Employee Handbook
- Note from the CEO
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Welcome to Finsave Technologies Private Limited.
We continue to strive to make our workplace friendlier, and safe to ensure that our employees always feel comfortable. Finsave is committed to providing equal opportunity to all and hiring only the best and the brightest. We also ensure that our employees are treated with courtesy and respect. Our shared values and beliefs play a vital role in helping us lead our professional and personal lives by example.
This handbook is intended to help you understand the human resource policies and practices of the company. It may not answer all your questions but will serve as a starting point for you to understand our company and the work environment. I urge you to spend time familiarizing yourself with the rules and procedures. These rules and procedures are revised periodically, and you will be updated from time to time.
We are what we are, because of contributions from each one of you. I would like to welcome you once again to Finsave Technologies.
Warm Regards,
Ravindranath Kamma
CEO
- Introduction to the Employee Handbook
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Welcome to Finsave Technologies Pvt. Ltd. (“Company”)
Welcome to our growing family. We are happy to have you as a member of this Company and we are confident that you will find your employment at the Company both challenging and rewarding.
Every new employee will, of course, have questions about the policies and benefits of the establishment. This handbook has been prepared to help answer the questions of new employees and trainees.
Please feel free to ask your respective department heads if you have any specific questions that are not addressed in the employee handbook.
We, at Finsave Technologies, are proud of our past and present success. The Company has achieved its reputation for excellence due to the commitment, dedication and quality of each and one of our Employees’ unrelenting focus on providing exceptional services. We are certain that your contributions will only help further bolster this image. We want to make your job as pleasant and efficient as possible, so your ideas and suggestions are always welcome.
2.1. Our Value Proposition
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Merit Based Environment. What this means is that our hiring, promotions, rewards, etc. are all driven by a merit driven culture. It’s not about how friendly you are with your boss or top management. It’s not about how often you go to lunch with your boss etc. We are purely driven by performance and discipline at work.
No Bureaucracy (let’s get things done spirit). We believe in everyone behaving like they are an owner of the business and having a strong interest in getting things done fast and with high quality. No work in beneath you or above you – if it’s good for the company, just find a way to do it and do it fast. The best ideas should win, and this means that top management’s ideas can lose and can lose often to an idea that might come even from an intern
Share and Create Wealth. We don’t want a firm where all the money is made by top management and wealth is not shared with rest of employees. Demonstrate this by having compensation plans that have equity as a segment.
Respect for Everyone. It does not matter who you are – you need to treat everyone around you with respect. No yelling, abusing or otherwise being disrespectful to people around you. And if you are the kind who treats people above you with respect and treats people below you badly, then you are a horrible person and we do not want these people in the firm.
Integrity & Professionalism. Integrity refers to the ability to act out of conviction along with displaying a keenness to be honest to the best practices and spirit of one’s own profession; say what you mean and mean what you say. Often needs to take a stance vis-à vis corruption and not take part in it. The ability to call a spade a spade. Shares information; minimal withholding.
Customer first. We will serve our customers with humility and dignity. Our customers will experience us as warm, human, trustworthy and taking responsibility for the delivery of what has been promised.
2.2. The Handbook to guide you
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This Handbook was developed exclusively for the Company’s Employees and the policies will apply to all the employees of the Company. It is an information resource for common questions and concerns in the areas of policies, procedures, work standards and benefits and will help eliminate ambiguity and increase transparency.
The contents of this book are not intended to create an employment contract. If there is any conflict on the mentioned policies and procedures with any local, state or country law, the law takes precedence in that area.
The Company shall be the sole judge on the interpretation of any and all of these policies and its decision therein shall be final and binding on all employees concerned.
The policies stated in this handbook are subject to change at any time at the sole discretion of the Company. The Company reserves the right to revise, alter, supplement or rescind any policies at any time as it deems appropriate, is at the sole discretion of the management.
Please note that the Company makes use of the Greythr Employee Portal. Employees are requested to visit and familiarize themselves with the Attendance, Leave and other such relevant modules along with the user guides. As soon you formally join the Company, a username and password shall be generated and sent to your official email id.
Employees may find further details in the link:
https://finsavetechnologies.greythr.com/uas/portal/auth/login?login_challenge=1b88c979fc714ee8b310b08cc790f308
2.3. Quality Objectives
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The Company aims to and takes pride in:
- Always being in compliance with the laws and regulations
- Continuously striving towards improving the efficiency and productivity of its employees’
- Enabling Customer Satisfaction through delivery of high-quality services d. Maintaining high employee satisfaction levels
- Optimizing costs thereby increasing profitability
*Reference to Customer, implies end client wherever necessary
2.4. Equal Employment Opportunity
2.4.1 The Company provides equal opportunities to all qualified persons and does not discriminate against any employee or applicant, in any regard, based on considerations of race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, disability, or any other protected status.
