diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 8a9d576..5b16a3d 100755
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ docker run -d --name cpas-tracker -p 3001:3001 -v cpas-data:/data cpas-tracker
 - **At-risk badge**: flags employees within 2 points of the next tier escalation
 - Search/filter by name, department, or supervisor
 - Click any employee name to open their full profile modal
-- **📋 Audit Log** button — filterable, paginated view of all system write actions
+- **🔍 Audit Log** button — filterable, paginated view of all system write actions
 
 ### Violation Form
 - Select existing employee or enter new employee by name
@@ -68,12 +68,14 @@ docker run -d --name cpas-tracker -p 3001:3001 -v cpas-data:/data cpas-tracker
 
 ### Employee Profile Modal
 - Full violation history with resolution status and **amendment count badge** per record
-- **✎ Edit Employee** button — update name, department, or supervisor inline
+- **✎ Edit Employee** button — update name, department, supervisor, or notes inline
 - **Merge Duplicate** tab — reassign all violations from a duplicate record and delete it
 - **Amend** button per active violation — edit non-scoring fields (location, notes, witness, etc.) with a full field-level diff history
 - Negate / restore individual violations (soft delete with resolution type + notes)
 - Hard delete option for data entry errors
 - PDF download for any historical violation record
+- **Notes & Flags** — free-text notes (e.g. "on PIP", "union member") with quick-add tag buttons; visible in the profile modal without affecting scoring
+- **Point Expiration Timeline** — shows when each active violation rolls off the 90-day window, with a progress bar, days-remaining countdown, and projected tier-drop indicators
 
 ### Audit Log
 - Append-only log of every write action: employee created/edited/merged, violation logged/amended/negated/restored/deleted
@@ -85,6 +87,11 @@ docker run -d --name cpas-tracker -p 3001:3001 -v cpas-data:/data cpas-tracker
 - Point values, violation type, and incident date are immutable
 - Every change is stored as a field-level diff (old → new value) with timestamp and actor
 
+### In-App Documentation
+- **? Docs** button in the navbar opens a slide-in admin reference panel
+- Covers feature map, CPAS tier system, workflow guidance, and roadmap
+- No external link required; always reflects current deployed version
+
 ### CPAS Tier System
 
 | Points | Tier | Label |
@@ -112,21 +119,23 @@ Scores are computed over a **rolling 90-day window** (negated violations exclude
 | Method | Endpoint | Description |
 |--------|----------|-------------|
 | GET | `/api/health` | Health check |
-| GET | `/api/employees` | List all employees |
+| GET | `/api/employees` | List all employees (includes `notes`) |
 | POST | `/api/employees` | Create or upsert employee |
-| PATCH | `/api/employees/:id` | Edit employee name, department, or supervisor |
-| POST | `/api/employees/:id/merge` | Merge duplicate employee into target; reassigns all violations |
+| PATCH | `/api/employees/:id` | Edit name, department, supervisor, or notes |
+| POST | `/api/employees/:id/merge` | Merge duplicate employee; reassigns all violations |
 | GET | `/api/employees/:id/score` | Get active CPAS score for employee |
+| GET | `/api/employees/:id/expiration` | Active violation roll-off timeline with days remaining |
+| PATCH | `/api/employees/:id/notes` | Save employee notes only (shorthand) |
 | GET | `/api/dashboard` | All employees with active points + violation counts |
 | POST | `/api/violations` | Log a new violation |
-| GET | `/api/violations/employee/:id` | Get violation history for employee (with resolutions + amendment counts) |
+| GET | `/api/violations/employee/:id` | Violation history with resolutions + amendment counts |
 | PATCH | `/api/violations/:id/negate` | Negate a violation (soft delete + resolution record) |
 | PATCH | `/api/violations/:id/restore` | Restore a negated violation |
 | PATCH | `/api/violations/:id/amend` | Amend non-scoring fields with field-level diff logging |
 | GET | `/api/violations/:id/amendments` | Get amendment history for a violation |
 | DELETE | `/api/violations/:id` | Hard delete a violation |
 | GET | `/api/violations/:id/pdf` | Download violation PDF |
-| GET | `/api/audit` | Paginated audit log (filterable by entity_type, entity_id) |
+| GET | `/api/audit` | Paginated audit log (filterable by `entity_type`, `entity_id`) |
 
