Code of conduct

The short version

Rust Nation UK is a community conference intended for networking and collaboration in the developer community. We value the participation of each member of the Rust community and want all attendees to have an enjoyable and fulfilling experience. Accordingly, all attendees are expected to show respect and courtesy to other attendees throughout the conference and at all conference events, whether officially sponsored by Rust Nation UK or not. To make clear what is expected, all delegates, attendees, speakers, exhibitors, organisers and volunteers at any Rust Nation UK event are required to conform to the following code of conduct. Organisers will enforce this code throughout the event.

Rust Nation UK is dedicated to providing a harassment free conference experience for everyone, regardless of gender, gender identity and expression, age, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, ethnicity, or religion. We do not tolerate harassment of conference participants in any form. All communication should be appropriate for a professional audience including people of many different backgrounds. Sexual language and imagery is not appropriate for any conference venue, including talks. Be kind to others. Do not insult or put down other attendees. Behave professionally. Remember that harassment and sexist, racist, or exclusionary jokes are not appropriate for Rust Nation UK. Attendees violating these rules may be asked to leave the conference without a refund at the sole discretion of the conference organisers.

Thank you for helping make this a welcoming, friendly event for all.

The long version

Harassment includes offensive verbal comments related to gender, gender identity and expression, age, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, ethnicity, or religion, sexual images in public spaces, deliberate intimidation, stalking, following, harassing photography or recording, sustained disruption of talks or other events, inappropriate physical contact, and unwelcome sexual attention. Participants asked to stop any harassing behaviour are expected to comply immediately.

Exhibitors in the exhibition hall, sponsor or vendor stands, or similar activities are also subject to the anti-harassment policy. In particular, exhibitors should not use sexualised images, activities, or other material. Stand staff, including volunteers, should not use sexualised clothing, uniforms or costumes, or otherwise create a sexualised environment.

Be careful in the words that you choose. Remember that sexist, racist, and other exclusionary jokes can be offensive to those around you. Excessive swearing and offensive jokes are not appropriate for Rust Nation UK.

If a participant engages in behaviour that violates this code of conduct, the conference organisers may take any action they deem appropriate, including warning the offender or expulsion from the conference with no refund.

If something happens

If you are being harassed, notice that someone else is being harassed, or have any other concerns, please contact a member of conference staff. Conference staff will be wearing badges with the label “Organiser”. You may also contact venue staff and ask to be put in touch with the conference organisers.

Conference staff will be happy to help participants contact venue security or local law enforcement, provide escorts, or otherwise assist those experiencing harassment to feel safe for the duration of the conference. We value your attendance.

You can also email info@rustnationuk.com at any time, before, during or after the event.

Reporting an incident

All conference staff wear a conference badge with the word “Organiser” on it, and all of them are briefed on this policy and on handling harassment at the conference.

Report the incident, preferably in writing, to a member of conference staff. All reports are confidential. Please do not disclose public information about the incident until staff have had sufficient time to address the situation. This is as much for your safety and protection as for other attendees.

When reporting, try to gather as much information as is available, but do not interview people about the incident. Staff will assist you in writing the report and collecting information. The important information is:

• Identifying information, name or badge number, of the participant doing the harassing
• The behaviour that was in violation
• The circumstances surrounding the incident
• The approximate time of the behaviour, if different from the time the report was made
• Other people involved in the incident

If everyone is presently physically safe, law enforcement or security will be involved only at the victim’s request. If you feel your safety is in jeopardy, please do not hesitate to contact local law enforcement by dialling 999. If you do not have a mobile to hand, ask any member of conference or venue staff.

Incidents that violate this code of conduct are extremely damaging to the community, and they will not be tolerated. In many cases they also present a chance for the offenders, and the community at large, to learn and become better. We ask that conference staff are your first resource when reporting a Rust Nation UK incident, so that we can enforce this code and act quickly toward a resolution.

How we handle reports

This section is what our own staff are briefed to do. It is published so that anyone reporting an incident knows what to expect.

Staff should have a good understanding of this policy and of what is expected from an attendee reporting an incident. Get as much of the incident in written form from the reporter as possible. If that is not possible, transcribe it as it was told to you. The important information to gather is:

• Identifying information, name or badge number, of the participant doing the harassing
• The behaviour that was in violation
• The approximate time of the behaviour, if different from the time the report was made
• The circumstances surrounding the incident
• Other people involved in the incident

Prepare an initial response. This response sets the tone, so depending on the severity and detail of the incident:

• If there is any general threat to attendees, or the safety of anyone including conference staff is in doubt, summon security or the police
• Offer the person reporting a private place to sit
• Ask whether there is a friend or trusted person they would like with them, and if so arrange for someone to fetch that person
• Ask them how you can help
• Provide them with the list of emergency contacts in case they need help later
• If everyone is presently physically safe, involve law enforcement or security only at their request

Things not to do in an initial response:

• Do not invite them to withdraw the complaint, or mention that withdrawal is acceptable. That suggests you want them to, and is therefore coercive. “If you are happy to pursue the complaint” suggests it is being pursued by default, and is not coercive.
• Do not ask their advice on how to deal with the complaint. That is a staff responsibility.
• Do not offer them input into penalties. That is a staff responsibility.

Once something is reported, meet with the conference chair or event coordinator immediately. The objectives of that meeting are to establish what happened, whether we are acting on it, who is doing what, and when.

After that meeting, a member of staff, preferably the conference chair or event coordinator, communicates with the alleged harasser. Tell them what has been reported. Allow them to give their side of it. If the report then stands, tell them what action will be taken.

Options when dealing with offenders include:

• Warning them to stop, and that any further reports will result in sanctions
• Requiring that they avoid any interaction with, and physical proximity to, the person affected for the remainder of the event
• Ending a talk that violates the policy early
• Not publishing the video or slides of a talk that violated the policy
• Not allowing a speaker who violated the policy to give further talks at the event, now or in future
• Immediately ending any volunteer responsibilities and privileges they hold
• Requiring that they do not volunteer for future events we run, indefinitely or for a set period
• Requiring that they leave the event immediately and not return
• Banning them from future events, indefinitely or for a set period

Give the accused a route of appeal if there is one, but in the meantime the report stands. It is not a good idea to encourage an apology from the harasser.

How the incident is dealt with publicly matters. Our policy is to make sure that everyone aware of the initial incident is also made aware that it was not according to policy and that official action has been taken, while still respecting the privacy of individual attendees. When speaking to people who are aware of the incident but were not involved in it, keep the details out.

Depending on the incident, the conference chair, or their designate, may make one or more public announcements, either during a plenary session or through other channels. Nobody other than the conference chair, or someone delegated authority by them, should make any announcement. No personal information about either party is disclosed as part of this process.

If attendees were angered by the incident, apologise that it occurred at all. If there are residual hard feelings, suggest they email the conference organisers, and deal with it accordingly.

This code of conduct was adapted from the one used by our sister conference GopherCon UK, which was itself forked from the PyCon Code of Conduct.