2.4.2 This handbook refers to recruitment and placement, promotion, training, transfer, retention, the rate of pay and all other details and conditions of your employment.
2.4.3 Employment and promotion decisions will be based on merit and the principle of equal opportunity. The requirements we impose in filling a position will be those that validly relate to the job performance required.
2.5. Non-Disclosure
2.5.1 The protection of confidential business information and trade secrets is vital to the interests and success of the Company. Such information includes, but is not limited to, compensation data, customer data, process & business know-how, knowledge, administrative/ organizational details, research and development strategies etc. It also includes information relating to specific customer(s) provided to us by means of reports, or market research studies, either in soft or hard copies, including but not limited to bank details, statements, financial information and demographic details of clients.
2.5.1 You are required to sign a Standard Terms and Conditions of Employment (Employment Agreement) and a Non-Disclosure Agreement, if applicable, which will contain clauses governing Non-Disclosure, as a condition of employment.
2.5.2 Employees who improperly use or disclose trade secrets or confidential business information will be subject to disciplinary action, including but not limited to termination of employment and legal action, notwithstanding the fact of whether or not the informed party actually accrued benefits from the disclosed information.
2.6 Conflict of Interest
2.6.1 You shall discharge your duties and shall refrain from knowingly engaging in any outside matters of financial and/or other interest(s) which are incompatible and might interfere with the impartial and effective performance of your objective(s) and duties.
2.6.2 A Conflict of interest arises when you directly or indirectly use the Company’s property(s), funds, position or power for personal gain including but not limited to business dealings, influencing the Clients etc. You shall keep your respective heads informed in case you reasonably foresee any potential conflicts arising.
2.6.3 During employment with the Company, holding any position of authority in any political party or being associated with political associations without the prior written consent of the Company, will also amount to a potential conflict of interest. Furthermore, you are required to disclose any political associations you might have prior to starting your employment with the company.
2.7 Personal Files
2.7.1 Keeping your personal record(s) correct and up to date is important, as it will help the Company reach you or your family members during an emergency. You are responsible to promptly notify the Human Resource Department of any changes to your personal data, if any.
2.7.2 Personal mailing address, telephone numbers, emergency contacts, educational accomplishments, copies of documents as proof of your residential address, date of birth, educational qualifications and other such status reports should be accurate at all times as per the submitted proof(s).
2.7.3 The Company maintains a personnel file on every employee. The personnel file includes information such as the employee’s job application, resume, records of training, documentation of performance appraisals and salary revisions, and other employment records. Personnel files are treated as company property and access to any information contained therein is restricted. Only supervisors and Management personnel of the Company, who have a legitimate reason to review the said information, have the authority to do so. However, if you wish to review your file, you should contact the Human Resource Department. With prior notice and a proper reason, you may review your personnel file within Company’s premises and in the presence of the Human Resources (HR) representative.
2.7.4 The Company relies upon the accuracy of information contained in the employment application, as well as the accuracy of other data presented throughout the hiring process and employment. Any misrepresentations, falsifications, or material omissions in any of the information or data provided may result in the exclusion of the individual from further consideration for employment or, if the person has been hired, termination of employment as per the disciplinary policy.
- Use of Company Property
The Company retains the sole ownership of all its property, real, tangible and intangible, including but not limited to equipment(s) and restricts the use of all said property and equipment(s). Hence, personal use of any Company property without prior approval from the authorized person is strictly prohibited. This includes but not limited to computers, laptops, mobile phones, telephones, stamps, stationery, printer, fitness Equipment’s and Company vehicles. Other than in case of emergencies, Employees are expected to attend to their personal affairs during non-working hours outside the office. Guidelines for Company provided Computer systems are detailed under Annexure III of this Handbook.
3.1. Use of Telephones
- Employees can take personal calls only in non-work areas
- Use of camera is not permitted inside Operations areas
- Mobile phones have to be placed on silent mode inside office premises
The Company understands that during the office hours it is occasionally necessary to make and/or take personal calls. But it is extremely important that office telephone lines and/or office issued mobile phones be kept open for incoming and outgoing business calls.
Personal use of telephones during business hours is not encouraged in the Company as it can result in significant expense and adversely affect Employee’s productivity. However, for reasons when it is important to check on the safety and wellbeing of immediate family members and the like, personal calls are allowed. However personal calls of any kind are to be preapproved by your supervisor.
