Employee Handbook

Welcome Note

Welcome to <organization name>. We thank you for joining us to make our workplace more productive.

We, at < organization name> live and breathe by these key values:

<list values with explanation>

In this handbook, you will learn more about our organization's policies and procedures. It will guide you to nurture your growth in the organization, so take time out to read it carefully.

How it all Began

< organization name> started in <year > with just < x> number of employees.

Give a brief history of your organization and insert images of founders and other important executives. Include videos or interviews of the CEO and other key employees.

Our Vision

Share a brief vision of your organization to give an idea to the employee of how the future looks for the organization.

In this section, we will go over aspects of our company's culture so that each employee can understand how best to thrive.

Equal Opportunity Employment

We are an equal opportunity employer, and we do not discriminate on the basis of religion, race, religion, caste, sex, marital status, ethnicity, sexual orientation,, or any other status protected by law. Moreover, we urge that all employees treat each other with respect and professionalism.

This includes:

• Making reasonable accommodations for employees with special needs to work comfortably.
• Offering training and programs to support diversity and inclusion at the workplace.
• Promoting employees solely on the basis of merit.

If you are discriminated against in any way or witness any discriminatory actions, please report them immediately to HR or your manager. You will be protected against any potential retaliation.

Employment types

Full time employees need to work for < number of hours> for <no. of days> a week, or <no. of hours> in a month.

Part-time employees need to work for <number of hours> for <no. of days> a week, or <no. of hours> in a month.

Contract workers need to work for < number of hours> for <no. of days> a week, or <no. of hours> in a month.

Include other employment types and the required number of hours for each.

Attendance

We expect you to be physically present during the required office hours based on your type of employment. If you are unable to be at work, ensure you keep your manager informed. Only during a sudden emergency will an unreported absence be excused.

Recruitment and Selection Process

Our recruitment process is fair and transparent, and our hiring processes adhere to all applicable laws. To ensure legality and fairness, we observe the following guidelines:

• Identify the job.
• Look for internal replacement.
• Seek referrals.
• Place adverts and post in job portals and on social media.
• Complete first-level screening of candidates who have applied for the job.
• Conduct a technical interview for the shortlisted candidates.
• Hold an HR interview for the shortlisted candidates.
• Extend the job offer.

Background Verification

We conduct standard background verification checks for all prospective employees. Results of background reports are completely confidential.

Referral program

We encourage employees to refer candidates for job openings. We offer a reward <reward details> for every successful hire through the referral program.

Who can you refer?

• Must be a person who has not applied to any job opening in our organization for at least a year.
• Must be a candidate for either full-time or part-time employment only.

Professionalism and Confidentiality

We expect all our employees to treat company data with professionalism and the utmost confidentiality.

What is considered confidential information?

• Employee information.
• Financial information.
• Customer data.
• Plans that are yet to be published and/or marked as confidential.

You may be asked to sign a non-disclosure agreement as part of your commitment to safeguarding the organization's vital information.

How to handle confidential information?

• Keep it secure always
• Refrain from taking company documents outside of the company's premises unless essential and authorized.
• Do not forget anything printed or copied, and shred documents you don't need.
• Don't use official information for personal purposes.
• Don't disclose company information to anyone outside of your workplace.
• Don't replicate official documents or store in unreliable devices.

Any employee who breaches confidentiality may face disciplinary action, up to and including termination.

Workplace Harassment and Misconduct

We strive to create an environment where employees respect each other and work together without fear of harassment Every employee must feel safe in the workplace. No form of harassment--whether verbal, sexual, physical or psychological--will be tolerated.

What is considered harassment?

List instances that you consider to be harassment in your organization.

Sexual harassment is a serious matter, and any employee found guilty of sexual harassment may face disciplinary action, up to an including termination.

Any acts of violence, such as threats of harm to people or property, are taken seriously, and offenders may face termination.

If you are being harassed or you witness an act of violence in the workplace, contact HR or your manager immediately and report it.

