ReadMe Employee Handbook
(No, really—read me!)How did it all begin?
One of my first projects at a programmer in San Francisco was to build an API and embeddable widget for the startup I was at. Building the tech was the easy part. After I finished that, it came time to build some sort of developer hub—document it so any-one could understand, distribute developer keys, provide support, and more. It took longer than the API, and didn’t do a great job of making things easier to use. Ever since then, it’s bothered me how little attention is paid to “documentation,” despite the fact developers spend most of the day reading, writing, or cursing it. When people think of documentation, they think paragraphs of static text that drone on. It should be more than that, though— it’s the entire user experience for an API or code library. Docu-mentation is core to how we build software, yet it’s relegated to an afterthought. When we built websites, we make them intui-tive, well-designed, and tailored to the user. When we build APIs, for some reason we’re content with spitting out a few convolut-ed paragraphs of text and calling it a day. We can do better! We’re building developer experiences that just work. It’s more than just Computer Science grads that are writing code now: millions of tech-literate people are eager to become makers. Our mission at ReadMe is to empower anyone to build some-thing cool.
Introduction
Welcome ... 06
Mission and Values ...07
Onboarding Structure ...08
Internal Transparency ... 09
Objectives and Key Results ... 10
First Day Items ...11
General Ops Communication ...12 Coworker Etiquette ...13 One-on-Ones ...14 Standup ...15 Lunches ...16 Working Remotely...17 Offsites ...18 Happy Hour ...19 Shared Files ...20
Looking for something specific?
We’ve got you covered.
Equity Guide
Our Pledge ...21
Stock Options ...22
Vesting and Cliffs ...23
Benefits and Perks Health Coverage ... 24
OneMedical Membership...26
Holidays ... 27
Vacation and Leave ...28
Continuing Education ...30
401(k) ...31
Employment Policies Equal Opportunity Employment ...32
At-will Employment ...33
Community Code of Conduct ...34
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Let’s get acquainted
Welcome to the ReadMe handbook! We’re so excited to have you on board! This handbook contains everything you need to know about ReadMe policies, perks and benefits, and what to expect as in our day-to-day. We’re small, so things change quickly. We’ll keep updating this as we grow; you can update it too!
This is Owlbert. He's our Mascot.
Mission and values
ReadMe is on a mission to make documentation magical. We’re changing the way people communicate and share, opening up new opportunities for innovation.
Err on the side of whimsy
Life is too short to not use puns and owl doodles everywhere
Make things that just *work*
We do the heavy lifting so our users don’t have to
Be the change you seek
If you think something could be better, make it so!
Polish the product
Just because we’re a small team doesn’t mean it should show
Strive for simplicity
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How we stack up
ReadMe has a flat structure for now. Mostly because there’s no good way to make a pyramid with such a small team. Everyone is important, and we value your opinions. This means reach out and talk to anyone you want. We’re building this together! Unfor-tunately, Owlbert only takes appointments 6 months out.
Let’s be real
We talk a lot and see each other every day, so it’s pretty hard to think there’s any undercover sneakiness going on. At least that’s what Owlbert wants you to think.
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Objectives and key results
We’ll set up quarterly goals as a team. Usually at an offsite, but always over food. Individually we’ll set quarterly goals with our-selves, and talk about them if we want. At 1-on-1's we’ll decide what needs to get done for the week. Objective #1 is always to figure out where to eat lunch.
What to bring your first day
Onboarding paperwork requires photocopies of acceptable documents for the I-9 worksheet. The easiest way to do this is a passport (List A), but you can also use a license and social security card or birth certificate (List B + List C), or anything else on those lists!12
Chatting it up
Most of our communication at ReadMe occurs over Slack. When we need someone’s attention, we usually just mention them on there (or take a page out of Owlbert's book with a hoot and a holler). Emails are generally saved for outside communication or more in-depth discussions. Obviously, we also talk in person in our regular inside voices.