Emergency calls to the fire department or police are the only pre-approved calls allowed. Ensure the incoming and outgoing personal calls to be brief and be made when it does not interfere with your work as it could cause you to fall behind in your duty.
3.1.1. Policy on Usage of Personal Mobile Phones
This policy has been drafted to ensure a professional working atmosphere in the Company and the aim is to not be hindered and/or distracted by the noises of phones ringing and which could have a detrimental effect on work.
Use of mobile phone cameras and other related devices with features capable of recording pictures and videos are strictly prohibited inside the office premises. Operations staff are strictly prohibited from using personal mobile phones inside operational areas.
3.2. Bring Your Own Device (BYOD)
In light of the current situation and changing dynamics between an employer and employee, the Company has declared a BYOD policy, which has been explained in greater detail under Annexure II.
3.3. Equipment Safety & Maintenance of Workplace Hygiene
- If you have cold symptoms, such as cough/sneezing/fever, or feel poorly, request Wellness Leave or work from home.
- If you have a positive COVID-19 diagnosis, you can return to the office only after you’ve fully recovered, with a doctor’s note confirming your recovery.
- If you are feeling ill, but you are able to work, you can request to work from home.
- If you have recently returned from areas with a high number of COVID-19 cases (based on announcements, orders and/or directions passed by the Governmental authorities), we’ll ask you to work from home for 14 calendar days, and return to the office only if you are fully asymptomatic. You will also be asked not to come into physical contact with any colleagues during this time.
- If you’ve been in close contact with someone infected by COVID-19, with high chances of being infected yourself, request work from home. You will also be asked not to come into physical contact with any colleagues during this time.
- If you’re a parent and you have to stay at home with your children, request work from home. Follow up with your manager or departmental leader or the Human Resource Department to make arrangements and set expectations.
- If you need to provide care to a family member infected by COVID-19, request work from home. You’ll only be permitted to return to the office 14 calendar days after your family member has fully recovered, provided that you’re asymptomatic or you have a doctor’s note confirming you don’t have the virus. You will also be asked not to come into physical contact with any colleagues during this time.
- All work trips and events – both domestic and international – will be cancelled/postponed until further notice.
- In-person meetings should be done virtually where possible, especially with non company parties (e.g. candidate interviews and partners).
- If you normally commute to the office by public transportation and do not have other alternatives, you can request to work from home as a precaution.
- If you are planning to travel voluntarily to a high-risk country with increased COVID 19 cases, we’ll ask you to work from home for 14 calendar days. You will also be asked not to come into physical contact with any colleagues during this time.
- Wash your hands after using the toilet, before eating, and if you cough/sneeze into your hands. You can also use the sanitizers you’ll find around the office.
- Cough/sneeze into your sleeve, preferably into your elbow. If you use a tissue, discard it properly and clean/sanitize your hands immediately.
- Open the windows regularly to ensure open ventilation.
- Avoid touching your face, particularly eyes, nose, and mouth with your hands to prevent from getting infected.
- Wear a face mask and/or carry one around in your person always, for use during social situations and interactions.
- If you find yourself coughing/sneezing on a regular basis, avoid close physical contact with your co-workers and take extra precautionary measures (such as requesting Wellness Leave).
Equipment Safety;
The Company is sincerely interested in the safety and wellbeing of the Employees. The Company will also take every effort to keep the office equipment in excellent condition and ensure that all safety devices are working properly. The office equipment is often expensive and may be difficult to replace.
Hence while using it, ensure to exercise care, perform required maintenance, and follow all operating instructions, safety standards and guidelines. Please notify the supervisor if any equipment, systems, or monitors appear to be damaged, defective, or in need of repair. Prompt reporting of damages, defects, and the need for repairs could prevent deterioration of equipment and possible injury to Employees or others.
Workplace Hygiene;
COVID 19 Protocols
This company policy includes the measures we are actively taking to mitigate the spread of coronavirus. You are kindly requested to follow all these rules diligently, to sustain a healthy and safe workplace in this unique environment. It’s important that we all respond responsibly and transparently to these health precautions. We assure you that we will always treat your private health and personal data with high confidentiality and sensitivity.
These are some of the required actions employees should take in order to protect themselves and their co-workers from a potential coronavirus infection.
Wellness leave arrangements:
Work from home requests:
Traveling/commuting measures:
General hygiene rules:
The Company provides a clean, hazard free, healthy and safe work environment. You are expected to actively participate in keeping the office tidy and clean. Drawers, cabinets and storage areas are to be neatly arranged. Upon completion of the day, desktops and workstations should be cleared off clutter and arranged appropriately. You should observe all posted safety rules adhere to all safety instructions provided by your supervisor and use safety equipment where required. Loose papers should be destroyed/shredded without fail.
