.

Pre-submission checklist

Before submitting any answer JSON, verify:

• All required fields from the answer template are present (no missing fields).
• All enum values match exactly one of the allowed_values from the template.
• employee_id, case_id, or opening_id matches the prompt exactly.
• The authoritative leave assignment is the latest Approved record (check updated_at timestamp and status).
• The authoritative salary assignment is the Submitted record.
• All non-authoritative leave/salary ledger IDs are in the excluded lists.
• audit_scope matches the task archetype.
• supporting_audit_event_ids contains only in-scope audit events.
• excluded_audit_event_ids contains only out-of-scope adjacent audit events.
• final_control_result is consistent with the approval closeout gate: - approval_sufficient_when_records_clean → approve_closeout - approval_not_sufficient_when_folder_or_notice_defective → hold_for_folder_and_notice_defects - payroll.ready audit result → ready_with_monitoring
• For recruitment tasks: recruitment_cost_total is the sum of all cost_ledger items.
• For recruitment tasks: all arrays contain candidate IDs only (no names, no text).
• payroll_handoff_gate is "accepted_offer_only" (not "accepted_offer_and_submitted_assignment").
• offer_exclusion_reason_for_waitlisted is "no_accepted_status_or_offer" (not "waitlisted_not_selected").
• profile_policy_ignored is true when the audit result is profile_summary_stale.
• notice_defects exactly matches the message's defects[] array.
• closeout_blockers includes ALL applicable blockers.
• required_tag_present is false if ANY required tag is missing.
• folder_required_tag_action is "add_required_tag" if any required tag is missing, otherwise "no_tag_action".
• Output is valid JSON matching the answer template — no markdown, no explanatory text, no trailing commas.