Valued members,

Over the past nine years, our community has grown from a small shared workspace in Pioneer Square to a network of three spaces with hundreds of members. Some are coworking veterans and some are experiencing a shared work environmemt for the first time. With all the new faces at TPC, I want to ensure that everyone is familiar with expectations and etiquette at TPC.

This letter is meant as a comprehensive reminder of the community policies at TPC and the standards we expect each member to uphold. It's not meant to call anyone out. 

Managing Common Resources

At its core, the coworking model allows members access to great places to work at a low cost by pooling resources to more efficiently use space.

This works great when everyone is conscientious and operating within the confines of their membership. It only takes a few people operating outside the rules though, for the system to break down.

If everyone did this, would it be sustainable?

If you remember only one rule, it's to ask yourself "If everyone did this, would it be sustainable?" before doing something

Here are some real world examples of things we've seen this year:

• Squatting in a conference room without reserving it

• Storing weeks worth of groceries in the members fridge

• Reserving more conference hours than you need "just in case" and then cancelling at the last minute

• Leaving a mess on the counter after your lunch

• Sneaking beer into your backpack before leaving for the weekend

• Talking dishes home or leaving them in your office

• Spilling coffee and not cleaning it up or notifying staff

• Claiming a second locker

• Podcasting in a phone booth for many hours

Each of these things may seem innocuous, but they have compounding effects when combined which leads to frustration for fellow members and staff.

To reset expectations and ensure we can all utilize the space to its fullest, I want to articulate TPC's official policies regarding our common resources. If you are a team lead, please make sure your teammates and guests are aware of these policies.

Phone Booths & Huddle Room (Belltown) Usage

• If there is a sign-up sheet on a resource, please use it

• Please limit your time in a booth to one hour between 10am - 2pm 

• Do not leave your items in a booth when you are not actively using it

Conference Room Usage

• A reservation is required to use all conference rooms

• Please use the Members Portal or see a staff member to reserve a room

• If you squat in a conference room without a reservation, our staff will create a reservation for you and bill it to your account

Kitchen and Common Areas

• Leave it like you found it!

• Please clean up after yourself (wipe down counters etc.)

• Place dirty dishes in the dishwasher, or bus tub (if dishwasher is running)

• If you use the microwave, wipe it down

• Snacks, drinks, and dishware are meant to be consumed and used in the space

• Label and date food you store in the fridge!

Printers

• Review your membership agreement to see the monthly printing allotments included with your membership

• Additional prints will be charged at $0.10 for B&W and $0.25 for color

• Remember to pick up your print jobs so we're not wasting unnecessary paper

If at any time you want to review our Community Guidelines, they will be permalinked here

Thank you for your time and cooperation!

Chris Hoyt

CEO | The Pioneer Collective