Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: work-or-pay system - legalities? general advice?

[Sharon Villines (sharon]

On 15 Apr 2011, at 12:07 PM, Rick Gravrok wrote:

> I increased my photography fee by $100.00 and then I'd tell the Bride and
> Groom that if and when they, and the wedding party, are all on time for the
> photographs, they get $100.00 off of their bill. Only once was I not able to
> give that $100.00 refund.

I had a CPA friend in NYC who was so deluged with people who turned in their 
taxes late that he started hosting a big party a the end of January. The party 
was free for anyone who brought their tax materials with them.

>    Is anyone doing something like this already? If so, let us know how it's
> working please.

It was reported some time ago that Sharingwood rotates the cleaning of the 
commonhouse. Everyone pays and is then paid when they do the cleaning. They 
often pay a member who cleans it. Other activities like marking trails are not 
tracked.

At the Ecovillage of Loudoun County VA, they do an annual labor budget and an 
operating budget. Projects are planned with estimated labor cost and people 
pledge annually to do so many hours in large categories — kitchen, grounds, 
social activities, etc. If people won't pledge the work, the project is cut 
back or cancelled. Or people can pledge funds at an hourly rate of $12 (far 
lower than the typical cost of hiring unskilled workers in Loudoun County which 
is probably $25.) So the cost of labor contributions are dealt with side by 
side with financial contributions. This makes it clear that more of one means 
less of the other.

If people don't report the hours worked, they are sent bills quarterly.  
Reporting is simply scratching on a piece of paper or an email -- nothing 
fancy. Name, hours, task.

Most people are afraid of the details of accounting —so much work! — or the 
nit-picky stuff of niggling over hours. The details are not so much work for 
detail people. It takes a lot less time than trying to convince people to get 
involved or in complaining about people not being involved.

I've posted this before but there is software online for time banking online 
called Community Weaver which would do this tracking perfectly well. Each 
person entering their own hours or a recorder doing it.

Conversely from being sure everyone works, If I tracked my hours over time, I 
might do less for the community because it would become a reality that I work 
half-time for the community and have for the 10+ years since we have moved in. 
I'm not the only one who averages 20 hours a week — and we are all "senior 
citizens."

Sharon
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Sharon Villines
Takoma Village Cohousing, Washington DC
http://www.takomavillage.org