Any employee who has been subject to workplace harassment will receive the following support from the organization:

List down ways you will support your employee.

If you yourself are experiencing stress or negative feelings toward your colleagues, reach out to our in-house therapist. <contact details of therapist> or speak with your manager.

Workplace Safety

We are committed to providing a safe and hazard-free environment for our employees.

To ensure this, we take many proactive measures, such as creating contingency plans for emergency management.

What are our proactive measures?

• Conducting periodic inspections for all safety equipment in the workplace.
• Conducting regular training sessions for employees on safety standards.
• Ensure employees who work in hazardous locations use protective gear.

List down other measures that you follow in your organization.

We also ensure that our emergency management plans are always in place.

These include:

• Round-the-clock inspection and repair of any leakage or repairs
• Emergency exit plans on every floor
• Regular fire drills

Prohibited Activities

Smoking, drug use, and the consumption of alcohol are strictly prohibited in the office as per applicable laws and company policies. Any employee found using any of these or under the influence will be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination.

Smoking is permitted in designated smoking areas only. Please ensure to extinguish the cigarette before re-entering the office premises.

If a prescription drug that you are using is affecting you to work, inform your manager immediately or HR.

Alcohol and drug dependency are serious health issues, and we are committed to helping any employee who is facing addiction. If you are concerned about your use of alcohol or any mood-altering substances, please arrange a confidential consultation with HR.

Dress Code

Our company follows the following official dress code:

All employees are expected to wear professionally-appropriate clothing while in the office or representing the company.

Hairstyles and accessories that are followed due to religion or ethnicity are allowed.

Internet and Social Media

During work hours, employees should not use the internet or social media for personal reasons. All online activities should be work related.

Posting updates to social media must be done only for business purposes, after taking the consent of your manager. For more details, read the Social Media Policy.

Phone Usage

Usage of the fixed line connection is only for official purposes and can be used occasionally for a personal emergency.

Cell phone usage is allowed to connect with family during working hours, so long as personal phone calls do not disrupt the work environment and do not interfere with your own work.

Company Email

Each employee is issued a work email address. Company email accounts may be used for personal reasons, so long as employees do not use them for spam.

Employee Relationships

Friendship among teammates that boosts team work and productivity is encouraged in the organization.

Romantic relationships between peers are not prohibited, so long as employees in a relationship are not in the same report line. As well, these employees must ensure that no personal discussions take place at work and that their relationship does not affect productivity. Likewise, employees must promptly disclose any conflicts of interest to their managers or HR.

Relatives at Work

Many of you may wish to refer your friends and family members for openings, or you might already have spouses, relatives, and friends working here. We have found that some of our best employees are referrals. To avoid conflicts of interest, individuals with pre-existing relationships may not work in the same report line, and must be recused from one another's personnel decisions. It is very important for employees to disclose any relationships they have with other employees to prevent conflicts of interest.

Some restrictions we will follow when considering a relative or spouse:

• You cannot report to your relative or spouse.
• You cannot be part of the team that hires your relative or spouse.
• If you enter into a relationship with your reporting manager, one of you will be moved to another team.

Visitors at Work

You may want to bring a relative to show them around our office. . While we allow this, please ensure you get prior approval from the security team and your manager, and have your visitor sign in and wear a visitor badge (if applicable).. Do not leave your visitor unattended at any time, and please remind them that we do not allow photography or any other means of recording in the office.

Conflicts of interest

If you find yourself in a situation where your self-interest conflicts with that of the organization, it is best to reach out to your manager or HR to get it resolved at the earliest.

Some instances that we consider as a conflict of interest:

• Using company resources for furthering personal business.
• Using connections established through the organization for personal gain
• Engaging in activities that support the growth of competitor firms.
• Committing unethical actions that may cause damage to the organization's reputation such as taking bribes, asking for personal favors, etc.

If you are found guilty of furthering your own interests above those of the organization, you may face disciplinary action, up to and including termination.

