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Staff Availability Guidelines

Barren Land is operated entirely by volunteers. These guidelines exist to help the team coordinate coverage — not to police staff time.

  • Notify leadership when you expect to be unavailable for more than 14 days, when reasonably possible.
  • Staff who are inactive and unreachable for more than 30 days may have their status reviewed (see the staff status review process in the Administrative Governance Framework).
  • Extended breaks are expected and should never automatically result in removal.

When to Communicate

Let the team know, even briefly, when:

  • Taking a vacation or extended personal break.
  • Stepping away during an active investigation (hand it off or note its state first).
  • Returning after extended inactivity.
  • Facing a medical, family, or work situation that will reduce your availability.

Why This Matters

Good communication prevents duplicate work, keeps investigations from stalling, and lets the rest of the team plan around gaps in coverage. It's a courtesy to your fellow volunteers, not a requirement to justify your time.