Dear Etsians,

Join us for a discussion and feedback session about employees and your Etsy shop. Rob, aka Rokali, co-founder and CEO of Etsy, will be leading the workshop. 

When: Friday, May 9, 12 noon (Eastern US time) times on the Virtual Labs schedule are displayed in your local time

Where: Treehouse Room, Virtual Labs 

Etsy's mission is to help people make a living making things, so it's imperative that our policies are clear, understandable, and reflect the needs of Etsy businesses. It is very encouraging that this issue is coming up, as it means that businesses that started on Etsy are now becoming profitable and successful enough to be able to employ others. We welcome your input on how we can support your businesses, while keeping Etsy "handmade".

Please check the agenda for the topics we'll be covering. We look forward to this discussion, and we hope you'll be able to join us! If not, please check the minutes that will be posted after the meeting. As well, you are welcome to discuss this in the forums, or email community@etsy.com with things that you would rather discuss privately.

Agenda:
For those selling handmade goods: Are employees necessary for a seller to "make a living making things"? Are the items still "handmade"?

What sort of hired help is needed for handmade sellers? Is *what* potential employees do for the shop relevant?

Does the number of employees that a business has impact whether the shop belongs on Etsy? If so, how many is too many?

Are different rules necessary for sellers of commercial supplies and vintage goods? Are employees acceptable for these types of shops? 

What sort of information do you need (for example, links to information about employment law) to grow a business that includes employees?

Should sellers who are outsourcing, involved in collectives, and employing people be approved by Etsy? What sort of approval process would you be interested in?  

We are looking forward to discussing these issues!