# Our structure
# Employees, members and directors
The workforce at Agile Collective consists of employees, members and directors, with individuals who work with us on a less formal basis classed as freelancers or contractors.
It is important to note that Employee, Member and Director are terms defined in our articles of association (opens new window).
# Employees
An employee is anyone with an employment contract at Agile Collective. All members and directors are employees of Agile Collective, but not all employees are members or directors.
# Members
As a worker co-op, members ultimately own and control Agile Collective. We hope that all employees will want to become members, but membership is completely voluntary and comes with a number of eligibility requirements. You can read more about membership here.
# Directors
Directors are legally responsible for the company, but otherwise there is no discernible distinction between director members and non-director members. Only members can become directors.
You can read more about the legal duties of Directors on the Co-operatives UK website. (opens new window)
# Freelancers and contractors
We also work with a number of freelancers or contractors from time to time. Freelancers and contractors are not employees and therefore cannot be members or directors.
# Circles
We use the sociocractic principle of Circles to manage areas of our business. Throughout the Handbook you will read references to some of the following:
- Members Circle
- General Circle
- People Circle
- Finance Circle
- Pay Circle
In brief, Circles are teams of people with an agreed Aim, and the authority and responsibility over a particular Domain.
# Circle Structure
