Grants:IdeaLab/Human resources complaint processing best practices
Project idea edit
What is the problem you're trying to solve? edit
Suppose that a person in the Wikimedia community is the target of harassment or serious personal attacks. This is problematic because it makes for a damaged community, perpetuates fear and discouragement, and otherwise makes for an unsafe volunteer environment. Harassment is frequently a personal matter, and if the target of harassment discusses it openly, their problems and community problems may become worse. It is not certain what a person who experiences harassment should do, but perhaps the best response includes talking to trusted volunteers and counselors who can give advice about best practices.
Suppose further the following:
- A communication channel exists by means of which Wikimedia community members can complain about harassment and other private interpersonal problems
- These complaints are received by some trusted entity, perhaps as described in Grants:IdeaLab/Human resources complaint receiving
If these things were so, that would mean that personal complaints could go through this channel and the trusted entity could process them somehow. The problem here is that if these systems were in place, there is no system in place to process complaints.
What is your solution? edit
To develop best practices for responding to human resources complaints, the following must be done:
- With all complaints, and without regard to responding to the complainant, receive the complaint, catalog it, archive it, and make it available as a resource for research into the nature of personal complaints in the Wikimedia community
- Respond to the complaint with intent to provide satisfaction to the complainant and encourage fairness among the parties involved. This might include any of the following components:
- Grants:IdeaLab/Develop a peer-to-peer counseling forum
- Grants:IdeaLab/Community support services, including referrals to counseling outside Wikimedia projects
- Having the organization which receives the complaints actually engage the complainant in the manner of a crisis hotline
The scope of the services offered and defined by best practices is uncertain. It will depend on precedent in other organizations, precedent in other similar systems, community input, resources available, and the extent to which supporting partnerships can be made.
Some components of best practices might be executed without the others being in place. There could be synergy among these things.
Goals edit
- Provide this service in coordination with other related services, perhaps under the direction of a community human resources staffperson
Get Involved edit
Participants edit
- Volunteer Eren 213.240.83.172 17:50, 30 March 2015 (UTC)
- Volunteer Eren 213.240.83.172 17:51, 30 March 2015 (UTC)