A bit of etiquette
We assume that coworkers share the same goals, but may work best in different conditions. To help everyone be their most pro-ductive, we observe these guidelines for respecting each other’s work and time:
HEADPHONE POLICY
If a co-worker is wearing headphones, assume that they are in THE ZONE. Science says that it usually takes people 20+ minutes to get focused so this time is very valuable. If what you need is extremely urgent, yell loudly so that we can all handle the emer-gency situation. If not, shoot them a message on Slack and they can respond when they are no longer focused anyway.
MEETINGS
Since we’re so small, internal meetings are also a small thing at ReadMe. A lot of meetings happen over lunch. If you do have a meeting, keep it short (<30 minutes) and be on time! If you can’t make it let everyone know as early as possible.
FOOD
No one likes a moldy office. Eat as much as you want (we defi-nitely do), just make sure to wash your dishes. House clean-ers come approximately every other Monday. But still, plenty of mold can grow in two weeks, and no one likes fuzzy green growth in their tea.
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One-on-ones
Employees are encouraged to have regular meetings as needed throughout the team. Whether it's a quick check-in over coffee, a daily brainstorm by the beanbags, or an empathetic /giphy DM, it's unfacilitated and up to you.
Standup
ReadMe does Standup everyday at 11am. Everyone should say big things they accomplished the day before, and what they plan to do that day. It's always in #standup on Slack.
On Mondays we also do Growth Standup where we calculate our percentage of MRR growth from the week before. We aim for 5%, and if it’s less we do one minute planks for each percentage that we miss. Let’s hope our abs don’t get too strong!
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Did someone say free lunch?
Yep, every Tuesday/Thursday—Owlbert’s treat!On Tuesdays we generally strive for alliteration, so that we can have (some place that starts with a T) Tuesdays. In reality it often becomes Citizen’s Band Tuesdays, which is arguably less poetic, but just as tasty.
Everyone provides (read: orders) their own lunches on other days. But we have bottles of Soylent if you're feeling particularly lazy!
Work from home days
We work from home on Wednesdays! Get up late, get some chores done, stay in your pajamas all day—just don’t come in to the office. Unless you really want to. But you’ll probably be alone. On Wednesdays we stay in touch via Slack and give ourselves time to work on big projects without distractions. For instance, writing this handbook.
You are also welcome to work from home as need be on other days, as long as you’re not missing anything really big. Just let us know ahead of time if possible!
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Offsites
ReadMe goes on an offsite each quarter! ReadMe covers the cost of flights/drives, accommodation, and company meals. It’s a great way to get to know your coworkers better, and usually where we do high-level planning for the upcoming months. Past offsites have been to Austin and Sonoma. We all like to explore new places, so if there’s somewhere you’d love to go, just let us know!
Happy hour
ReadMe hosts a happy hour once a month! Mostly because every time we host an event we over-order owlcohol. But we’ll go to bars if we run out/the roof is taken that day. Employees and part-time contractors are encouraged to come hang out and catch up with the rest of the team. Everyone is encouraged to bring 1–2 people to spice up the night!
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File sharing is caring
Files are currently shared on Slack (yay, good search!), Google drive (boo, bad search), or Dropbox (mostly designs).
Our equity pledge
If the company does well, we want you to do well. We pledge that the option to exercise your stock options will always be available. Even if you are no longer with the company, we want anyone who contributed to our success to benefit from it.
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Understanding stock options
There are a number of ways that early-stage startups offer equity. While this will change as we grow and upfront costs to employees become prohibitive, we currently issueRestricted Stock.
This means you will pre-purchase your options and file a 83(b) election. This will cost a few hundred dollars at most, and we will buy back any unvested shares if you leave before you vest. There is no need to “exercise options” or worry about an “exer-cise window”. You own the stock once it vests (more on that on the next page).
When you file an 83(b) election with the IRS, you start the clock instantly on the long term capital gains holding period rather than waiting until it vests. Since long term capital gains are taxed at a lower rate, you’ll pay less in taxes.
