Staff Code of Conduct & Confidentiality
Chapter 22 — Confidentiality rules, conduct standards, and consequences for violations.
These rules exist to protect the integrity of the entire staff team and the trust players place in it. They draw on the same ethical standards taught in the wider screensharing/moderation community (including the RedLotus framework's emphasis on discretion and restraint) and add Federal SMP's own standards on top.
Confidentiality
- Never share staff-only information — evidence, ban reasoning discussions, screenshare recordings, upcoming punishments, or internal staff chat — with anyone outside the staff team, including friends. This is treated as a severe breach of trust.
- Leaking any staff content results in immediate demotion, regardless of rank, history, or relationship to management. This applies even if the leak was "just to a friend" or "not meant to cause harm."
- Screenshare recordings and any personal information seen during one are strictly confidential and may never be shared, discussed outside the case, or kept beyond what's needed for the record.
Conduct Standards
- No abuse of power. Never use staff tools/commands for personal benefit, to favor friends, or to settle personal disputes.
- No unauthorized alt accounts used to test punishments, bait rule-breakers, or bypass restrictions on your main.
- No self-promotion of permissions or ranks through any system.
- Consistency in enforcement. Friends and strangers are treated identically under the rules.
- Respect during screenshares, at all times, per Chapter 3 — no exceptions for players you personally dislike.
- No public arguments with players or other staff — see Chapter 17.
- Report conflicts of interest. If you're asked to handle a case involving a close friend or someone you have a personal issue with, hand it to another staff member instead.
- No off-platform harassment. Staff status is never used to intimidate, follow up on, or target a player outside official server channels.
Violations & Consequences
| Violation | Consequence |
|---|---|
| Leaking staff/confidential information | Immediate demotion; may include full removal from staff for repeated or severe leaks |
| Abuse of power / favoritism | Formal warning and review; demotion for repeated cases |
| Self-granted permissions | Immediate demotion and permission audit |
| Screenshare misconduct (browsing unrelated files, disrespect) | Immediate removal of screensharing privileges; review for continued staff status |
| Public arguing with players or staff | Formal warning; repeated cases reviewed by management |
GOLDEN RULE
Every privilege in this handbook exists because the team trusts you with it. Guard that trust the same way you'd want a teammate to guard yours.
Quick Review — Q&A
Q: What happens if a staff member leaks confidential staff information to a friend?
A: Immediate demotion, regardless of rank, history, or intent — this applies even if it wasn't meant to cause harm.
Q: What should you do if you're asked to handle a case involving a close friend?
A: Hand it off to another staff member rather than handling it yourself, to avoid a conflict of interest.
Q: What happens if a staff member self-promotes their own permissions?
A: Immediate demotion and a full permission audit.
Q: Are staff allowed to use their position to follow up with or pressure a player outside official server channels?
A: No — staff status must never be used to intimidate or target a player off-platform.