Rad policies, processes & structures…
In Autonomic, we make decisions collectively, while also attempting to empower autonomous action by individual workers. We designed our decision making process using decision making tools we had experienced through participation in various horizontal organisations. We hope this tool is useful to others in the struggle for a better world.
This document sets out our values, as well as what each of these means for behaviour and practice, with examples of the habits team members can adopt which would mean they are living the values.
A policy that defines a financially-healthy organisation and outlines actions to undertake if that status isn't met at different points in time. It also includes a simple plan to increase financial reserves.
This is a sick leave policy for a small collective with limited funds. On average, for each 10 days of work, you have the right to one paid sick day. However, we have decided to pool our sick days. Pooling addresses the fact that we do not all have the same health and to alleviate the stress of having “enough sick days”.
A decision making and prioritisation processes that enables us to work efficiently in a high-trust culture within our flat structure.
In our flat structure, we have created a "Buddy system" where each team member acts as a buddy to another. This aims to ensure that we don't lose the good bits of management, and that we all feel supported and able to hold ourselves accountable.
The buddy system is closely related to our feedback processes which are also detailed here.
Our approach to learning and development for team members, as a flat structured organisation.
An unlimited PTO policy that seeks to pre-emptively address the more common issues with such policies, including some evidence that staff are less likely to take time off in an unlimited PTO scheme. [Policy written by an organisation in the USA]
This policy aims to provide fair and financially secure wages for all workers. It is based on a flat rate plus uplifts, including: length of service, support for dependents, experience of marginalisation, and city weighting. It also contains an emergency waging system and fund, as well as a process for administering the policy.
A performance management process for a small self-managed co-op that allows for democratic overturn of panel decisions if over half of the co-op members object.