 ---
 
@@ -134,16 +143,16 @@ Scores are computed over a **rolling 90-day window** (negated violations exclude
 
 ```
 cpas/
-├── Dockerfile                           # Multi-stage: builds React + runs Express w/ Chromium
+├── Dockerfile                                    # Multi-stage: builds React + runs Express w/ Chromium
 ├── .dockerignore
-├── package.json                         # Backend (Express) deps
-├── server.js                            # API + static file server
+├── package.json                                  # Backend (Express) deps
+├── server.js                                     # API + static file server
 ├── db/
-│   ├── schema.sql                       # Tables + 90-day active score view
-│   └── database.js                      # SQLite connection (better-sqlite3) + auto-migrations
+│   ├── schema.sql                                # Tables + 90-day active score view
+│   └── database.js                               # SQLite connection (better-sqlite3) + auto-migrations
 ├── pdf/
-│   └── generator.js                     # Puppeteer PDF generation
-└── client/                              # React frontend (Vite)
+│   └── generator.js                              # Puppeteer PDF generation
+└── client/                                       # React frontend (Vite)
     ├── package.json
     ├── vite.config.js
     ├── index.html
@@ -151,20 +160,23 @@ cpas/
         ├── main.jsx
         ├── App.jsx
         ├── data/
-        │   └── violations.js            # All CPAS violation definitions + groups
+        │   └── violations.js                     # All CPAS violation definitions + groups
         ├── hooks/
-        │   └── useEmployeeIntelligence.js  # Score + history hook
+        │   └── useEmployeeIntelligence.js        # Score + history hook
         └── components/
-            ├── CpasBadge.jsx            # Tier badge + color logic
-            ├── TierWarning.jsx          # Pre-submit tier crossing alert
-            ├── Dashboard.jsx            # Company-wide leaderboard + audit log trigger
-            ├── ViolationForm.jsx        # Violation entry form
-            ├── EmployeeModal.jsx        # Employee profile + history modal
-            ├── EditEmployeeModal.jsx    # Employee edit + merge duplicate
-            ├── AmendViolationModal.jsx  # Non-scoring field amendment + diff history
-            ├── AuditLog.jsx             # Filterable audit log panel
-            ├── NegateModal.jsx          # Negate/resolve violation dialog
-            └── ViolationHistory.jsx     # Violation list component
+            ├── CpasBadge.jsx                     # Tier badge + color logic
+            ├── TierWarning.jsx                   # Pre-submit tier crossing alert
+            ├── Dashboard.jsx                     # Company-wide leaderboard + audit log trigger
+            ├── ViolationForm.jsx                 # Violation entry form
+            ├── EmployeeModal.jsx                 # Employee profile + history modal
+            ├── EditEmployeeModal.jsx             # Employee edit + merge duplicate
+            ├── AmendViolationModal.jsx           # Non-scoring field amendment + diff history
+            ├── AuditLog.jsx                      # Filterable audit log panel
+            ├── NegateModal.jsx                   # Negate/resolve violation dialog
+            ├── ViolationHistory.jsx              # Violation list component
+            ├── ExpirationTimeline.jsx            # Per-violation 90-day roll-off countdown
+            ├── EmployeeNotes.jsx                 # Inline notes editor with quick-add HR tags
+            └── ReadmeModal.jsx                   # In-app admin documentation panel
 ```
 
 ---
@@ -173,7 +185,7 @@ cpas/
 
 Six tables + one view:
 
-- **`employees`** — id, name, department, supervisor
+- **`employees`** — id, name, department, supervisor, **notes**
 - **`violations`** — full incident record including `prior_active_points` snapshot at time of logging
 - **`violation_resolutions`** — resolution type, details, resolved_by (linked to violations)
 - **`violation_amendments`** — field-level diff log for violation edits; one row per changed field per amendment
@@ -182,6 +194,20 @@ Six tables + one view:
 
 ---
 
+## Amendable Fields
+
+Point values, violation type, and incident date are **immutable** after submission. The following fields can be amended:
+
+| Field | Notes |
+|-------|-------|
+| `incident_time` | Time of day the incident occurred |
+| `location` | Where the incident took place |
+| `details` | Narrative description |
+| `submitted_by` | Supervisor who submitted |
+| `witness_name` | Witness on record |
+
+---
+
 ## Roadmap
 
 ### ✅ Completed
@@ -204,18 +230,13 @@ Six tables + one view:
 | 5 | Employee edit / merge | Update employee name/dept/supervisor; merge duplicate records without losing history |
 | 5 | Violation amendment | Edit non-scoring fields with field-level audit trail |
 | 5 | Audit log | Append-only log of all system writes; filterable panel in the dashboard |
+| 6 | Employee notes / flags | Free-text notes on employee record with quick-add HR tags; does not affect scoring |
+| 6 | Point expiration timeline | Per-violation roll-off countdown with tier-drop projections |
+| 6 | In-app documentation | Admin usage guide and feature map accessible from the navbar |
 
 ---
 
-### 📋 In Progress
-
-#### Reporting & Visibility
-- **Expiration timeline** — per-employee view showing which active violations roll off the 90-day window and when; lets supervisors anticipate tier drops before they happen
-- **Employee notes / flags** — free-text notes attached to an employee record (e.g. "on PIP", "union member") visible in the profile modal without affecting scoring
-
----
-
-### 💡 Proposed
+### 📋 Proposed
 
 #### Reporting & Analytics
 - **Violation trends chart** — line/bar chart of violations per day/week/month, filterable by department or supervisor; useful for identifying systemic patterns vs. individual incidents
diff --git a/client/src/components/ReadmeModal.jsx b/client/src/components/ReadmeModal.jsx
index e2c4588..edadd0a 100644
--- a/client/src/components/ReadmeModal.jsx
+++ b/client/src/components/ReadmeModal.jsx
@@ -1,286 +1,145 @@
 import React, { useEffect, useRef } from 'react';
 
 // ─── Minimal Markdown → HTML renderer ────────────────────────────────────────
-// Handles: headings, bold, inline-code, fenced code blocks, tables, hr,
-// unordered lists, ordered lists, and paragraphs.
 function mdToHtml(md) {
-  const lines  = md.split('\n');
-  const out    = [];
-  let i        = 0;
-  let inUl     = false;
-  let inOl     = false;
-  let inTable  = false;
-  let tableHead = false;
+  const lines = md.split('\n');
+  const out   = [];
+  let i = 0, inUl = false, inOl = false, inTable = false;
 