Vesting and cliffs
Vesting means that instead of getting your equity all at one time, it’s given to you in small amounts over a designated period of time. In general, stock fully vests after four years. So if an employee quits after two years, they only receive 50% of their equity, but if they stay the full four they get it all!
Because accounting can get really confusing when everyone owns only a tiny amount of the company, a cliff exists to make sure that it’s a good fit for the long term before stock is vested. In general, companies have a 1 year cliff. This means for a year from the start date, no stock is vested, but on your anniversary you get a full ¼ of your equity! After that equity is vested on a monthly basis.
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Let’s cover your health
We offer medical, dental, and vision coverage at ReadMe for employees and their dependents. Several plans are available to all employees. ReadMe will contribute 100% of the cost for all employees and 50% for dependents. Coverage begins on the first of the month following hire date. All employees are eligible for coverage on the first of the month following their hire date. These policies are all managed through Zenefits. You can find full details about the plans, costs, and coverage at rdme.io/plans.
MEDICAL
Gold Select PPO Gold Select HMO
DENTAL
Cisc PPO A 1000 NW
VISION
WHAT'S AN HMO?
You must select an in-network primary care physician (PCP) to coordinate all of your medical care. If you feel sick, you must visit your PCP first, unless it’s an emergency. Your PCP will then determine whether you need to see a specialist. HMO plans tend to have much lower consumer costs than a PPO, they often have no deductible and low co-payments. However, HMO plans limit your care to in-network physicians.
WHAT'S A PPO?
A PPO plan generally offers a much broader network of doc-tors, a PPO allows you to see almost any doctor of their choice, as long as they are part of the network. Patients aren’t tied to a single primary care physician and a referral is not required to see a specialist. In-network care is encouraged through lower co-pays and more comprehensive benefits, but out of network care may still be partially covered. However, premiums for PPOs are typically higher than HMOs, and deductibles typically range from $500 up to $2000.
CHOOSING ONE
A PPO might be worth considering if you can afford higher premiums, want the freedom to choose from a wide network, or frequently visit specialists. HMO may be best if you don’t mind being restricted to a limited number of doctors, need to keep out-of-pocket costs at a minimum, or can’t afford a high deductible.
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OneMedical Membership
OneMedical is a group of doctors with offices throughout San Francisco, where patients can easily make appointments and access their doctors online or through an app. ReadMe covers the $150 annual fee, so all you have to do is show up and stay healthy!
Holidays
We observe the holidays listed below, as well as your birthday. Don’t you dare come in on your birthday! If one of these holidays falls on a Saturday, we will observe it the Friday before. If it falls on a Sunday, we will observe it the Monday following.
New Year’s Day
Martin Luther King Day
President’s Day Memorial Day Independence Day Labor Day Veteran’s Day Thanksgiving Day Black Friday Christmas Eve Christmas Day
New Year’s Eve
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Vacation
ReadMe offers employees an unlimited paid vacation policy. Since vacation is not limited, sick days are counted within this vacation policy. We believe that spending time away from work will help employees do better work, and thus encourage all employees to take at least two weeks of vacation. Vacation days are not formally recorded.
Employees should let their manager know as early as possible, at a minimum one week in advance, of any vacation lasting more than two days. Days out of the office should also be recorded in the ReadMe shared calendar.
New parent leave
ReadMe offers 12 weeks of paid leave for all full time employees, regardless of gender or sexual identity, after the birth or adop-tion of a child. This time is for the new parent to welcome the newborn or newly adopted child or children into their home and family. The leave should be taken within a year after the birth or adoption of the child.
Employees should give the rest of the team as much notice as possible before they take new parent leave, though there is no requirement for how far in advance notification needs to be given. Parenthood can be unexpected and sensitive, but the more that a team can anticipate the absence, the easier it will be to handle.
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Continuing education
We love learning! ReadMe believes that learning new things will help our employees stay happy and excited about the job. While we don’t yet have a formal continuing education plan, we con-sider sponsoring or subsidizing continuing education programs on a case-by-case basis.
