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| Terms of Use | What is "Rag"? | ||||
UKRag.net
Grievance Procedure
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| Level Title/Type | Procedure | ||
| Level A |  |
Site Owner / Senior Administrator | 3 |
| Level B |  |
Site Administrator(s) | 3 |
| Level C |  |
Site Moderator(s) | 2 |
| Level D |  |
Private Rag forum moderators | 2 |
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Junior Site moderators | 2 | |
| Level E |  |
UKRag Crew volunteers | 2 |
| Level G |  |
General Members | 1 |
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Moderation Procedures
All moderators will be expected to keep a summary of any moderation decisions in a private forum. This is essential to record any decisions enabling other moderators and/or senior team members to see whether any issues need addressing. Obviously this information is useful in explaining the situation surrounding a complaint so a lack of such a record is automatically grounds for concern and will be addressed by Level A/B or C team members.
Procedure 1
In most cases any problem posts will take place on a specific forum and as such any issues should initially be directed to the named Moderator for that forum. (for instance, Seaneeboy on the Coffee Lounge). The primary method of contact should be the private message system.
However anyone from Level A to C will also be able to assist if the issue is particularly serious and the named Moderator is not available.
In principal any team member of Level C upwards is able to make a decision on any post that breaks the house rules. However as a rule anyone marked as a specific forum moderator should be the primary point of contact as it is essentially "their forum and their responsibility". This ensures consistency within the forum.
Procedure 2
In some rare cases a moderator or crew member at Level D or E may have acted in a way that may require intervention from a more senior team member. In such an situation a detailed account of the problem and any references should be sent to complaints@ukrag.net and this will be forwarded automatically to the Level A/B team.
The issue will then be discussed by the level A and B team. In the case of a moderators decision being upheld a standard format PM will be sent to the complainant. However if the complaint is upheld then the issue will be dealt with by a Level A/B team member and appropriate action taken. The overall objective being to learn from any issues and work to avoid them happening in the future.
Procedure 3
Should a complaint involve a Level B or A crew member then a detailed account of the problem (with references as appropriate) should be still be sent to complaints@ukrag.net. The senior moderators who are not included in the complaint will liaise directly with the complainant by private message system to resolve the issue. This may include at least one reply from the team member in question, allowing them to explain their actions regarding the complaint made. A record of all communication will also be maintained in the Senior Admin forum. Any decision will require the agreement of at least two other A/B team members and action taken as appropriate. If considered necessary a 3rd party, to act in a peer review role, will be called in and agreed upon by at least two other Level A/B team members.
Escalation of a complaint
In cases where a grievance procedure has been handled using procedure 1 and the complainant feels the need to escalate their complaint to a higher level then they should follow Procedure 2. At this point the level A & B administration team will become involved and will review the complaint as laid down.
We will endeavor to ensure that all parties fully understand when a complaint is upheld or denied.
Possible Sanctions
In most cases upholding a complaint will
require a simple reversal of a moderating decision
such as
a topic lock and discussion within the team to learn from the
situation. However in instances where a more serious complaint
has been made sanctions can involve:
- user/crew member suspension
- user/crew member banning (temporary or permanent)
- crew member demotion
Note: (Level A) For obvious reasons it is not possible to sanction the site owner in the event of a complaint but it is recognised that there may be a very rare possibility of such an event requiring some form of disciplinary action. At present is only possible to accept that goodwill will prevail and plans to deal with this extremely unlikely occurrence will be put in place in due course.
Timescale for reporting a grievance
Any grievance should be reported as soon as a problem arises and not left to fester. As such we expect any complaints to be made within 5 days of the issue arising. Older issues will only be considered in extreme circumstances.
Timescale for resolution
Every effort will be made to ensure that a complaint is dealt with quickly and within a maximum timeframe of 14 days.
However, there may be some circumstances where a resolution cannot be sought within this time frame, such as holidays, or due to exceptional circumstances (ie: death in the family of a key team member, etc..). If this is the case the reasons for any delay will be made clear to all parties concerned and the matter resolved as quickly as humanly possible.
Misuse of the Grievance Procedure
The grievance procedure is intended as a tool for resolving any potential problems and ensuring that all team members work within the policy framework laid down for this site. However repeated use of this system to make unwarranted complaints against individual team members will be taken as an abuse of the procedure and treated as harassment. Harassment, as stated in the Terms and Conditions is unacceptable and will be acted on accordingly.
Complaints will still be reviewed in full, however any misuse of the system will be identified and sanctions agreed upon by all level A and B team members.
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