User Conduct Guidelines

Effective Date: May 2025

For The Chef Network (TCN)
Operated by Matalino.ai

INTRODUCTION

These guidelines ensure that all users of The Chef Network (TCN), whether job seekers or employers, interact respectfully, lawfully, and professionally on the platform.

1. GENERAL USER CONDUCT

All users agree to:

Use TCN only for lawful, ethical hiring and job-seeking purposes.
Avoid impersonation, misrepresentation, or fraudulent activity.
Respect other users’ time, information, and expectations.

TLDR: Use the site like a professional. Be honest, be fair, and don’t mess around.

2. CONDUCT FOR CHEFS

Chefs are expected to adhere to the following standards:

Be clear and timely in your responses.
Show up on time for trials, interviews, or confirmed jobs.
Provide accurate information in your profile and applications.
Respect NDAs or business-specific confidentiality agreements.
Communicate if you can’t attend a shift — no-shows may result in temporary bans.

Scenario: You apply for a freelance shift, confirm it, then ghost. The employer flags this — you may get a warning or suspension.

TLDR: Be sharp, honest, and turn up. We want chefs who are serious and communicative.

3. CONDUCT FOR EMPLOYERS

Employers must follow these guidelines:

Be transparent about job type (trial, paid, temp, perm, live-in, etc.).
Don’t offer unpaid work without prior disclosure.
Respect agreed trial terms and pay minimum legal rates.
Communicate promptly with applicants.
Avoid spammy or copy-paste job posts.

Scenario: An employer posts “Live-in Chef Needed” but hides the fact that it’s 60 hours/week for £200. If flagged, we’ll remove the ad.

TLDR: Be clear, be fair, and show chefs the respect you want in return.

4. COMMUNITY RESPECT POLICY

All users must treat others professionally and courteously.

Discriminatory, harassing, or defamatory content will result in account suspension.
Healthy criticism is okay — personal attacks are not.

TLDR: Professionalism isn’t optional. Respect each other or be removed.

5. AI & AUTOMATED MONITORING

TCN uses AI to maintain platform integrity:

TCN uses AI to detect spam, fraud, impersonation, or abnormal behavior.
Automated flags may be reviewed by a human moderation team.
Repeat violations may result in account restriction or banning.

Scenario: A user sends 40 identical messages to employers in 10 minutes. Our system flags the account for spamming.

TLDR: Our bots catch bad bots. If you’re gaming the system, we’ll notice.

6. REVIEWS & FEEDBACK

Feedback must adhere to the following:

Use respectful, constructive language.
Don’t exaggerate or defame — share your actual experience.
We may remove comments that breach our policy.

TLDR: You can share feedback, just keep it honest and fair.

7. REPORTING & ENFORCEMENT

TCN takes misuse seriously:

Any user can report misuse via privacy@thechef.network.
We investigate all reports within 72 hours.
Serious violations may lead to warnings, temporary suspension, or permanent bans.

TLDR: We’ve got your back. Report abuse, and we’ll act on it.

8. OUR AI CONSENT PROJECT

We are building transparent systems to give users control over how AI interacts with their data. Future updates will include user settings for AI suggestions and profile scoring.

TLDR: We use AI to help, not harm — and you’ll always know when it’s in play.