-  const closeOpenLists = () => {
-    if (inUl)    { out.push('</ul>');   inUl    = false; }
-    if (inOl)    { out.push('</ol>');   inOl    = false; }
-    if (inTable) { out.push('</tbody></table>'); inTable = false; tableHead = false; }
+  const close = () => {
+    if (inUl)    { out.push('</ul>');            inUl    = false; }
+    if (inOl)    { out.push('</ol>');            inOl    = false; }
+    if (inTable) { out.push('</tbody></table>'); inTable = false; }
   };
 
-  const inline = (s) =>
-    s
-      .replace(/&/g, '&amp;')
-      .replace(/</g, '&lt;')
-      .replace(/>/g, '&gt;')
-      .replace(/\*\*(.+?)\*\*/g, '<strong>$1</strong>')
-      .replace(/`([^`]+)`/g, '<code>$1</code>');
+  const inline = s =>
+    s.replace(/&/g,'&amp;').replace(/</g,'&lt;').replace(/>/g,'&gt;')
+     .replace(/\*\*(.+?)\*\*/g,'<strong>$1</strong>')
+     .replace(/`([^`]+)`/g,'<code>$1</code>');
 
   while (i < lines.length) {
     const line = lines[i];
 
-    // Fenced code block
     if (line.startsWith('```')) {
-      closeOpenLists();
-      const lang = line.slice(3).trim();
-      const codeLines = [];
+      close();
       i++;
-      while (i < lines.length && !lines[i].startsWith('```')) {
-        codeLines.push(lines[i].replace(/&/g,'&amp;').replace(/</g,'&lt;').replace(/>/g,'&gt;'));
-        i++;
-      }
-      out.push(`<pre><code class="lang-${lang}">${codeLines.join('\n')}</code></pre>`);
-      i++;
-      continue;
+      while (i < lines.length && !lines[i].startsWith('```')) i++;
+      i++; continue;
+    }
+    if (/^---+$/.test(line.trim())) { close(); out.push('<hr>'); i++; continue; }
+
+    const hm = line.match(/^(#{1,4})\s+(.+)/);
+    if (hm) {
+      close();
+      const lvl = hm[1].length;
+      const id  = hm[2].toLowerCase().replace(/[^a-z0-9]+/g,'-');
+      out.push(`<h${lvl} id="${id}">${inline(hm[2])}</h${lvl}>`);
+      i++; continue;
     }
 
-    // HR
-    if (/^---+$/.test(line.trim())) {
-      closeOpenLists();
-      out.push('<hr>');
-      i++;
-      continue;
-    }
-
-    // Headings
-    const hMatch = line.match(/^(#{1,4})\s+(.+)/);
-    if (hMatch) {
-      closeOpenLists();
-      const level = hMatch[1].length;
-      const id    = hMatch[2].toLowerCase().replace(/[^a-z0-9]+/g, '-');
-      out.push(`<h${level} id="${id}">${inline(hMatch[2])}</h${level}>`);
-      i++;
-      continue;
-    }
-
-    // Table row
     if (line.trim().startsWith('|')) {
-      const cells = line.trim().replace(/^\||\|$/g, '').split('|').map(c => c.trim());
+      const cells = line.trim().replace(/^\||\|$/g,'').split('|').map(c=>c.trim());
       if (!inTable) {
-        closeOpenLists();
-        inTable   = true;
-        tableHead = true;
+        close(); inTable = true;
         out.push('<table><thead><tr>');
         cells.forEach(c => out.push(`<th>${inline(c)}</th>`));
         out.push('</tr></thead><tbody>');
         i++;
-        // skip separator row
-        if (i < lines.length && lines[i].trim().startsWith('|') && /^[\|\s\-:]+$/.test(lines[i])) i++;
+        if (i < lines.length && /^[\|\s\-:]+$/.test(lines[i])) i++;
         continue;
       } else {
         out.push('<tr>');
         cells.forEach(c => out.push(`<td>${inline(c)}</td>`));
         out.push('</tr>');
-        i++;
-        continue;
+        i++; continue;
       }
     }
 
-    // Unordered list
-    const ulMatch = line.match(/^[-*]\s+(.*)/);
-    if (ulMatch) {
-      if (inTable) closeOpenLists();
-      if (!inUl) { if (inOl) { out.push('</ol>'); inOl = false; } out.push('<ul>'); inUl = true; }
-      out.push(`<li>${inline(ulMatch[1])}</li>`);
-      i++;
-      continue;
+    const ul = line.match(/^[-*]\s+(.*)/);
+    if (ul) {
+      if (inTable) close();
+      if (!inUl) { if (inOl) { out.push('</ol>'); inOl=false; } out.push('<ul>'); inUl=true; }
+      out.push(`<li>${inline(ul[1])}</li>`);
+      i++; continue;
     }
 
