Member Admission Process

B. Admission Procedure

• Crowdsourcing platforms can apply for admission to the "Code of Conduct" themselves. It is also possible for crowdsourcing platforms to be nominated for admission by third parties. In such cases, the crowdsourcing platform in question is asked if they agree to the admission before further proceedings are initiated.
• The Admission Committee is informed about the admission request.
• The Admission Committee informs the participants of the "Code of Conduct" network about the application. Participants in the "Code of Conduct" network have the opportunity to provide confidential feedback to the Admission Committee. The feedback period for this feedback is four weeks.
• The Admission Committee evaluates the application through an interview. The aim of the interview is to clarify the following questions:
  • What is the crowdsourcing platform's business model?
  • Does it involve crowdwork according to the definition in the "Code of Conduct"?
  • Does the crowdsourcing platform acknowledge the "Code of Conduct" and the rules of the Ombuds Office?
  • Does the crowdsourcing platform meet the following criteria or agree to fulfill the following criteria and implement corresponding measures?
    • There is a privacy policy, and the terms and conditions do not show any obvious violations of the "Code of Conduct."
    • There is a community management on the crowdsourcing platform that is responsible and conducted by humans.
    • The crowdsourcing platform involves crowdworkers in at least improving the processes and work organization (e.g., rating systems) on the platform.
    • All tasks are paid. Justified exceptions include:
      • Entrance tests,
      • Internal surveys,
      • Pro bono projects of the platform.
      Such exceptions must be clearly indicated.
    • The evaluations of the crowdworkers are transparent to the crowdworkers, both regarding the principles of the rating system and individual ratings.
    • The platform virtually or physically participates in the exchange within the "Code of Conduct" network.
    • The company operating the crowdsourcing platform, along with its subsidiaries, respects the rights of crowdworkers and employees to freedom of association and co-determination under the relevant laws.
  • Are the above criteria sufficient, or does the criteria catalog of the "Code of Conduct" need to be expanded or adjusted due to the crowdsourcing platform's business model or field of business?
• The Admission Committee evaluates the application through a survey among the crowdsourcing platform's crowdworkers regarding the working conditions on the platform and the crowdworkers' priorities regarding the contents of the "Code of Conduct."Participation in the survey is anonymous.
  
  The respective crowdsourcing platform only receives the results in aggregated form, which does not allow conclusions about individual crowdworkers' response behavior.
• The Admission Committee makes the decision whether to admit the applicant to the "Code of Conduct" by a simple majority and communicates this decision to the crowdsourcing platform and the members of the "Code of Conduct" network.
• If the admission application is approved, the crowdsourcing platform is admitted to the "Code of Conduct." This is announced publicly in a press release that is agreed upon between the members of the Admission Committee and the crowdsourcing platform.
• If the admission application is rejected, the Admission Committee may grant the applying crowdsourcing platform an individually determined period for improvement. Afterward, the Admission Committee makes a new decision.

C. Exclusion Procedure

The exclusion procedure is defined in the provisions concerning the rules of the Ombuds Office.