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# The Release Request is voted on via a Google form ballot following the House Meeting, with the vote being the final decision.
Note: If you will be out of the house for 14 or more consecutive meal-providing days, you qualify for an automatic [[Release Requests#Food Release|Food Release]]. Please see below for more info.
==Release Types==
===Work Release===
A Work Release releases a Member from their [[work]] obligations for a set period of time, as defined in the Constitution. Releases can be requested for any reason, but are generally used in the following cases:
* A Member will be out of town for 14 or more consecutive meal-providing days.
* A Member has a long-term illness.
* A Member will be undergoing medical treatment.
===[[Food Release]]===
A Food Release releases a Member from their obligation to pay food-related House Charges for the release period. As noted above, if you will be out of the house for 14 or more consecutive days, you qualify for an automatic [[Release Requests#Food Release|Food Release]]. ''To receive it, you must notify the [[Treasurer]] via email with your dates of travel beforehand.'' All monetary releases on the house-level are given in half-month increments. Anyone can request a Food Release, but they are generally utilized in the following cases:
* A Member will be out of town for 14 or more consecutive meal-providing days.
* A Member has a dietary restriction [[Food Release|that cannot be accommodated by House Meals]].
After a Member receives a food release, they may not use any GUFF food in the basement kitchens.
1. '''You are planning to move out 5 weeks early.''' Let's say you need to move out the last week of March through the end of a contract period ending at the end of April (5 weeks). In this situation, you should immediately submit the [https://icc.coop/housing/icc-contract-release-information ICC's Contract Release Form] and send a statement to the [[President]] for a House Charges AND Work Release Request. If the ICC releases you from your contract, which usually only happens with documentation of extreme circumstances, you will be released from all obligations of your contract. Since you're moving out 5 weeks early, that means you will get out of the last $1250 of your charges. Notice this is both House and ICC Charges, prorated to match 5 weeks. If it is past the beginning of March, you likely will have paid your March charges already. In that case, you will receive a $250 credit on RentManager. The same goes if you need retroactive reimbursement. For example, if your contract release isn't approved by the ICC until late April, you will receive the $1250 you already paid in charges as a credit on your RentManager.
The reason you should also submit for a House Charges and Work Release is ''not'' because you need one in addition to the ICC's Contract Release, but to help you out in case you do not get a full contract release. Remember, if you get a Contract Release, which are very rare, you are released from all obligations of your contract, to include all charges and labor. If you aren't granted one, by submitting a House Charges and Work Release a you have a strong chance at reducing your charges by getting released from House Charges and being relieved from your house chores. To get approved, you must submit this request to be an item on the next House Meeting's agenda by emailing escher.president@icc.coop with a statement that includes all relevant details. Make sure to CC the [[Treasurer]] so that you receive an automatic Food Release. This is to say that, regardless the result of your vote, you will receive an automatic food release* since you informed the Treasurer that you will be gone for 2 or more consecutive meal-providing weeks. If you can, you should attend those two meeting forums so you can make your case and answer any questions your fellow members may have for you. Once the ballot results come back, if your request is approved, you will not be free from chore obligations starting the last week of March and your charges will be $300 less in April. This is because all monetary releases on the house-level are given in half-month increments. *The automatic food release also follows this principle, meaning if you House Charges release was not approved, your charges will be $100 less in April.
In your situation, your release requests (on the house-level) are generally highly likely to be approved.
- "What if I am requesting a release in the summer? I will be gone for plenty more than 14 meal-providing days, but they won't exactly be consecutive since there are no meals on the weekends." I'm not going to lie, I took a shortcut here in stipulating it be '14 or more consecutive meal-providing days'. The intended meaning is that is you are gone for a block of time which includes 14 or more days that are meal-providing, you qualify for an automatic food release.
- "Okay, what if I am instead looking to get an automatic food release for two weeks over the summer? Is that not possible because I would be gone for 10 instead of 14+ meal-providing days? And if it is possible, I assume I get a half-month release?" Woah, now you're asking some great questions that I do not currently have the answer to! I pass the buck on this to our wonderful [[Treasurer]] whom I know will update this with the answer when he has it (love you Jon).
2. '''You are going on vacation for 3 weeks.''' Since you will not be using most house resources this time, you would prefer to not pay for food & amenities. Though you'd also prefer not to do chores, it is unlikely that a Work Release will be approved for this reason (and it is uncooperative to ask for one in your case since it really short-staffs the house). First, worry about finding shift swaps or otherwise getting your hours done in advance. [[Work|Remember, if you do not do this, you WILL be fined for missing your labor]]! Next, you will want submit a House Charges Release. If approved, you will pay $150 less on RentManager for the month in which you will be gone. This is because all monetary releases on the house-level are given in half-month increments. Even if your vacation is 3 1/2 weeks, you will still only receive a $150 discount. To get approved, you must submit this request to be an item on the next House Meeting's agenda by emailing escher.president@icc.coop with a statement that includes all relevant details (namely, when you will be departing and returning). Make sure to CC the [[Treasurer]] so that you receive an automatic Food Release. This is to say that, regardless the result of your vote, you will receive $50 for food since you informed the Treasurer that you will be gone for 2 or more consecutive weeks. If you can, you should attend those two meeting forums so you can make your case and answer any questions your fellow members may have for you. Once the ballot results come back, if your request is approved, there is nothing more you must do. If you have questions about which month you will be credited (maybe your vacation is split over two months), email escher.treasurer@icc.coop.