-    // Ordered list
-    const olMatch = line.match(/^\d+\.\s+(.*)/);
-    if (olMatch) {
-      if (inTable) closeOpenLists();
-      if (!inOl) { if (inUl) { out.push('</ul>'); inUl = false; } out.push('<ol>'); inOl = true; }
-      out.push(`<li>${inline(olMatch[1])}</li>`);
-      i++;
-      continue;
+    const ol = line.match(/^\d+\.\s+(.*)/);
+    if (ol) {
+      if (inTable) close();
+      if (!inOl) { if (inUl) { out.push('</ul>'); inUl=false; } out.push('<ol>'); inOl=true; }
+      out.push(`<li>${inline(ol[1])}</li>`);
+      i++; continue;
     }
 
-    // Blank line
-    if (line.trim() === '') {
-      closeOpenLists();
-      i++;
-      continue;
-    }
+    if (line.trim() === '') { close(); i++; continue; }
 
-    // Paragraph
-    closeOpenLists();
+    close();
     out.push(`<p>${inline(line)}</p>`);
     i++;
   }
-
-  closeOpenLists();
+  close();
   return out.join('\n');
 }
 
 // ─── Styles ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
-const overlay = {
-  position: 'fixed', inset: 0, background: 'rgba(0,0,0,0.75)',
-  zIndex: 2000, display: 'flex', alignItems: 'flex-start', justifyContent: 'flex-end',
+const S = {
+  overlay: {
+    position:'fixed', inset:0, background:'rgba(0,0,0,0.75)',
+    zIndex:2000, display:'flex', alignItems:'flex-start', justifyContent:'flex-end',
+  },
+  panel: {
+    background:'#111217', color:'#f8f9fa', width:'780px', maxWidth:'95vw',
+    height:'100vh', overflowY:'auto', boxShadow:'-4px 0 32px rgba(0,0,0,0.85)',
+    display:'flex', flexDirection:'column',
+  },
+  header: {
+    background:'linear-gradient(135deg,#000000,#151622)', color:'white',
+    padding:'22px 28px', position:'sticky', top:0, zIndex:10,
+    borderBottom:'1px solid #222', display:'flex', alignItems:'center',
+    justifyContent:'space-between',
+  },
+  closeBtn: { background:'none', border:'none', color:'white', fontSize:'22px', cursor:'pointer', lineHeight:1 },
+  toc: {
+    background:'#0d1117', borderBottom:'1px solid #1e1f2e',
+    padding:'10px 32px', display:'flex', flexWrap:'wrap', gap:'4px 18px', fontSize:'11px',
+  },
+  body: { padding:'28px 32px', flex:1, fontSize:'13px', lineHeight:'1.75' },
+  footer: { padding:'14px 32px', borderTop:'1px solid #1e1f2e', fontSize:'11px', color:'#555770', textAlign:'center' },
 };
 
-const panel = {
-  background: '#111217', color: '#f8f9fa', width: '760px', maxWidth: '95vw',
-  height: '100vh', overflowY: 'auto', boxShadow: '-4px 0 32px rgba(0,0,0,0.8)',
-  display: 'flex', flexDirection: 'column',
-};
-
-const header = {
-  background: 'linear-gradient(135deg, #000000, #151622)', color: 'white',
-  padding: '22px 28px', position: 'sticky', top: 0, zIndex: 10,
-  borderBottom: '1px solid #222', display: 'flex', alignItems: 'center',
-  justifyContent: 'space-between',
-};
-
-const closeBtn = {
-  background: 'none', border: 'none', color: 'white',
-  fontSize: '22px', cursor: 'pointer', lineHeight: 1,
-};
-
-const body = {
-  padding: '28px 32px', flex: 1, fontSize: '13px', lineHeight: '1.7',
-};
-
-// Injected <style> for rendered markdown elements
 const CSS = `
-.readme-body h1 { font-size: 22px; font-weight: 800; color: #f8f9fa; margin: 28px 0 10px; border-bottom: 1px solid #2a2b3a; padding-bottom: 8px; }
-.readme-body h2 { font-size: 17px; font-weight: 700; color: #d4af37; margin: 26px 0 8px; }
-.readme-body h3 { font-size: 14px; font-weight: 700; color: #90caf9; margin: 20px 0 6px; text-transform: uppercase; letter-spacing: 0.4px; }
-.readme-body h4 { font-size: 13px; font-weight: 700; color: #9ca0b8; margin: 14px 0 4px; }
-.readme-body p  { color: #c8ccd8; margin: 6px 0 10px; }
-.readme-body hr { border: none; border-top: 1px solid #2a2b3a; margin: 20px 0; }
-.readme-body strong { color: #f8f9fa; }
-.readme-body code {
-  background: #0d1117; color: #79c0ff; border: 1px solid #2a2b3a;
-  border-radius: 4px; padding: 1px 6px; font-family: 'Consolas', 'Fira Code', monospace; font-size: 12px;
-}
-.readme-body pre {
-  background: #0d1117; border: 1px solid #2a2b3a; border-radius: 6px;
-  padding: 14px 16px; overflow-x: auto; margin: 10px 0 16px;
-}
-.readme-body pre code {
-  background: none; border: none; padding: 0; color: #e6edf3;
-  font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.6;
-}
-.readme-body ul { padding-left: 22px; margin: 6px 0 10px; color: #c8ccd8; }
-.readme-body ol { padding-left: 22px; margin: 6px 0 10px; color: #c8ccd8; }
-.readme-body li { margin: 3px 0; }
-.readme-body table {
-  width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 12px;
-  background: #181924; border-radius: 6px; overflow: hidden;
-  border: 1px solid #2a2b3a; margin: 10px 0 16px;
-}
-.readme-body th {
-  background: #050608; padding: 8px 12px; text-align: left;
-  color: #f8f9fa; font-weight: 600; font-size: 11px; text-transform: uppercase;
-  border-bottom: 1px solid #2a2b3a;
-}
-.readme-body td {
-  padding: 8px 12px; border-bottom: 1px solid #202231; color: #c8ccd8;
-}
-.readme-body tr:last-child td { border-bottom: none; }
-.readme-body tr:hover td { background: #1e1f2e; }
+.adm h1 { font-size:21px; font-weight:800; color:#f8f9fa; margin:28px 0 10px; border-bottom:1px solid #2a2b3a; padding-bottom:8px; }
+.adm h2 { font-size:16px; font-weight:700; color:#d4af37; margin:28px 0 6px; letter-spacing:.2px; }
+.adm h3 { font-size:12px; font-weight:700; color:#90caf9; margin:18px 0 4px; text-transform:uppercase; letter-spacing:.5px; }
+.adm h4 { font-size:13px; font-weight:600; color:#b0b8d0; margin:14px 0 4px; }
+.adm p  { color:#c8ccd8; margin:5px 0 10px; }
+.adm hr { border:none; border-top:1px solid #2a2b3a; margin:22px 0; }
+.adm strong { color:#f8f9fa; }
+.adm code { background:#0d1117; color:#79c0ff; border:1px solid #2a2b3a; border-radius:4px; padding:1px 6px; font-family:'Consolas','Fira Code',monospace; font-size:12px; }
+.adm ul { padding-left:20px; margin:5px 0 10px; color:#c8ccd8; }
+.adm ol { padding-left:20px; margin:5px 0 10px; color:#c8ccd8; }
+.adm li { margin:4px 0; }
+.adm table { width:100%; border-collapse:collapse; font-size:12px; background:#181924; border-radius:6px; overflow:hidden; border:1px solid #2a2b3a; margin:10px 0 16px; }
+.adm th { background:#050608; padding:8px 12px; text-align:left; color:#f8f9fa; font-weight:600; font-size:11px; text-transform:uppercase; border-bottom:1px solid #2a2b3a; }
+.adm td { padding:8px 12px; border-bottom:1px solid #202231; color:#c8ccd8; }
+.adm tr:last-child td { border-bottom:none; }
+.adm tr:hover td { background:#1e1f2e; }
 `;
 
