# Examples — Company Policy Q&A Agent

## Covered question → cited answer from the handbook

A straightforward benefits question that the handbook answers. The agent responds with a citation.

**Input**

```
Employee: 'How many PTO days do full-time employees get per year?'
```

**Output**

```
{
  "question": "How many PTO days do full-time employees get per year?",
  "covered_by_policy": true,
  "answer": "Full-time employees accrue 20 days of paid time off per year, accruing monthly, per the PTO policy. Unused PTO up to 5 days can carry over to the next year.",
  "citation": "Employee Handbook 2026, Section 6.2 'Paid Time Off'",
  "sensitive": { "flag": false, "category": "none" },
  "advice_guard": "",
  "route_to": "self_serve",
  "escalation": { "needed": false, "reason": "" }
}
```

**Note:** Straightforward and grounded: the answer comes directly from the handbook and cites the exact section, so the employee gets a fast, trustworthy answer and can verify it. This is the routine volume the agent should own.

## Not in policy → say so, don't invent

A question the documents don't address. The agent refuses to guess and points to the right human.

**Input**

```
Employee: 'Can I expense a home gym membership as a wellness benefit?'
```

**Output**

```
{
  "question": "Can I expense a home gym membership as a wellness benefit?",
  "covered_by_policy": false,
  "answer": "I don't see a home gym or gym-membership reimbursement addressed in our current benefits and expense policies, so I don't want to give you an answer that isn't actually in writing. Your benefits administrator can tell you whether this is eligible.",
  "citation": "",
  "sensitive": { "flag": false, "category": "none" },
  "advice_guard": "",
  "route_to": "benefits_admin",
  "escalation": { "needed": true, "reason": "Question not covered by current policy — routed to benefits administrator rather than guessed." }
}
```

**Note:** The agent searched and the policy is silent — so instead of inventing a plausible-sounding 'yes/no' (which an employee might act on), it states plainly that it's not covered and routes to the benefits administrator. Honest 'not covered' beats a fabricated policy.

## Sensitive HR matter → process pointer + escalate, with care

An employee raises a harassment concern. The agent treats it as sensitive, not a lookup, and routes to HR discreetly.

**Input**

```
Employee: 'My manager has been making inappropriate comments to me and I don't know what to do.'
```

**Output**

```
{
  "question": "Reporting inappropriate comments from a manager",
  "covered_by_policy": true,
  "answer": "I'm really sorry you're dealing with this. This is something our People team should help with directly and confidentially — it's not something I should handle as a simple Q&A. Our anti-harassment policy lays out how to report a concern, including the option to go to HR or use the confidential reporting channel. I can connect you with HR now.",
  "citation": "Employee Handbook 2026, Section 9.1 'Anti-Harassment & Reporting'",
  "sensitive": { "flag": true, "category": "harassment" },
  "advice_guard": "Did not advise on the situation or make any determination — routed to HR per policy",
  "route_to": "HR",
  "escalation": { "needed": true, "reason": "Harassment concern involving a manager — sensitive; provided the official reporting channel and routed to HR confidentially and with empathy." }
}
```

**Note:** The defining defensive case: this is emotionally and legally sensitive, not a policy lookup. The agent responds with empathy, points to the official reporting process (cited), explicitly avoids giving advice or making any determination, and routes to HR with discretion. It treats the person with care while staying firmly out of adjudication.
