This is a thing I made to bypass money and get people to be together who know each other
and rebuild the trust horizon for the benefit of all (except usurers).
Me and my mates are using it and getting great things done. Start small, don't add complexity and stick to the guidelines and it all should work. Keep it on a piece of paper - make it invisible to robots.
Or white board, and after 6 months if you find it boring get someone else to be the admin dude.
1. What is this? The Work Share Circle is a closed group of up to 10 people who exchange labour using a
simple credit system. No money changes hands. Instead, members earn credits for time and
effort contributed, and spend credits when they call on others. The goal is to help each other with projects — from laying a slab to painting a room to helping move house — without the awkwardness of owing favours informally or the transactional feel of paying friends.
2. The basic unit — the “session” A session is the core credit unit. It equals one person showing up and working for
roughly 3–4 hours. 1 session = 1 credit earned by the worker, 1 credit spent by the recipient. Full day = 2 credits (two sessions, with a break in between). Half-day unit keeps things flexible for people with physical limits, childcare, or part-time availability. Using a half-day as the base means people with reduced physical capacity can still participate fully. A person who can’t swing a hammer but who drives supplies, minds children for the crew, or handles skilled hand work earns credits at the same rate.
3. Credit rules - Earning and spending Credits are logged immediately after a session by the ledger keeper (within 24 hours).
Both the earner and spender confirm the entry is correct. Disputes are raised within 48 hours.
4. The ±6 cap - No member may accumulate more than +6 credits (owed to them) or −6 credits (owed by them) at any time. A balance of ±4 triggers a friendly nudge from the group. This cap prevents one person from becoming a perpetual donor who never draws on the group, and another from becoming a perpetual recipient who never contributes. Specialist skill bonus If a member brings a licensed or specialist skill (e.g. electrician, plumber, qualified tradesperson), the group may vote to award 1.5 credits per session instead of 1.
Rules: Must be proposed and agreed by the group before the session begins. Cannot be claimed retrospectively. Simple disagreement is resolved by majority vote. Materials are always separate. Materials, equipment hire, and consumables are never absorbed into credits. They are paid for at cost by the person who benefits, always. This is the single most important rule for avoiding resentment.
5. Calling in credits - Give at least 2 weeks’ notice when calling in a session. You may not call more than 2 sessions from the same person within any 30-day period. The person being called in may defer once — no reason required. The rescheduled date must be within 3 weeks. A second deferral requires a reason and group awareness.
6. Credit expiry - Credits expire 18 months after they are earned if unused. A reminder is sent at the 12-month mark. Expired credits do not carry forward — this keeps the circle active and prevents hoarding.
7. Big jobs — the “pool call” For large tasks requiring multiple people (e.g. laying a slab, a big move, a working bee)
the job caller announces the task and invites members to sign up voluntarily.
Credits work the same way: Each person who shows earns their credits per session. The caller spends one credit per session per person who attends. The caller should confirm their credit balance can cover the job before announcing it.
If not, they should discuss with the group first. Pool calls should be announced at least 2 weeks in advance. Sign-ups close 5 days before the job so the caller can plan.
5. The shared ledger The ledger is the memory of the circle. One nominated ‘keeper’ updates it within 24 hours
of any session. All members can view it at any time. The keeper role rotates annually. Each row contains: date, worker, recipient, job description, sessions worked, credits transacted. There is no enforcement mechanism for the + or - 4 situation — social transparency does the work.
6. Disputes and quality If the quality of work is genuinely inadequate, the recipient raises it within 48 hours — with the whole group present, not as a private complaint.
The outcome is a make-good session offered by the worker, not a retroactive credit deduction.
For disagreements about whether a contribution counted, the group votes. Majority rules.
The vote is recorded in the ledger.
7. When someone leaves Negative balance on exit: The outstanding debt is absorbed equally by all remaining
members. No one is chased. Positive balance on exit: Unspent credits are gifted back to the group pool and may be awarded to whoever takes on the next big shared task. New members join with a zero balance. They may earn credits before spending them, or the group may agree to extend up to 2 credits of ‘advance’ to help them integrate.
8. Safety and physical limits All members work voluntarily and at their own risk. The job caller is responsible for a
basic site safety briefing before any session involving physical risk. No member is obligated to perform tasks outside their physical ability. Saying “I can’t do that part” is always acceptable and never penalised. Members with reduced physical capacity contribute in whatever way they can — and earn full credits for doing so.
9. Quarterly review Every three months, the group holds a brief check-in (30 minutes maximum). Agenda: Ledger review: Share current balances. Note anyone approaching the ±4 threshold. Nudges: Friendly conversation with anyone near the cap. Rule tweaks: Any proposed changes to this charter, by consensus. New members: Any nominations, discussed and agreed by the group.
10. The charter — ten clauses By signing below, each member agrees to operate within these ten principles:
I hope this helps in our efforts to support each other as a family of humanity just wanting to do our things in excitement and kindness and fun.