-// ─── Table-of-contents builder ────────────────────────────────────────────────
-function buildToc(md) {
-  const headings = [];
-  for (const line of md.split('\n')) {
-    const m = line.match(/^(#{1,3})\s+(.+)/);
-    if (m) {
-      headings.push({
-        level: m[1].length,
-        text:  m[2],
-        id:    m[2].toLowerCase().replace(/[^a-z0-9]+/g, '-'),
-      });
-    }
-  }
-  return headings;
-}
+// ─── Admin guide content ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+const GUIDE_MD = `# CPAS Tracker — Admin Guide
 
-// ─── README content ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
-// Embedded at build time — no extra fetch needed.
-const README_MD = `# CPAS Violation Tracker
-
-Single-container Dockerized web app for CPAS violation documentation and workforce standing management.
-Built with **React + Vite** (frontend), **Node.js + Express** (backend), **SQLite** (database), and **Puppeteer** (PDF generation).
+Internal tool for CPAS violation documentation, workforce standing management, and audit compliance. All data is stored locally in the Docker container volume — there is no external dependency.
 
 ---
 
-## Quickstart (Local)
+## How CPAS Scoring Works
 
-\`\`\`bash
-# 1. Build the image
-docker build -t cpas-tracker .
+Every violation carries a **point value** set at the time of submission. Points count toward an employee's score only within a **rolling 90-day window** — once a violation is older than 90 days it automatically drops off and the score recalculates.
 
-# 2. Run it
-docker run -d --name cpas-tracker \\
-  -p 3001:3001 \\
-  -v cpas-data:/data \\
-  cpas-tracker
-\`\`\`
+Negated (voided) violations are excluded from scoring immediately. Hard-deleted violations are removed from the record entirely.
 
