Release Requests

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Release Requests are ways for the House to vote to release a member from specific obligations, as outlined in the Escher House Constitution, Section 2.7.2. A Member will be automatically released in circumstances listed in section 2.7.1 of the Escher House Constitution. Since it can be confusing to understand how all these pieces interact with one another, there are examples provided below of how to navigate several different types of scenarios. I suggest looking at those after skimming the rest of this page, and if there is still confusion, reaching out to escher.president@icc.coop or escher.vprelations@icc.coop to get further clarification.

Release Request Process

  1. The Member requests a release by emailing the President.
  2. The Release Request is added to the next House Meeting agenda, including:
    1. The Member's statement on why they want a release.
    2. The time period of the release.
    3. The Treasurer's Financial Impact Evaluation (if applicable)
    4. The Work Manager's Labor Impact Evaluation (if applicable)
  3. 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 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.
  • Ability Concerns. Note: all ability-related accommodations / requests *MUST* be communicated with the ICC General Manager.

Members receiving a Work Release for being absent from the House for 14 or more days will also receive a Food Release for the same time period.

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 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:

After a Member receives a food release, they may not use any GUFF food in the basement kitchens.

Note: A food release is not the same as a house charges release. House charges include food and other expenses.

House Charges Release

House charges include amenities like paper products, soap, water, AND food, but are still separate from ICC Charges, which include mortgages, maintenance, administration, etc. A House Charges Release releases a Member from their obligation to pay House Charges in half-month increments that align with their period of absence. After a Member is released from House Charges, they are expected to vacate their room by the start of the release period.

Note: A House Charges Release does not release a Member from ICC Charges , and releases from ICC Charges can only be granted through the ICC Contract Release Process or one of the scholarship options.

Release Request Examples

For the sake of easier math in these examples, House Charges will be set at $300 (with Food making up 1/3 of this, so $100) and ICC Charges will be set at $700. Keep in mind that your ICC Charges will vary depending on room type, and that both of these numbers are rounded from charges in the year 2023. Look for the example in which the bolded portion sounds similar to your situation so you do not have to read all of the scenarios (since many have repeated information).

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 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. 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. In your situation, your House Charges release is generally slightly less likely to be approved than in a move-out scenario (like the one above). - "If I were to go on vacation for 3 1/2 weeks, can I submit for a full-month's House Charges Release?" No, the half-month increments are fixed. - "What if my vacation is over Winter break?" The intent of House Charges Releases is to aid those who are traveling while most of the house is still home. If everyone submitted release requests for the holidays and they all somehow were approved, this would cause problems. For more information, consult the Treasurer, because I am not privy to the exact details of these financial consequences.

3. You are struggling financially and could use a discount on charges. In this scenario, you should first submit for an ICC scholarship, or opt into a payment plan. House Charges Releases have not historically been used to offset member's financial stress since it typically results in other members picking up the bill, but it is not unconstitutional to ask for one for this reason. However, if you go this route, be sure to write a thorough statement, plan to attend the meeting, and have a back-up plan.

4. You have a food allergy or are on a diet and can't eat most of the dinners. In this scenario, you should first reach out to the Kitchen Manager who can likely work to accommodate your needs. If they cannot, or you have some other reason you'd like to stop eating the kitchen's food, you should email the President your statement to be included on the next House Meeting's agenda. If your request is approved, you will be pay $900 instead of $1000 every month (since Food Charges are $100). 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 begin to be credited, email escher.treasurer@icc.coop. - "Can I still eat the other GUFF food, or abandoned save meals?" No. Once you have received a food release, you must abstain from all food from both basement kitchens.

If you do not see your situation fitting any of these examples, please reach out to escher.president@icc.coop or escher.vprelations@icc.coop so we can give you more specific guidance.

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