PANGEA’S DIGITAL LIBRARY OF DEMOCRATIC WORKPLACE POLICIES & RESOURCES
The Digital Library of Democratic Nonprofit Governance is a collection of policies and resources developed by the staff of Pangea Legal Services to design an equitable workplace. Over the course of ten years, we have cultivated a collective governance structure to distribute power and responsibility among staff. It has strengthened the quality and impact of our work and allowed the organization to grow at a sustainable pace.
The policies in this collection articulate how we govern, how we decide, how we work, and how we take care of each other. We offer them both as resources for leaders and organizations curious about high-impact decentralized governance, and as an invitation to design workplaces that embody our values. We welcome the free use of these materials, and we invite you to credit and celebrate Pangea wherever possible.
HOW WE GOVERN
Pangea is a democratically managed organization governed by its staff. Pangea staff share the authority and responsibility of directing the organization and establishing systems of collective care through a structure of hubs. We do not have an executive director or a traditional hierarchal management structure.
Every Pangea staff voting member sits in a hub. Hubs develop policies and systems for their respective work areas. They coordinate and oversee processes to meet organizational goals and needs, and they collaborate to integrate their work. Contrary to popular belief about non-hierarchical organizations, most decisions that we make are not made by consensus. They are made by hubs. Only major decisions are brought to the whole team for a vote. Our decision-making processes enable each Pangea staff member to propose projects, take significant leadership roles, and optimize individual autonomy as well as collective responsibility.
Pangea Points of Unity
The Pangea Points of Unity articulate the values that anchor and guide the organization.
Board Resolution Approving Staff Self-Governance
The Board Resolution Approving Staff Self-Governance establishes Pangea staff as the primary directors of the strategy, policy, and tactics of the organization through a structure of distributed power.
Becoming a Co-Director of Pangea
Becoming a Co-Director of Pangea outlines how a new employee becomes a voting member in the staff collective.
HOW WE MAKE DECISIONS
Authority Flow-Chart
The Authority Flow-Chart shows how authority is distributed between the full staff collective, hubs, and individuals.
Decision-making Policy
The Decision-making Policy creates a system for voting and representation within the organization. It identifies key types of decisions and outlines the process for a proposal to become policy.
Performance Improvement Process and Termination Policies
The Performance Improvement Policy establishes the PIP team and process to support personal growth and organizational health as performance issues arise. The Termination Policy lists conditions that make involuntary termination appropriate, as well as the process to carry it out.
Hubs Rotation Policy
All Pangea Co-Directors must participate in at least one hub. The Hub Rotation Policy outlines the terms for member participation and rotation across hubs.
HOW WE WORK
Governance Hub
Governance Hub designs procedures for how the staff collective makes and administers decisions. Within the organizational structure, it serves as a keystone to create connections between hubs.
Legal Services Hub
Legal Services Hub manages caseloads across the organization and nurtures the professional development of staff.
Function Junction Hub
Function Junction Hub oversees general and daily business operations across the organization to facilitate high quality services.
Finance Hub
Finance Hub manages and oversees Pangea’s expenses, budget, accounting, and taxes.
Communications Hub
Communications Hub amplifies stories and messages in support of the organization’s work and values with community, partners, supporters, and the public.
Income Hub
Income Hub fosters diversified cash flows rooted in organizational values, budget, and team needs.
Human Resources Hub
Human Resources Hub cultivates organizational systems of care. It manages staff benefits, team wellness, and team life cycle recruitment and retention.
Community Empowerment and Policy Advocacy Hub
Community Empowerment and Policy Advocacy Hub tends to community and movement collaborations in service of efforts to build pro-immigrant power and advance systemic change.
HOW WE TAKE CARE
Four-Day Workweek
The Four-Day Workweek Policy establishes the hours required of full-time staff and non-exempt employees.
Remote Work
The Remote Work Policy defines what constitutes ‘remote.’ It outlines when employees can work remotely and the steps required to make it happen.
Fully Remote Work
The Fully Remote Work Policy outlines when an employee can work for the organization remotely full-time.
Flexible Work
The Flexible Work Policy draws the parameters for physical office hours, working hours, schedules, and balancing hours given the nature of working in community and immigration law.