How long can a staff member be active before you assume they no longer want the job? For instance, lets say your admin or mod suddenly took hiatus from the forum and didn't give notice, not even coming by once a week. Would you assume they wanted to quit and offer a demotion? Or, would you try to get them active again, such as by emailing the staff member? How do you handle inactive staff on your forum?
Inactive staff members
- Thread starter Beverly
- Start date
If a staff member on my site was inactive for approximately one weeks, I would PM them first letting them know that their lack of activity is affecting the rest of our team. I'd also let them know that if I don't hear from them within a week, from the PM, I'll be e-mailing a warning of demotion. If after another week, and still no word, the staff member would be removed from our staff.
Hyperminimalism
Familiar Face
It's just courteous to try and get in contact with the staff member first before assuming they don't have interest in working on the site anymore. I would try to email or message them, and see if they are alright or if they have been hit with a bad case of reality. And if they don't answer within two weeks, I would put them on a staffless hiatus until they get back to you.
ForumsGroup
Resident
I'd have to say a couple weeks of inactivity and normally I remove them from staff after trying to contact them to see what's up.
If I am not notified by them that they would be away for a period of time, I would give them around a week to come back online. If they don't, I will email them or find a way to communicate with them and offer a demotion or welcome them back.
I'd leave it longer than that - a couple of months of no contact before removal (with attempts to contact them in other ways, obviously). In the case of volunteer staff, anyway. The reality is that forums may be interesting things, and staff may be important to that, but 'real life' is more important, and I think removing good staff members because real life has got in the way for a bit is kind of 'cutting off your nose to spite your face'. People appreciate a bit of understanding too when things might be difficult for them in the real world for some reason, and that helps create loyalty among staff.
Of course, that's assuming that there are sufficient staff to cover the shortfall, but there should always be enough staff that someone can be missing for a while without everything falling apart. If someone was missing, I'd consider appointing someone else to cover if need be before removing a staff member - I'd want to give them some time to deal with whatever it is is keeping them away without them having the added pressure of thinking they were letting the forum down.
Of course, that's assuming that there are sufficient staff to cover the shortfall, but there should always be enough staff that someone can be missing for a while without everything falling apart. If someone was missing, I'd consider appointing someone else to cover if need be before removing a staff member - I'd want to give them some time to deal with whatever it is is keeping them away without them having the added pressure of thinking they were letting the forum down.
To give notice before leaving should be something natural when working. If someone is going to be away for one or two days a notice may not be necessary, but if it's longer than that then at least the administrators have the right to know it. In sudden cases, well, that's the hard part. I make sure I have tried every communication means possible to reach the lost staff member before starting to decide on whether to keep him or not. My toleration is probably around a month. In another forum I'm a staff member on, the administrators can tolerate it up to around three months.
It varies, and if the remaining staff members can still handle the overall job well, this kind of cases tend to be overlooked until the person in question returns.
It varies, and if the remaining staff members can still handle the overall job well, this kind of cases tend to be overlooked until the person in question returns.
A month at least but a little longer than that! I will in that time contact them at first to see if they are alright. You don't know if they are ill, dead (god forbid) or even if their computer has broken and they have no means to contact you. If I don't hear back after about a fortnight, I send another message that if there is no activity from them within a few more weeks then I have no option but to assume that they no longer wanted to continue with a staff position.
Pvcomputers
Addicted
I would say 1-3 months if they are not active
THF_Martin
Addicted
If they do not notify me after a week of inactivity I will PM them and if they do not return after 2-4 weeks I will remove them.
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