Hello All.
So a while back we had a discussion about retired staff or inactive staff.
This was mostly hypothetical, but there's been a question raised about what to do when a staff member returns from a long absence, and what to do to ensure that only active staff are on the staff listings/have ranks.
As such, I'd like to hear people's opinions about what to do, with the following as my suggested course of action:
- For Current Staff:
- If you haven't contributed to O5, SSSC, or some other staff function of some variety for six months, you are considered "inactive". Inactive staff can retain their site permissions, but are not considered acting "as staff" until they're "active" again. To become "active" you have to do….something productive. Make an O5 post that isn't frivolus, crit something, attend a meeting. Do something useful.
- If you've been "inactive" for six months, you become automagically "retired". Retired staff should be returned to regular site member permissions (barring special circumstances), and should follow the above policy.
- If you completely ignore a promotions vote twice, you're automagically "retired" with the same provisions.
- For returning staff from "retired" status:
- Assuming you are a user "in good standing" and eligible to be staff in general (at the discretion of the staff teams, per usual)
- If you left as JS or OS, you may return to JS status with the acceptance of your team captain. Promotions occur as usual.
- If you left as Moderator, you may return as OS under whatever team(s) you left, with the acceptance of your captain. Promotions occur as usual.
- If you left as admin, you may return as admin with the vote of the current admins. Otherwise you may return as OS. Promotions occur as usual.
- If you left as a team captain, you may only return to that status if the current team captain allows it, in either primary or co-captain role. e.g. you can't come back and "claim" your team from the current captain.
- Returner Trial Period
- If staff of the relevant levels (JS on their team, OS on their team, all of the mods, all of the admins) believe that a staff member has been absent for long enough to warrant it, a "trial period" shall be instated for six weeks to evaluate the returner's fitness to be staff in the current site culture. For example, if a mod is returning, and the mods collectively believe it's been too long (via an O5 vote), then a trial period shall be instated, which succeeds the above provisions. At the end of the trial period, it's at the discretion of the relevant group to either reinstate to their previous rank, or remit them to a lower rank depending on fitness.
- A returning staff member may also request a trial period rather than the above provisions.
- In order to instate a trial period, an O5 thread must be provided for the relevant staff to vote on the trial period. For a returning JS or OS, their team votes on their trial period. For returning mods, all moderators may vote. For returning admins, all admins may vote. This vote must be public, and be allowed to present significant objections by any staff member.
- If the vote passes in favor, the user in question shall be remitted to Junior staff on the relevant team for six weeks, and demonstrate good-faith adaptation to the site culture and workflow to be a successful staff member. At the end of six weeks, a second vote will be taken in order to decide whether or not the user shall be reinstated to their previous rank. If this vote fails, the user will be remitted to the rank described in the guidelines of the rest of the policy. If the vote passes, they will be reinstated to their previous rank with all relevant duties and privileges.
This discussion is open to OS and above, and JS with captain permission.
EDIT: The discussion has be reopened for an additional week, with the understanding that there were significant concerns and loopholes discussed via SSSC. A new iteration of the policy is being discussed in general, and will be forthcoming.