Solicitation and Distribution

Solicitation, the act of offering, or attempting to purchase, goods or services, is strictly prohibited in the workplace, except in certain small-scale situations, such as charitable events.

Similarly, distributing literature for political or commercial purposes is also not allowed in the organization.

Salary

Employees are paid <monthly/weekly> on the last working day of the month. The salary is credited directly to their bank account by the payroll team.

Government stipulated tax deductions will be applied to the salary before it is credited to the employee.

If you find any discrepancy in your salary, please contact the Payroll team. <email id of payroll team>.

Overtime

There may be instances when employees may need to work overtime, if the employee's position is eligible for overtime hours, subject to a manager's approval. In such cases, they will be paid 1 and 1/2 times their salary for the overtime hours they put in. We also ensure that employees do not work overtime for than 10 hours overall per pay period, to prevent exhaustion or job burnout.

Performance Management

Performance appraisals are conducted < annually, bi-annually, tri-annually> in our organization. We follow the <method of evaluation> appraisals are designed to objective processes without favoritism.

These appraisals are an opportunity to focus on the growth and performance of an employee. Through them, managers will be able to understand the areas of improvement and the areas of focus that are needed for the employee.

• Employees who have shown considerable improvement may be rewarded monetarily or through promotion.
• Employees who require more attention may be asked to participate in a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP)

How should managers contribute?

• Give clear goals or Key Result Areas( KRAs) for the employees so that they are fully aware of how they will be evaluated.
• Give continuous feedback to ensure employee's continuous growth.
• Note important achievements of your employees that you can mention while giving them a salary raise or positive feedback.

Training and Development

We believe that through our continuous support of our employees' growth, our company grows stronger. To that end, we take the following measures towards employee training and development:

• We have dedicated in-house and external trainers to conduct training programs for our employees. They will share the training calendar with employees annually.
• We have periodic technical, behavioral and soft skill training programs.
• Certification for successful training completion is given to motivate employees.
• We include active participation and completion of training programs as a criteria while evaluating the employee's performance.
• We also have online courses as part of the training curriculum.
• We encourage on-the-job learning.
• We facilitate mentorship programs for all new comers.

Company-sponsored Education and Relocation

The company may pay for your higher education or relocation for official purposes. In such a case, you are bound to stay with us for at least the next <x months /x years>. If you leave before that period, you will have to repay the expenses in part or fully.

Employee Health

We want all our employees to be healthy and encourage them to have a healthy lifestyle. We provide employee group insurance for all full-time employees.

Worker's Compensation

We abide by the worker's compensation policy of <country>. Any employee who is injured while at work or performing a duty for work will be compensated through wage replacement, medical care and rehabilitation expenses, wherever applicable by law. Any employee who was injured at work must seek the help of HR immediately to complete all the formalities to get the compensation that is due to them.

Alternate Working Options

Employees who may need to stay at home due to an illness, injury or to take care of a sick relative can choose to do so, so as long as they can conduct all their work related responsibilities.

Employees can also work from home if there is a nationally declared lock down or due to extremely poor weather conditions.

Employees can work remotely from a non-office location to take care of a sick child or spouse or recover from a recent accident for a certain period of time.

Please talk to your manager in advance if you are going to work from home or work remotely. An employee can work from home for a maximum of <x days> per <week/month>, and work remotely for a maximum of <x days/weeks>, unless otherwise noted.

Work-related Expenses

All expenses related to official meetings, travel or relocation will be borne by the company. Accommodation and tickets will be arranged and paid for by the company directly, and other expenses that the employee may bear temporarily, such as for transportation and food, will be reimbursed.

Bills and receipts are to be submitted for approval to your manager. Upon approval, you will receive your reimbursement within <x days>.

Please note that any personal visits during an official travel will not be reimbursed. For instance, while your cab fare to the client's office location will be reimbursed, the entry fee for an amusement park will not be reimbursed.