-Open **http://localhost:3001**
-
-## Update After Code Changes
-
-\`\`\`bash
-docker build -t cpas-tracker .
-docker stop cpas-tracker && docker rm cpas-tracker
-docker run -d --name cpas-tracker -p 3001:3001 -v cpas-data:/data cpas-tracker
-\`\`\`
-
----
-
-## Features
-
-### Company Dashboard
-- Live employee table sorted by active CPAS points (highest risk first)
-- Stat cards: total employees, elite standing, active points, at-risk count, highest score
-- **At-risk badge** — flags employees within 2 points of the next tier escalation
-- Search/filter by name, department, or supervisor
-- **Audit Log** button — filterable, paginated view of all system write actions
-
-### Violation Form
-- Select existing employee or enter new by name
-- **Employee intelligence** — shows current CPAS standing before submitting
-- Violation type dropdown grouped by category with 90-day recurrence counts
-- **Recidivist auto-escalation** — points slider auto-maximizes on repeat violations
-- **Tier crossing warning** — previews tier impact before submission
-- One-click PDF download after submission
-
-### Employee Profile Modal
-- Full violation history with resolution status and amendment count badges
-- **Edit Employee** — update name, department, or supervisor inline
-- **Merge Duplicate** — reassign all violations from a duplicate record
-- **Amend** per active violation — edit non-scoring fields with full diff history
-- Negate / restore individual violations (soft delete with resolution type + notes)
-- Hard delete option for data entry errors
-- **Notes & Flags** — free-text notes (e.g. "on PIP", "union member") visible in the profile
-- **Point Expiration Timeline** — shows when each active violation rolls off the 90-day window with tier-drop projections
-
-### Audit Log
-- Append-only log of every write action
-- Filterable by entity type and action; paginated with load-more
-
-### Violation Amendment
-- Edit submitted violations' non-scoring fields without delete-and-resubmit
-- Point values, violation type, and incident date are immutable
-- Every change stored as a field-level diff (old → new) with timestamp
-
----
-
-## CPAS Tier System
+## Tier Reference
 
 | Points | Tier | Label |
 |--------|------|-------|
@@ -292,137 +151,214 @@ docker run -d --name cpas-tracker -p 3001:3001 -v cpas-data:/data cpas-tracker
 | 25–29 | 5 | Final Decision |
 | 30+ | 6 | Separation |
 
-Scores are computed over a **rolling 90-day window** (negated violations excluded).
+The **at-risk badge** on the dashboard flags anyone within 2 points of the next tier threshold so supervisors can act before escalation occurs.
 
 ---
 
-## API Reference
+## Feature Map
 
-| Method | Endpoint | Description |
-|--------|----------|-------------|
-| GET | \`/api/health\` | Health check |
-| GET | \`/api/employees\` | List all employees (includes notes) |
-| POST | \`/api/employees\` | Create or upsert employee |
-| PATCH | \`/api/employees/:id\` | Edit name, department, supervisor, or notes |
-| POST | \`/api/employees/:id/merge\` | Merge duplicate employee |
-| GET | \`/api/employees/:id/score\` | Active CPAS score |
-| GET | \`/api/employees/:id/expiration\` | Active violation roll-off timeline |
-| PATCH | \`/api/employees/:id/notes\` | Save employee notes only |
-| GET | \`/api/dashboard\` | All employees with active points |
-| POST | \`/api/violations\` | Log a new violation |
-| GET | \`/api/violations/employee/:id\` | Violation history with resolutions + amendment counts |
-| PATCH | \`/api/violations/:id/negate\` | Soft delete + resolution record |
-| PATCH | \`/api/violations/:id/restore\` | Restore a negated violation |
-| PATCH | \`/api/violations/:id/amend\` | Amend non-scoring fields |
-| GET | \`/api/violations/:id/amendments\` | Amendment history |
-| DELETE | \`/api/violations/:id\` | Hard delete |
-| GET | \`/api/violations/:id/pdf\` | Download violation PDF |
-| GET | \`/api/audit\` | Paginated audit log |
+### Dashboard
+
+The main view. Employees are sorted by active CPAS points, highest first.
+
+- **Stat cards** — live counts: total employees, zero-point (elite), active points, at-risk, highest score
+- **Search / filter** — by name, department, or supervisor; narrows the table in real time
+- **At-risk badge** — gold flag on rows where the employee is within 2 pts of the next tier
+- **Audit Log button** — opens the filterable, paginated write-action log (top right of the dashboard toolbar)
+- **Click any name** — opens that employee's full profile modal
 
 ---
 
-## Database Schema
+### Logging a Violation
 
-Six tables + one view:
+Use the **+ New Violation** tab.
 
-- **\`employees\`** — id, name, department, supervisor, **notes**
-- **\`violations\`** — full incident record including \`prior_active_points\` snapshot
-- **\`violation_resolutions\`** — resolution type, details, resolved_by
-- **\`violation_amendments\`** — field-level diff log per amendment
-- **\`audit_log\`** — append-only record of every write action
-- **\`active_cpas_scores\`** (view) — rolling 90-day score per employee
+1. Select an existing employee from the dropdown, or type a new name to create a record on-the-fly.
+2. The **employee intelligence panel** loads their current tier badge and 90-day violation count before you commit.
+3. Choose a violation type. The dropdown is grouped by category and shows prior 90-day counts inline for each type.
+4. If the employee has a prior violation of the same type, the **recidivist auto-escalation** rule triggers — the points slider jumps to the maximum allowed for that violation type.
+5. The **tier crossing warning** previews what tier the submission would land the employee in. Review before submitting.
+6. Adjust points using the slider if discretionary reduction is warranted (within the violation's allowed min/max range).
+7. Submit. A **PDF download link** appears immediately — download it for the employee's file.
 
 ---
 
-## Amendable Fields
+### Employee Profile Modal
 
-The following violation fields can be edited after submission. Points, type, and incident date are **immutable**.
+Click any name on the dashboard to open their profile.
 
