Policies as promises: designing culture through care
How Public Servants is designing policies that reflect our culture of care.
When most people hear the word “policy,” they think of rules. Of legalese. Of worst-case scenarios and red tape. We think of them differently.
For us, policies are not just legal documents. They are cultural artifacts. They express what we believe about people, work, and care. They are not just about protection. They are about intention.
So when we sat down to build the foundational policies, from time off to intellectual property to job leveling, we didn’t start with a template. We started with a question:
What would it look like to design policies that feel human, honest, and aligned with the kind of culture we want to grow?
At Public Servants, policies are designed to reflect the culture we want to grow—one built on trust, care, and collaboration.
Care over control: how we approach time off
Take our sick and vacation policy. Instead of tracking hours or requiring doctor's notes, we ask for self-awareness and communication.
If you're unwell, physically, emotionally, or mentally, we want you to rest. Full stop. No guilt. No overexplaining. No “powering through.”
We wrote the policy to reflect that, clearly, plainly, and without loopholes. Because we trust our team to know what they need. And we trust that when they’re well, they’ll bring their full selves to the mission.
The same goes for vacation. We don’t glorify burnout here. Our vacation policy encourages people to actually take time, not hoard it or “earn” it through exhaustion. We are clear about expectations, but we are also explicit about our belief: rest is not a reward. It is a right.
Rest is not a reward.
It is a right.
Job levels that reflect people, not power
We also rewrote our job leveling framework from the ground up. Not as a ladder to climb but as a map to navigate.
Too often, levels are wrapped in secrecy, riddled with bias, or used to gate access and status. We wanted ours to be different - transparent, fair, and reflective of how someone works, not just what they produce.
So we built a framework that centers collaboration, systems thinking, learning orientation, and contribution to the whole. Progression isn’t about outshining others. It is about deepening impact and growing with intention.
Progression isn’t about outshining others. It is about deepening impact and growing with intention.
IP and confidentiality with mutual respect
Even our IP and confidentiality agreements reflect this ethos. We wanted to protect the company, yes, but not at the expense of creative freedom or trust.
We added language that acknowledges what people bring into the company, including prior inventions, side projects, and creative pursuits, and created a space to name and honor them. It is a small detail, but one that says: we see you as a whole person, not just an employee.
We see you as a whole person, not just an employee.
The promise behind every policy
In every one of these examples, our goal was the same: to write policies that match our values.
Policies that assume positive intent, not compliance anxiety.
Policies that name expectations without creating fear.
Policies that build the culture we want to live in, not just the one we are trying to avoid.
We know we will not get everything right the first time. But we have designed our policies with space for evolution. Feedback is not just welcome. It is part of the promise.
Because to us, policies are not about control. They are about clarity.
They are not about perfection. They are about care.
And they are not just what we expect from others. They are how we hold ourselves accountable too.
Policies are not about control. They are about clarity.
