This is a succession plan for the contractwork GitHub repository,
the associated tasks that get reflected as updates to this repository,
and the associated website https://contractwork.vipulnaik.com/ in the
event of Vipul Naik's death or permanent incapacitation.
This is currently a draft document.
This simple exit option is offered to all workers (with the caveat that no severance pay is offered for limited-time engagements). The goal of this exit option is to simplify administration for Vipul Naik's estate and to give the contract work time and a financial buffer to find alternative sources of income.
The key features of the exit option:
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Vipul Naik's estate has the following due to the contract worker: whatever Vipul Naik originally had due to the worker (as recorded in the worker file in contributor-lists) plus the amount the worker had earned as income for Vipul Naik in the calendar year preceding Vipul Naik's death (see "Total money earned as income", just the "for Vipul Naik" part, in the worker file's section for the year preceding Vipul Naik's death). The latter component is effectively a form of "severance pay" of about a year's worth of contract work. However, contract workers who are not currently working for Vipul Naik are not eligible for the additional severance pay, even if they had nonzero pay in the previous calendar year.
If the amount Vipul Naik had due to the worker is negative, i.e., Vipul Naik has an advance payment, the magnitude of this advance payment is to be subtracted from the "Total money earned as income" in the preceding calendar year to determine the estate's liability.
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Any payments due that are not yet finalized in the contractwork repository (i.e., they have not been incorporated into the payments due) are no longer eligible for consideration.
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The worker has no obligations to Vipul Naik or his estate to complete any contract work tasks (outside of separate agreements entered that specifically talk of obligations beyond Vipul Naik's death).
As of 2023-11-04, the two active workers for Vipul Naik, and the only ones with income in the preceding calendar year) are Issa Rice (worker file) and Sebastian Sanchez (worker file).
NOTE: In late August 2024, a number of new contract workers were added, four of them temporarily and one for the long term. Note that since all of these workers started work in 2024, they would not be eligible for any additional payments in the event of Vipul Naik's death within 2024. Moreover, with the exception of Gabriel Bobis, all of them are on limited-term engagements and will therefore not be eligible for additional severance pay after the end of their work.
If a suitable person is found to continue the administration of contract work from Vipul Naik's estate, and the worker is interested in doing so, the worker may elect to continue contract work for Vipul Naik. If the worker picks this option, the worker forgoes the additional severance pay of 1 year (however, it is possible that the continuation option offers a mix of wrap-up for a few years and a little severance pay after that).
Vipul Naik is working on the preparation of suitable potential continuation options; however, there is no guarantee that a continuation option will be available upon Vipul's death, so workers should not expect or plan for such an option to be available.
By default, the administration of funds from other payers will revert to the payer whose funds are being administered. If funds have already been transferred to Vipul Naik as an intermediary, Vipul Naik's estate will refund the payer.
Existing data should not be removed, but further updates are up to the discretion of Vipul Naik's digital successor
See here for the full list of options available for repositories to digital successors on GitHub.
The contractwork repository includes important payment information regarding the contract work done, and there is value in preserving this information. It is up to Vipul Naik's digital successor whether to manage the recording of further updates, including the execution of the exit options or continuation options, within this repository (by transfering ownership and then pushing commits) or through other means.
Similarly, in the case of funds for other payers, such as the example of the Future Fund Regranting Program, it is up to the other payer or grant administrator, in conjunction with Vipul Naik's digital successor, to decide whether to use the contractwork repository for the ongoing administration.