If there’s something new you’re interested in learning, don’t hesi-tate to talk to your manager about potential programs and how it could help you grow in your role at ReadMe.
The 411 on your 401(k)
ReadMe offers a 401(K) retirement plan starting in Spring of 2016. Employees are eligible to enroll in the plan once they are 21 years old and are scheduled to work at least 1,000 hours during a plan year. Employees will receive a comprehensive onboarding package, but here are the highlights:
ELECTIVE DEFERRAL
Differ up to 100% of compensation pre-tax, or make Roth contri-butions post-tax up to the federal limit of $18,000/year.
MATCHING
ReadMe does not currently match contributions, but plans to match as the company grows, and will let all employees know when matching begins.
VESTING
Employees have a fully vested and nonforfeitable interest in their Elective Deferral Account.
INVESTMENT
Employees direct the investment of the account into available Investment Funds. We currently use the company Captain401 as our plan administrator, which monitors investment restrictions prescribed by the IRS.
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Equal opportunity employment
ReadMe is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The company sup-ports diversity and inclusion in its core values and does not discriminate against qualified employees or applicants because of race, color, religion, gender identity, sex, sexual preference, sexual identity, pregnancy, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, marital status, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, military status, religion, or any other characteristic protected by federal or state law or local ordinance. When necessary, the company will reasonably accommodate employ-ees and applicants with disabilities if the person is otherwise qualified to safely perform all of the essential functions of the position.
At-will employment
Your employment with the ReadMe is at-will. This means that you are free to terminate your employment at any time, with or without cause and the company has a right to terminate your employment at any time as well, with or without cause. No one in the company other than the CEO has the authority to alter your at-will status or to enter into any agreement for employment for a specified period of time or to make any agreement contrary to this policy. Only the CEO may do so, and only in a written agree-ment signed by both the CEO and you.
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Community code of conduct
This code of conduct applies to community members and ReadMe team members in all ReadMe communities online (in- cluding but not limited to IRC, support chat, the ReadMe Com-munity Slack group, Twitter, and Facebook), in the ReadMe office, and at all events hosted by ReadMe.
Our community is dedicated to creating an inclusive environ-ment for everyone, regardless of race, ethnicity, nationality, religion, color, sex (with or without sexual conduct and including pregnancy and sexual orientation involving transgender status/ gender identity, and sex-stereotyping), national origin, age, dis-ability (physical or mental), genetic information, sexual orienta-tion, gender identity, parental status, marital status, and political affiliation as well as gender expression, mental illness, socioeco-nomic status or background, neuro(a)typicality, physical appear-ance, body size, computing experience, or clothing. Consider that calling attention to differences can feel alienating.
We do not tolerate harassment of community members in any form. Harassment includes offensive verbal comments related to the protected classes above, sexual images in public spaces, deliberate intimidation, stalking, following, photography or au-dio/video recording against reasonable consent, sustained dis-ruption of talks or other events, inappropriate physical contact, and unwelcome sexual attention. Harassment does not need to be recognized as unwanted or unwelcome by anyone other than the person being harassed.
Be careful in the words that you choose. Remember that sexist, racist, and other exclusionary jokes can be offensive to those
around you. Offensive jokes are not appropriate and will not be tolerated under any circumstance.
Participants asked to stop any harassing behavior are expected to comply immediately. Community members violating these rules may be sanctioned or removed from community spaces. If you are being harassed, notice that someone else is being harassed, or have any other concerns, please contact your man-ager immediately.
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Complaint policy
ReadMe is committed to creating a safe work environment that is free of threats to the health, safety, and wellbeing of the people who work here. That includes (but isn’t limited to) harassment, discrimination, violation of health and safety rules, and violence.
