Common Ground
Work ethic is about showing up, being on time, being reliable, doing what you say you’re going to do, being trustworthy, putting in a fair day’s work, respecting the work, respecting the customer, respecting the organization, respecting co-workers, not wasting time, not making work hard for other people, not creating unnecessary work for other people, not being a bottleneck, not faking work. Work ethic is about being a fundamentally good person that others can count on and enjoy working with. – Jason Fried, Founder & CEO at Basecamp
The team strongly believes in work ethics, as explained in the above quote, and considers it as the basis of how everyone should be.
This section addresses practical details that require alignment among all team members.
Core Hours
The team works Monday to Friday from 9:00 to 18:00 - 8 hours per day, lunch break excluded. For individual convenience, there is a flexible working time from 8:00-10:00. But everyone must start working, either at the office or remotely, by 10:00 at the latest.
In a service-oriented industry, being available during the client’s working hours is crucial.
Although the team has flexible working hours, a set of core hours is in place to ensure the team’s availability for the clients at the right time.
The goal is to have all teammates together and available for each other for at least 6 hours/day.
It’s implicitly understood that if an individual starts working after 9:00, they must compensate by leaving later to accomplish their daily hourly commitment, which matches the commitment with the clients. Alternatively, if an individual starts before 9:00, it’s also understood that they can leave earlier.
Trust & Fairness
The team is entrusted to provide the expected amount of work and to remain effective. Everyone must play by the rules to avoid frictions and conflicts.
If someone doesn’t “pull their own weight” and deliver their fair share of work, their teammates will have to pick up the slack.
At the same time, not providing fast enough when required by a client can result in dissatisfaction. In the worst of cases, it could even lead to the loss of a client.
Being trustworthy and fair during working in the office or remotely is a cornerstone to the health of the team and the company.
Etiquette
Be mindful of both clients and colleagues. Always be courteous, similar to how it would be in an office setting. For example, individuals are expected to always take online meetings with their webcam turned on in a quiet environment.
Food
- Snacks and drinks are offered in the office and can be consumed by everyone. Food is usually re-stocked twice a month.
- Every teammate is allowed to bring his/her own food and can consume it on-premises at any time.
- Punctual team events are sometimes organized, but there is no fixed obligation to eat lunch together or at the same time.
- Alcoholic drinks are only allowed on premises during punctual team events.
Noise
The team only works in the offices two days a week, so they acknowledge that individuals might want to connect and discuss with their teammates in person. However, keep in mind that noise can cause significant distractions and create a loss of productivity for other teammates.
Assets
Teammates who are based in Thailand or Vietnam are eligible to request to use the company’s equipment (laptop, mouse, and keyboard). Bring-Your-Own-Device (BYOD) is also another option for all teammates, with the provision of a BYOD allowance from Nimble.