Community Work Agreement |
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Responsibility and Authority
All resident members (including children and teens) are expected to participate and contribute to the creation, betterment, and care of our community in accordance with their abilities. We rely upon a person’s individual sense of responsibility to get the necessary work done. We recognize that not all people are able to contribute at the same level all of the time. Knowing that we all share responsibility for the work and care of the community, we take action when something needs to be done.
All of the assets and activities that we have agreed as a community to take responsibility for are assigned to the jurisdiction of a specific team. See our Teams Agreement for a current list of Teams and their responsibilities and authorities. These teams manage Heartwood’s infrastructure, which we have identified as including physical assets, interpersonal relationship expectations, systems of self-governance, and financial/legal aspects.
Community Work and Participation System
The community maintains a Community Work and Participation System that is designed to get the necessary work of the community done. Work related to various hobbies or private enterprises that members may choose to participate in is not covered by the work system.
All adult resident members (18+) are expected to contribute a minimum of 25 hours of work per quarter (three months). These hours may include meetings (community, team, hearts, or task force); work parties; time spent preparing or cleaning up after common meals; and any work done at any time for any team. Tracking hours is an individual’s responsibility, on the honor system. A member may choose to pay someone else to fulfill all or part of their 25 hour quota.
All adult resident members are expected to be a member of, or contribute to, at least one Heartwood team or task force (see our Teams Agreement). Members are expected to commit to any team(s) they join for at least one year, and may remain a member of any team indefinitely (with the exception of the Steering Team, which has a 4 year term limit). New members have up to 3 months to choose a team to join.
Children and teens are highly encouraged to contribute to the work and care of our community. Work parties are a great opportunity for people of all ages to contribute, and all teams welcome kid and teen participation.
Teams are responsible for making sure that the work for which they have authority and responsibility gets done. Teams can choose how to get the work done, how to distribute and delegate responsibility, how to track what’s getting done and what needs to get done, how to manage accountability among team members, etc. Teams are responsible for communicating work needs within the team as well as to the community as a whole when appropriate (e.g. work parties).
Once a member volunteers for a job, they are expected to get the job done. They are free, however, to find someone else to do the job and they are free to make whatever arrangements with that person they agree upon (including monetary). If the member can’t perform the work and can’t find someone else to do it, they are expected to inform the person or team in charge of the work at the earliest opportunity.
Hiring Members
The community may choose to hire a member to get work done. In general, the member is paid no more than what the community could pay to someone hired from outside the community. In order to be hired, a member must have completed the required 25 hours per quarter of donated time in the previous three months. Teams have the authority to hire a member for up to $300 per job and need to post their decision to the chat prior to when the work begins. The decision to hire a member for more than $300 must be made by the community (not a team) and also must be made prior to when the work commences.
Hiring from Outside the Community
A team may choose to get work done by hiring someone from outside of the community in the case of one or more of the following:
• The work requires expertise not available within the community.
• No member is willing to do the work at less or equal cost than is available from an outsider.
• Hiring an outsider is more cost effective in terms of labor and money.
Responsibility for this Agreement
It is the responsibility of the Steering Team (or a task force it delegates) to create and administer the Community Work and Participation System. The Steering Team is also responsible for organizing community work parties. Additionally, the Steering Team facilitates an annual community meeting for work system feedback, team updates, and team choosing.
Each time the Steering team creates a new conceptual plan for the Community Work and Participation System, that conceptual plan must be approved by the community. Minor tweaking of an existing plan does not need to be approved. Regular feedback (at least annually) is encouraged for the Community Work and Participation System.
It is the responsibility of the Membership Team to make sure new and prospective members are fully oriented to the Community Work Agreement.
Refusal to comply with this agreement (or any of our Heartwood Agreements) will invoke the Non-Compliant Member process facilitated by the Process and Communications Team.
All resident members (including children and teens) are expected to participate and contribute to the creation, betterment, and care of our community in accordance with their abilities. We rely upon a person’s individual sense of responsibility to get the necessary work done. We recognize that not all people are able to contribute at the same level all of the time. Knowing that we all share responsibility for the work and care of the community, we take action when something needs to be done.
All of the assets and activities that we have agreed as a community to take responsibility for are assigned to the jurisdiction of a specific team. See our Teams Agreement for a current list of Teams and their responsibilities and authorities. These teams manage Heartwood’s infrastructure, which we have identified as including physical assets, interpersonal relationship expectations, systems of self-governance, and financial/legal aspects.
Community Work and Participation System
The community maintains a Community Work and Participation System that is designed to get the necessary work of the community done. Work related to various hobbies or private enterprises that members may choose to participate in is not covered by the work system.
All adult resident members (18+) are expected to contribute a minimum of 25 hours of work per quarter (three months). These hours may include meetings (community, team, hearts, or task force); work parties; time spent preparing or cleaning up after common meals; and any work done at any time for any team. Tracking hours is an individual’s responsibility, on the honor system. A member may choose to pay someone else to fulfill all or part of their 25 hour quota.
All adult resident members are expected to be a member of, or contribute to, at least one Heartwood team or task force (see our Teams Agreement). Members are expected to commit to any team(s) they join for at least one year, and may remain a member of any team indefinitely (with the exception of the Steering Team, which has a 4 year term limit). New members have up to 3 months to choose a team to join.
Children and teens are highly encouraged to contribute to the work and care of our community. Work parties are a great opportunity for people of all ages to contribute, and all teams welcome kid and teen participation.
Teams are responsible for making sure that the work for which they have authority and responsibility gets done. Teams can choose how to get the work done, how to distribute and delegate responsibility, how to track what’s getting done and what needs to get done, how to manage accountability among team members, etc. Teams are responsible for communicating work needs within the team as well as to the community as a whole when appropriate (e.g. work parties).
Once a member volunteers for a job, they are expected to get the job done. They are free, however, to find someone else to do the job and they are free to make whatever arrangements with that person they agree upon (including monetary). If the member can’t perform the work and can’t find someone else to do it, they are expected to inform the person or team in charge of the work at the earliest opportunity.
Hiring Members
The community may choose to hire a member to get work done. In general, the member is paid no more than what the community could pay to someone hired from outside the community. In order to be hired, a member must have completed the required 25 hours per quarter of donated time in the previous three months. Teams have the authority to hire a member for up to $300 per job and need to post their decision to the chat prior to when the work begins. The decision to hire a member for more than $300 must be made by the community (not a team) and also must be made prior to when the work commences.
Hiring from Outside the Community
A team may choose to get work done by hiring someone from outside of the community in the case of one or more of the following:
• The work requires expertise not available within the community.
• No member is willing to do the work at less or equal cost than is available from an outsider.
• Hiring an outsider is more cost effective in terms of labor and money.
Responsibility for this Agreement
It is the responsibility of the Steering Team (or a task force it delegates) to create and administer the Community Work and Participation System. The Steering Team is also responsible for organizing community work parties. Additionally, the Steering Team facilitates an annual community meeting for work system feedback, team updates, and team choosing.
Each time the Steering team creates a new conceptual plan for the Community Work and Participation System, that conceptual plan must be approved by the community. Minor tweaking of an existing plan does not need to be approved. Regular feedback (at least annually) is encouraged for the Community Work and Participation System.
It is the responsibility of the Membership Team to make sure new and prospective members are fully oriented to the Community Work Agreement.
Refusal to comply with this agreement (or any of our Heartwood Agreements) will invoke the Non-Compliant Member process facilitated by the Process and Communications Team.
Revised 11/19/22