ReadMe has an open-door policy, so employees are encouraged to report work-related concerns. If something about your job is bothering you, or if you have a question, concern, idea, or prob-lem related to your work, please discuss it with your manager or the CEO. If for any reason you don’t feel comfortable discussing it with them, you may contact ReadMe’s lawyer, Colin Chapman ([email protected]) of Gunderson Dettmer.
Any employee who witnesses or is subject to inappropriate con-duct in the workplace can report it to the CEO. We encourage employees to come forward with any workplace complaint, even if it’s not about something that’s explicitly covered in our writ- ten policies.
With the employee’s permission, we will conduct a complete and impartial investigation, which may involve an outside investigator in serious cases. All complaints will be handled as confidentially as possible. When the investigation is complete, the company will take corrective action if appropriate.
We will not engage in or allow retaliation against any employee who makes a good faith complaint or participates in an investi-gation. If you believe that you are being subjected to any kind
of negative treatment because you made or were questioned about a complaint, report the conduct immediately to the CEO. At this time, ReadMe is too small to have an internal group or department that can independently respond to complaints. Where appropriate, we will engage a third party to conduct a thorough investigation and recommend corrective action, where necessary.
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Employee Privacy
WORKSPACE PRIVACY
It is ReadMe’s goal to monitor or track our employees in as few ways as possible. We want ReadMe employees to feel a sense of ownership towards their personal workspaces and be com-fortable at the office. However, in order to ensure the safety and wellbeing of ReadMe employees, company property (e.g. desks, laptops, and other devices) is subject to search. For instance, this might be used if management learns that an employee has brought a gun to work or has stolen company property.
This means that while the company will always try to respect employee privacy, employees do not have a right to privacy in their workspaces in any property that belongs to ReadMe. ReadMe reserves the right to search company property at any time, without warning, to ensure compliance with our policies, including those that cover employee safety, workplace violence, harassment, theft, and possession of prohibited items.
EMAIL AND INTERNET PRIVACY
ReadMe email and Internet are not being actively monitored by anyone, but because they are company resources that are man-aged according to company policy, you should not expect pri-vacy from either. The company has both the ability and the right to look at employee usage for both in order to protect employee safety and wellbeing, as well as company property and interests.
USE OF THE EMAIL SYSTEM FOR PERSONAL EMAIL
The email system is intended for official Company business. If you send personal messages through the Company’s email system, you should exercise discretion as to the type of mes-sages you send.
ALL CONDUCT RULES APPLY TO EMAIL
All of our policies and rules of conduct apply to employee use of the email system. This means, for example, that you may not use the email system to send harassing or discriminatory messages; to send threatening messages; or to reveal company trade secrets.
PROFESSIONAL TONE AND CONTENT
When you send email using a ReadMe email address or ReadMe social account, you are representing ReadMe. Make sure that your messages are professional and appropriate, in tone and content. Although email or social media may seem like a private conversation, they can be printed, saved, and forwarded to un-intended recipients. You should not send any email/message/ update/etc. that you wouldn’t want our team, your family, or our competitors to read.
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Drug and alcohol policy
Our priority at ReadMe is to create a safe, comfortable, and pro-ductive environment for everyone we work with. We realize that drugs and alcohol can contribute to a culture of harassment or one that feels unsafe for some employees, even as it can foster camaraderie and friendship among others. Above all other con-siderations, our drug and alcohol policy is intended to preempt and avoid harassment and make work at ReadMe feel safe.
It is the responsibility of every employee to ensure that their individual consumption is not making anyone else feel uncom-fortable or unsafe. Employees who violate this policy may face
disciplinary action, up to and including termination. Alcohol may occasionally be brought into the office to celebrate an accomplishment, birthday, or other milestone. Though events at ReadMe will be presumed dry until otherwise discussed, there may also be events in the office after work where alcohol is available.
Illegal drugs should not be used, bought, sold, or distributed while at work, either in the office or outside of the office while representing ReadMe.
That’s all for now, folks!
Thanks for reading about ReadMe! If you have any questions just give us a hoot. We can’t wait to start flying with you.