-| Field | Notes |
-|-------|-------|
-| \`incident_time\` | Time of day the incident occurred |
-| \`location\` | Where the incident took place |
-| \`details\` | Narrative description |
-| \`submitted_by\` | Supervisor who submitted |
-| \`witness_name\` | Witness on record |
+#### Overview section
+Shows current tier badge, active points, and 90-day violation count.
+
+#### Notes & Flags
+Free-text field for HR context (e.g. "On PIP", "Union member", "Pending investigation", "FMLA"). Quick-add tag buttons pre-fill common statuses. Notes are visible to anyone who opens the profile but **do not affect CPAS scoring**. Edit inline; saves on blur.
+
+#### Point Expiration Timeline
+Visible when the employee has active points. Shows each active violation as a progress bar indicating how far through its 90-day window it is, days remaining until roll-off, and a **tier-drop indicator** for violations whose expiration would move the employee down a tier.
+
+#### Violation History
+Full record of all submissions — active, negated, and resolved.
+
+- **Amend** — edit non-scoring fields (location, details, witness, submitted-by, incident time) on any active violation. Every change is logged as a field-level diff (old → new) with timestamp. Points, type, and incident date are immutable.
+- **Negate** — soft-delete a violation with a resolution type and notes. The record is preserved in history; the points are immediately removed from the score. Fully reversible via **Restore**.
+- **Hard delete** — permanent removal. Use only for genuine data entry errors.
+- **PDF** — download the formal violation document for any historical record.
+
+#### Edit Employee
+Update name, department, or supervisor. Changes are logged to the audit trail.
+
+#### Merge Duplicate
+If the same employee exists under two names, use Merge to reassign all violations from the duplicate to the canonical record. The duplicate is then deleted. This cannot be undone.
 
 ---
 
-## Docker Quick Reference
+### Audit Log
 
-\`\`\`bash
-# Build
-docker build -t cpas-tracker .
+Accessible from the dashboard toolbar (🔍 button). Append-only log of every write action in the system.
 
-# Run
-docker run -d --name cpas-tracker -p 3001:3001 -v cpas-data:/data cpas-tracker
+- Filter by entity type: **employee** or **violation**
+- Filter by action: created, edited, merged, negated, restored, amended, deleted, notes updated
+- Paginated with load-more; most recent entries first
 
-# Stop / remove
-docker stop cpas-tracker && docker rm cpas-tracker
+The audit log is the authoritative record for compliance review. Nothing in it can be edited or deleted through the UI.
 
-# Export for Unraid
-docker save cpas-tracker | gzip > cpas-tracker.tar.gz
+---
 
-# View logs
-docker logs -f cpas-tracker
-\`\`\`
+### Violation Amendment
+
+Amendments allow corrections to a violation's non-scoring fields without deleting and re-submitting, which would disrupt the audit trail and the prior-points snapshot.
+
+**Amendable fields:** incident time, location, details, submitted-by, witness name.
+
+**Immutable fields:** violation type, incident date, point value.
+
+Each amendment stores a before/after diff for every changed field. Amendment history is accessible from the violation card in the employee's history.
+
+---
+
+## Immutability Rules — Quick Reference
+
+| Action | Allowed? | Notes |
+|--------|----------|-------|
+| Edit violation type | No | Immutable after submission |
+| Edit incident date | No | Immutable after submission |
+| Edit point value | No | Immutable after submission |
+| Edit location / details / witness | Yes | Via Amend |
+| Negate (void) a violation | Yes | Soft delete; reversible |
+| Hard delete a violation | Yes | Permanent; use sparingly |
+| Edit employee name / dept / supervisor | Yes | Logged to audit trail |
+| Merge duplicate employees | Yes | Irreversible |
+| Add / edit employee notes | Yes | Does not affect score |
+
+---
+
+## Roadmap
+
+### ✅ Shipped
+
+- Container scaffold, violation form, employee intelligence
+- Recidivist auto-escalation, tier crossing warning
+- PDF generation with prior-points snapshot
+- Company dashboard, stat cards, at-risk badges
+- Employee profile modal — full history, negate/restore, hard delete
+- Employee edit and duplicate merge
+- Violation amendment with field-level diff log
+- Audit log — filterable, paginated, append-only
+- Employee notes and flags with quick-add HR tags
+- Point expiration timeline with tier-drop projections
+- In-app admin guide (this panel)
+
+---
+
+### 🔜 Near-term
+
+These are well-scoped additions that fit the current architecture without major changes.
+
+- **Acknowledgment signature field** — "received by employee" name + date on the violation form; prints on the PDF in place of the blank signature line. Addresses the most common field workflow gap.
+- **CSV export** — one endpoint returning violations or dashboard data as a downloadable CSV for payroll or external reporting.
+- **Supervisor-scoped view** — filter the dashboard to a single supervisor's team via URL param; useful in multi-supervisor environments without requiring full auth.
+
+---
+
+### 📋 Planned
+
+Larger features that require more design work or infrastructure.
+
+- **Violation trends chart** — line/bar chart of violations over time, filterable by department or supervisor. Useful for identifying systemic patterns vs. isolated incidents. Recharts is already available in the frontend bundle.
+- **Department heat map** — grid showing violation density and average CPAS score per department. Helps identify team-level risk early.
+- **Draft / pending violations** — save a violation as a draft before it's officially logged. Useful when incidents need supervisor review or HR sign-off before they count toward the score.
+- **At-risk threshold configuration** — make the 2-point at-risk warning threshold configurable per deployment rather than hardcoded.
+
+---
+
+### 🔭 Future Considerations
+
+These require meaningful infrastructure additions and should be evaluated against actual operational need before committing.
+
+- **Multi-user auth** — role-based login (admin, supervisor, read-only). Currently the app assumes a trusted internal network with no authentication layer.
+- **Tier escalation alerts** — email or in-app notification when an employee crosses into Tier 2+, automatically routed to their supervisor.
+- **Scheduled digest** — weekly email summary to supervisors showing their employees' current standings and any approaching thresholds.
+- **Automated DB backup** — scheduled snapshot of `/data/cpas.db` to a mounted backup volume or remote destination.
+- **Bulk CSV import** — migrate historical violation records from paper logs or a prior system.
+- **Dark/light theme toggle** — UI is currently dark-only.
 `;
 
