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Rules for Work: The Zaarly Employee Handbook

handbook.zaarly.com

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Re: Rules for Work: The Zaarly Employee Handbook

#51

Post by ktsmith »

jpdoctor wrote: post #50
ktsmith wrote: post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I could also see this handbook being used against them in the case of harassment, discrimination or wrongful termination suits.

> this handbook being used against them in the case of harassment, discrimination or wrongful termination suits. Exactly. And since courts tend to favor employees, Zaarly's corporate neck is very exposed. Here's one example: > Whatever it is, it’s cool. > Also, it is a place where the guys frequently use the women’s bathroom. All any woman has to do for a harassment lawsuit is point to that phrase in a courtroom. "Th…

Unfortunately Lawyers get paid quite a bit to make exactly those types of small things look very bad for their opponents. Another one that stands out to me is in the clothing section.

> We will never implement any sort of expectations around what you wear, but we maintain all rights to mock your future mother-in-law’s choice of clothes if you choose to wear them to the office.

A decent lawyer will turn that into the company openly supporting and even encouraging harassment.

Re: Rules for Work: The Zaarly Employee Handbook

#54

Post by ktsmith »

dantiberian wrote: post #52

They have a heap of employees for apparently not selling anything yet https://www.zaarly.com/about . Is this common for startups to take on this many people?

It's not that uncommon for a company with $15 million in investment money to have that many or more employees.

Re: Rules for Work: The Zaarly Employee Handbook

#55

Post by fitandfunction »

moocow01 wrote: post #44

I think this misses the point of an employee handbook completely. Its meant for when things go wrong... employees are not looking at any company handbook on a day to day basis to figure out how the company runs and how they should act. They only crack it open when shit hits the fan and they need to know what to do... - Think one of your co-workers is not performing up to par - might want to consult the employee handb…

Agreed.

For instance, for legal / HR purposes, it's important to articulate (and get everyone to acknowledge in signature form) zero tolerance for harassment, and what to do in cases of harassment.

This feels like an extended form of a "mission statement," i.e. these are the values that we want to work by. For that purpose, it's a fine document -- just don't call it an "employee handbook."

I hope zaarly is far enough along to have other docs that do cover the more mundane (but necessary) aspects of employment. If not, they're exposed to unnecessary liability.

Re: Rules for Work: The Zaarly Employee Handbook

#56

Post by pbiggar »

DanBC wrote: post #48
pbiggar wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't understand why you'd read their document, find the worst possible interpretation imaginable - one which no reasonable person could assume was valid - and then post about that on Hacker News.

Clicky the little flag. Zoom the page. Some of the font drops off the bottom of the page, and scrolling doesn't work. (Chrome, macbook pro, OSX). On the main text. Zoom the page. Some of the text falls off the left hand side, and there's no way to read it. I mention the sight thing because it's clearly ignoring the fact that some people cannot see; and other people cannot hear; and other people cannot talk; and other…

Ah, I misunderstood your comment - my apologies. I thought you were making a snide remark about the "sign language" part of the communication doc. I guess if I shouldn't leap to accuse people of leaping to accuse people of things! Sorry :(

Re: Rules for Work: The Zaarly Employee Handbook

#57

Post by andrewcooke »

moocow01 wrote: post #44

I think this misses the point of an employee handbook completely. Its meant for when things go wrong... employees are not looking at any company handbook on a day to day basis to figure out how the company runs and how they should act. They only crack it open when shit hits the fan and they need to know what to do... - Think one of your co-workers is not performing up to par - might want to consult the employee handb…

i think the problem / missing context / explanation is that they currently have a very strong, shared culture. in many ways that is a good thing, and something that this document is trying (perhaps unconsciously) to preserve.

all your (completely valid) issues examples are cases where someone drifts outside the assumed common culture (and i agree that is also when you most want a handbook).

apart from "emergent issues", this also runs the risk of being exclusionary. if you don't feel like "one of the gang" then a handbook like this is going to make you less likely to join the company. from a small-scale, short-term viewpoint that might seem like a good thing. but in the longer term i am not sure it is so healthy.

[from personal experience, as someone who was raised in one culture, lives in another, and typically works with people from a third, i find things like holiday "quotas" extremely useful information in guiding how i should behave and / or whether i should be working there...]

hmmm. and if they really did try to understand and write down some description of their culture, and failed, it suggests that they're not so great at getting a handle on who they are, or what they are doing, or at negotiating between themselves to find common ground. which all seem like important skills.

Re: Rules for Work: The Zaarly Employee Handbook

#58

Post by olgeni »

moocow01 wrote: post #44

I think this misses the point of an employee handbook completely. Its meant for when things go wrong... employees are not looking at any company handbook on a day to day basis to figure out how the company runs and how they should act. They only crack it open when shit hits the fan and they need to know what to do... - Think one of your co-workers is not performing up to par - might want to consult the employee handb…

> They only crack it open when shit hits the fan and they need to know what to do...

...and sometimes you can skip the Employee Handbook entirely and head for the Shitstorm Encyclopedia...

Re: Rules for Work: The Zaarly Employee Handbook

#59

Post by adambratt »

ericnjorgenson wrote: post #25
temac wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Probably they are considering this is cool.

There are quite a few women that work here, actually. It's more like both are unisex for all, but it has been comical to guests that see men coming out of the women's bathroom. They're each only one person... so... it's not at as odd as it seems. Inside joke, perhaps. Granted, there isn't much context there haha

heh I almost messaged you after reading that line. I did a bit of a double take.

Re: Rules for Work: The Zaarly Employee Handbook

#60

Post by 001sky »

tptacek wrote: post #35

I like this as a document. One thing to remember though: an Employee Handbook has legal status. It's usually the primary vector that companies use to establish policies. For instance, the Zaarly handbook doesn't mention discrimination at all (except to tell employees to expect the men to use the women's restroom --- w.t.f.?!). If you're going to do something like this --- and I'm not saying you shouldn't --- have a b…

an Employee Handbook has legal status

-- I'd be wary of this generalization. It is more the opposite. If that makes sense.

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