My Code of Conduct
I aim to provide exceptional work in a welcoming, respectful and safe environment.
I show respect by
- being open and honest,
- honouring the privacy of the information you share with me,
- welcoming diverse perspectives, being willing to change my ideas and assumptions,
- keeping current on professional best practices,
- actively seeking feedback on my work, and
- being responsive and reliable.
Conflict of Interest
I will clearly label any blog posts that have affiliate links or are sponsored (which is none at the moment, but you never know).
I will accept gifts only if they are of small value (and ideally edible … mmm … chocolate) with no expectation of special treatment or unfair advantage. If you choose to express gratitude to me by way of a charitable donation, please consider My Sisters Place.
Complaints & Compliments
My work should be of exceptional quality, with high attention to detail and virtually error-free. I am human though, so I will gladly rewrite or re-edit material that doesn’t meet your expectations.
Please tell me what I’m doing well too.
Your Privacy
I will get information from you in order to provide my services as well as billing information needed for payment. I will keep notes on our conversations and copies of our electronic communication. I will not share your information with anyone without your express permission, except in (very) rare situations where disclosing it is required by law.
I treat the material you share with me for my editing, proofreading or writing services with the utmost regard for its confidentiality. I delete materials after I’ve been paid for a completed project.
Occasionally, I will ask clients if I may use their information for testimonials, marketing information, or for use in my blog. Agreeing to this is completely voluntary.
If you want to, please tweet with me, or follow me on social media. See my Social Media Policy (karenlowry.ca/social-media-policy) for more information.
If you follow my blog, I have access to your email address or WordPress username. I use that only for the automatic updates about new posts and I do not share the information with anyone.
I collect standard technical information about users of my website through Google Analytics and JetPack WordPress stats. The purpose is to give me information about how users are finding and using my site so that I can improve it. My website uses cookies and spam filters. Please contact me at karen@karenlowry.ca if you want more technical details. I do not use ad services on my website.
Security
I take steps to protect your personal information from loss, theft, and unauthorized access.
Hard copy information is stored in a locked filing cabinet in my home office. I rarely bring hard copies of personal information when I leave the office and when I do, I used a locked briefcase.
I store most information electronically. My computers and phone are encrypted and no one else has my password. I don’t use any subcontractors that would have access to your private information.
Email and texting are not secure ways of communicating, so I won’t use them to communicate sensitive information with you without your permission. I’m happy to use whatever secure system suits you best: sync.com (which has end-to-end encryption), GoogleDocs, Dropbox, etc. My email and website comments are through GoDaddy and WordPress.
Accessibility
I expect my services to be equally accessible to all people, including people with disabilities (disabled people if you prefer that description). I am familiar with assistive devices and alternate methods of communication, and I will adapt to best meet each individual’s needs.
Service animals are welcome in my workspace and if you have a support person accompanying you, they can be part of our meetings if you want.
For workshops where I charge a per-person rate, support workers will not be charged to attend.
Feedback
I welcome feedback on my services: please tell me how I’m doing!
Contact me at karen@karenlowry.ca.