+// ─── TOC builder ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+function buildToc(md) {
+  return md.split('\n').reduce((acc, line) => {
+    const m = line.match(/^(#{1,2})\s+(.+)/);
+    if (m) acc.push({ level: m[1].length, text: m[2], id: m[2].toLowerCase().replace(/[^a-z0-9]+/g,'-') });
+    return acc;
+  }, []);
+}
+
 // ─── Component ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 export default function ReadmeModal({ onClose }) {
-  const bodyRef  = useRef(null);
-  const html     = mdToHtml(README_MD);
-  const toc      = buildToc(README_MD);
+  const bodyRef = useRef(null);
+  const html    = mdToHtml(GUIDE_MD);
+  const toc     = buildToc(GUIDE_MD);
 
-  // Close on Escape
   useEffect(() => {
-    const handler = (e) => { if (e.key === 'Escape') onClose(); };
-    window.addEventListener('keydown', handler);
-    return () => window.removeEventListener('keydown', handler);
+    const h = e => { if (e.key === 'Escape') onClose(); };
+    window.addEventListener('keydown', h);
+    return () => window.removeEventListener('keydown', h);
   }, [onClose]);
 
-  const scrollTo = (id) => {
+  const scrollTo = id => {
     const el = bodyRef.current?.querySelector(`#${id}`);
     if (el) el.scrollIntoView({ behavior: 'smooth', block: 'start' });
   };
 
-  const handleOverlay = (e) => { if (e.target === e.currentTarget) onClose(); };
-
   return (
-    <div style={overlay} onClick={handleOverlay}>
-      {/* Inject markdown CSS once */}
+    <div style={S.overlay} onClick={e => { if (e.target === e.currentTarget) onClose(); }}>
       <style>{CSS}</style>
 
-      <div style={panel} onClick={(e) => e.stopPropagation()}>
+      <div style={S.panel} onClick={e => e.stopPropagation()}>
 
         {/* Header */}
-        <div style={header}>
+        <div style={S.header}>
           <div>
-            <div style={{ fontSize: '17px', fontWeight: 800, letterSpacing: '0.3px' }}>
-              📋 CPAS Tracker — Documentation
+            <div style={{ fontSize:'17px', fontWeight:800, letterSpacing:'.3px' }}>
+              📋 CPAS Tracker — Admin Guide
             </div>
-            <div style={{ fontSize: '11px', color: '#9ca0b8', marginTop: '3px' }}>
-              Admin reference · use Esc or click outside to close
+            <div style={{ fontSize:'11px', color:'#9ca0b8', marginTop:'3px' }}>
+              Feature map · workflow reference · roadmap · Esc or click outside to close
             </div>
           </div>
-          <button style={closeBtn} onClick={onClose} aria-label="Close">✕</button>
+          <button style={S.closeBtn} onClick={onClose} aria-label="Close">✕</button>
         </div>
 
         {/* TOC strip */}
-        <div style={{
-          background: '#0d1117', borderBottom: '1px solid #1e1f2e',
-          padding: '10px 32px', display: 'flex', flexWrap: 'wrap', gap: '4px 16px',
-          fontSize: '11px',
-        }}>
-          {toc.filter(h => h.level <= 2).map((h) => (
+        <div style={S.toc}>
+          {toc.map(h => (
             <button
               key={h.id}
               onClick={() => scrollTo(h.id)}
               style={{
-                background: 'none', border: 'none', cursor: 'pointer', padding: '2px 0',
-                color: h.level === 1 ? '#f8f9fa' : '#90caf9',
-                fontWeight: h.level === 1 ? 700 : 400,
-                fontSize: '11px',
+                background:'none', border:'none', cursor:'pointer', padding:'2px 0',
+                color: h.level === 1 ? '#f8f9fa' : '#d4af37',
+                fontWeight: h.level === 1 ? 700 : 500,
+                fontSize:'11px',
               }}
             >
               {h.level === 2 ? '↳ ' : ''}{h.text}
@@ -433,16 +369,13 @@ export default function ReadmeModal({ onClose }) {
         {/* Body */}
         <div
           ref={bodyRef}
-          style={body}
-          className="readme-body"
+          style={S.body}
+          className="adm"
           dangerouslySetInnerHTML={{ __html: html }}
         />
 
         {/* Footer */}
-        <div style={{
-          padding: '14px 32px', borderTop: '1px solid #1e1f2e',
-          fontSize: '11px', color: '#555770', textAlign: 'center',
-        }}>
+        <div style={S.footer}>
           CPAS Violation Tracker · internal admin use only
         </div>
       </div>