Company-provided Car and Other Equipment

Based on your role, you may receive a company laptop, mobile device, car, and other accessories. While you may use these to the fullest to increase your productivity, you may not sell them as they belong to the company. Please ensure to handle these items with care and caution.

Any equipment that is damaged or repaired due to normal wear-and-tear or due to a malfunction will be replaced at the earliest. Please ensure to report this to your manager and the Admin team.

Please refer to these policies for more information.

• Company car policy
• Cell phone policy
• <list other relevant policies>

In case an item is misplaced or stolen, please report it to HR immediately.

Company Parking Space

An employee who is driving their personal vehicle to work is entitled to use the company's parking lot. Priority is however given to employees with disabilities and employees with company cars.

Please ensure you park and drive responsibly to and from the parking lot without causing damage to yourself or to others.

Typical hours for our offices are 9 am to 6pm, Monday through Friday. We will remain operational 24/7 as we operate in multiple shifts supporting many regions.

Based on the department or shift you belong to you, you may have to follow those work timings.

Paid Time-off

Employees will receive paid time-off from the day of joining. You will receive <x days> a month of paid time-off. You can accumulate your time-off days but have to be used within the year. You will receive an additional day for every additional year of service with our organization.

Inform your manager is advance when you plan to take your time-off and apply for it in the HRMS.

Sick Leave

Employees will receive < x days> of sick leave each year. This leave can be taken if you fall ill and are unable to report to work. If you have a contagious flu or disease, we urge you take sick leave until you recover.

Please keep your manager informed and apply for sick leave in the HRMS.

If you take more than three consecutive days of sick leave, we may request a doctor's note as proof of your sickness and for insurance coverage, if required.

Bereavement Leave

If you have lost a loved one, we offer you <x days> to mourn the loss and make necessary funeral and family arrangements during that time.

Maternity and Paternity Leave

Employees receive <x days/ months> of paid maternity leave. You can additionally take <x days/months> of unpaid leave due to possible complications. Reach out to HR at the earliest to get it arranged.

Expectant fathers receive <x days/months> of paternity leave.

If you are expecting a child, through childbirth or adoption, please keep your manager informed at least <x months> in advance.

How do we help you transition back to work after your paternity / maternity leave?

• Flexible working hours
• In-house daycare
• Lactation rooms

Voting Leave

Employees can apply for <x hours / 1 day> of voting leave to cast their vote during the time of elections.

Holidays

We observe the following holidays in our organization :

Share your holiday list here.

If any holiday falls on a weekend, then the closest weekday will be considered as a holiday. Please check your HRIS on updates on holidays.

Progressive Discipline Policy

If an employee is found guilty of misconduct, appropriate steps will be taken to ensure that the action is not repeated. The severity of the steps taken will depend on the seriousness of the misconduct. After a process of meetings and warnings, if the employee's behavior does not show any change, they will be terminated at the sole discretion of the company. If the misconduct is of a serious nature, such as a sexual misbehavior, termination will be the only course of action.

Resignation

When an employee wishes to leave the organization, we will consider it to be a voluntary resignation. If you are absent from work for more than without giving information, we will consider that as a resignation.

It would be helpful if you could inform us, at least two weeks in advance. This gives us time to complete your relieving formalities and ensure business continues

A verbal resignation is a good start, but we urge you to send a formal mail to your manager who will send it to HR to work on the next steps.

Termination

Terminating an employee is never an easy step to take, and is a last resort when there is grave misconduct on the part of the employee. Through the course of this handbook, instances that could lead to termination have been discussed.

In the event that the company lays off employees due to a downturn in business or the cessation of operations, employees will be given a severance package and also be helped in finding an alternate job, if possible.

If you are a manager, ensure caution before you decide to terminate any of your employees, and consult HR before taking any action. Any wrongful motive on your part will not be considered lightly.

References

When an employee leaves the organization, they may request their manager to provide you with references that can help in securing another job. It will be at the manager's discretion whether to provide the reference or not.

Employee Acknowledgement

Please acknowledge that you have fully read and understood our company's terms and policies.