Successful operation of CivicActions requires that all of us be respectful of, and open with, one another. This is a community of trust and it needs straight-forward, non-critical dialogue to accomplish its goals. There’s little that can’t be resolved with honest appraisal and an attitude of cooperation. We don’t compete here, and we try really hard to avoid back-biting and complaining.
That’s not to say we don’t annoy or otherwise drive each other a little nuts occasionally. It happens. If an issue is not easily resolved, there is a “Complaint Resolution Policy” in “Required Stuff” below.
This paragraph is simply intended to alert employees to the need for discretion and is not intended to inhibit normal business communications. For further information, refer to the “Confidential Information and Inventions Agreement” you signed when you were hired.
You may engage in outside employment or personal educational activities during non-working hours, provided that such activities do not interfere with your full-time employment or constitute a conflict of interest.
Within a virtual working environment communication is vital to keeping a collaborative, healthy and fun atmosphere. We want to foster an open, inclusive, and diverse culture with the freedom to be ourselves. With that in mind we also want to ensure that everyone here is treated fairly and also feels safe and welcome. We have a variety of communication tools and forums, including Slack, Hangouts, and in-person events, and the code of conduct is intended for all of them.
CivicActions is dedicated to providing a harassment-free experience for everyone, regardless of gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, age, race, or religion. We do not tolerate harassment of participants in any form and employees who violate this code of conduct may be subject to disciplinary actions.
Be mindful. Having a diverse team means that we will have different opinions, viewpoints and experiences. This also means that we may not agree on what is humorous, insulting or rude. We all stand to learn from each other and that includes gaining awareness to how others perceive certain communications. We each need to take personal responsibility for the way our communications lands on each other. Participants asked to stop any harassing behavior are expected to comply immediately.
We follow the platinum rule at CivicActions. The golden rule is to do to others as you would have them do to you. The platinum rule is to do to others as they would like to have done to them. This requires mindful attention of each person and respect for their culture, background, and vulnerabilities.
Be friendly and welcoming. As our team grows, we are more likely to have peers that we don’t directly work with. We all have an opportunity to be friendly in other arenas to get to know each other, including retreats, pod calls, and social slack channels. Participate in an authentic and active way. In doing so, you contribute to the health and longevity of the company.
Be considerate and respectful. We all have a voice and some of us happen to be louder than others. When in a discussion or sharing a thought, think before you speak, and give others a chance to be heard. When disagreeing about something, focus on resolving issues constructively and ask for help when needed.
If you believe someone is violating the code of conduct, please speak to your manager or Henry Poole.
This Code of Conduct is distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike license. Portions of text derived from the Citizen Code of Conduct and the Geek Feminism Anti-Harassment Policy.