ABACBS Code of Conduct

Version: 2.0
Status: Endorsed
Date: 13th July 2021

ABACBS is committed to making its science, training and public outreach activities productive and enjoyable for everyone. We will not tolerate inappropriate behaviour by individuals or groups associated with our activities in any form.

This code applies to everyone participating in ABACBS activities, and to all spaces managed by ABACBS, including, but not limited to, seminars, workshops and conferences, and online forums such as Slack, Twitter and LinkedIn. By participating, individuals indicate their acceptance of this policy and related procedures.

EXPECTED BEHAVIOUR

Our aim is to foster/provide a welcoming and supportive environment for all people, regardless of background or identity. All event participants are expected to behave in accordance with both the ABACBS Code of Conduct as well as their respective employer's policies governing appropriate workplace behaviour, and applicable laws. All communication and interaction, irrespective of platform, should be appropriate for a professional audience.

ABACBS members and other participants are expected to:

  • Be considerate and respectful to others, in both speech and actions.

  • Refrain from demeaning, discriminatory or harassing behaviour and speech

  • Alert a member of the ABACBS executive/safety officers if they notice a dangerous situation, someone in distress or violations of this code of conduct.

UNACCEPTABLE BEHAVIOUR

Harassment and sexist, racist or exclusionary comments or jokes are not appropriate. Harassment includes sustained contact after a request has been made to stop, disruption of talks or other events, inappropriate physical contact, sexual attention or innuendo, deliberate intimidation, stalking, and inappropriate photography or recording of an individual without consent. It also includes, but is not limited to, offensive comments related to gender, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race or religion. Advocating for or encouraging any of the above is also considered unacceptable behaviour.

CONSEQUENCES OF UNACCEPTABLE BEHAVIOUR

Individuals asked to stop any inappropriate behaviour are expected to comply immediately. This applies to any ABACBS events and platforms, either online or in-person. The event organisers may take any action they deem appropriate, ranging from issuance of a warning to expulsion from the event or platform (without refund) or engage the ABACBS safety officers to investigate the Code of Conduct violation and impose appropriate sanctions.

REPORTING INCIDENTS

Anyone who witnesses or is subjected to unacceptable behaviour should notify one of the designated safety officers. Current safety officers can be found at https://www.abacbs.org/contact. Reports can be made in person to a safety officer, emailed directly to a safety officer, or emailed to coc@abacbs.org.

This Code of Conduct policy is licensed under the Creative Commons Zero license. It is based on the example anti-harassment policy from the Geek Feminism wiki, created by the Ada Initiative and other volunteers, the SKA Organisation Code of Conduct, and the Django Code of Conduct. To help track people’s improvements and best practice, please retain this acknowledgement, and log your re-use or modification of this policy at https://github.com/apontzen/london_cc.

Current Safety Officers for Code of Conduct:

  • Dr Jimmy Breen

  • Dr Nikeisha Caruana

  • Prof. Tony Papenfuss

You can contact the safety officers using: coc@abacbs.org