Please use the bins kept in your workstations for trashing unwanted stationery, and do not use it for trashing food items, paper plates, plastic cups, etc. A separate bin is kept for these purposes. Please use the appropriate bins and avoid soiling your work area with food items. Also, check if the respective admin personnel, appointed for this purpose, clears the bins on a regular basis. If not, inform the Administration department (Admin) to attend to the situation immediately.
If despite your efforts to ensure safe working conditions, an Employee has an accident or falls ill on the job, it should be reported to the HR / Admin department immediately. They will see that prompt medical attention is provided.
Some of the best safety improvement ideas come from Employees. So, if you have any ideas, concerns or suggestions for improving safety and hygiene in the workplace, you are encouraged to bring them to the attention of the HR department.
- Information Security and Workplace Safety
4.1. Visitors in the Work Area
To provide for the security and safety of Employees and the properties of the Company, only authorized visitors are allowed in the workplace. Restricting unauthorized visitors helps maintain safety standards, protects against theft, ensures the security of equipment, protects confidential information, safeguards Employee's welfare and avoids potential distractions and disturbances. To maintain the above-mentioned objective, your cooperation is expected in this regard. You must inform your supervisor and take his/her consent before meeting your visitor. You should meet your visitor in the Company's reception area. You are responsible for the conduct and safety of your visitors. If an unauthorized individual is observed in the Company’s premises, you should immediately notify your supervisor or, if necessary, direct the individual to the reception area.
4.2. Mail and Internet Usage
- Using Organization's time and resources for personal gain.
- Stealing, using or disclosing someone else’s code or password without authorization.
- Copying, pirating or downloading software and electronic files without permission.
- Engaged in an unauthorized transaction that may incur a cost to the organization.
- Sending or posting chain e-mails/letters, solicitation, or advertisements not related to business purposes or activities.
The Company prohibits the use of email, Internet and Intranet systems in ways that are disruptive, offensive to others or harmful to the general morale of the workplace.
The following conduct can also result in disciplinary action;
The Company reserves the rights to access and to screen the messages that you send, receive, or browse on the e-mail and internet systems. Employees should also be aware that “deleted” messages from the computer screen might not actually be deleted from the e-mail system. Hence Employees who misuse this policy are subject to disciplinary procedures including but not limited to being discharged from services1.
- Attendance and Punctuality
To maintain a safe and productive work environment, the Company expects you to be reliable and to be punctual in reporting for scheduled work. We encourage our employees to understand that your absenteeism and tardiness in the workplace places a burden on the other Employees and on the Company.
In the rare instances when you cannot avoid being late to work or are unable to work as scheduled, you should notify your supervisor as soon as possible in advance of the anticipated tardiness or absence. If your immediate supervisor is not available, you must inform the manager. You can either call the office telephone number or call your supervisor on their mobile phone. Please note that calling and informing is the responsibility of every employee whoever is absent or reporting late to work. Any violation of this policy can amount to misconduct and disciplinary proceedings can be initiated against you for the same.
5.1. Hours of Operation/Shifts
- Your hours of operation/shift would be 9 hours a day (which includes one (1) hour break every day) and 45 hours in a week.
- You may be required to work in a shift that is assigned for your job role.
- If you are found to be late frequently, it would be considered as misconduct and necessary action will be taken. In addition, the Company, for such breach and/or violation can make necessary salary deductions.
5.2. Holidays
- Republic Day (Mandatory holiday)
- Gandhi Jayanthi (Mandatory holiday)
- Independence Day (Mandatory holiday)
You are entitled to the customary paid holidays, which will be intimated to you at the beginning of every financial year. The Company shall have such number of holidays every calendar year and the list of holidays relevant to the particular calendar year shall be notified to you via official communication/notice placed in the establishment you currently work at, wherein 3 Mandatory holidays shall be given:
In case you are required to work on any of the Mandatory days given above, you may take a compensatory holiday after due approval from your supervisor.
5.3. Breaks
You may break for Lunch/Dinner as per the shift provisions of the company for a duration not exceeding 1 hour per day.
The Company maintains a non-smoking policy within the office premises. Smokers are requested to smoke outside the office premises. If it becomes necessary to take the break outside the office premises for the stipulated break interval listed above, you must get the consent of your Supervisor. Excessive, prolonged and unauthorized breaks are subject to immediate disciplinary action.
- Salary/Stipend and Benefits
6.1. Bank Accounts
At the time of joining you will be enrolled to the Bank where the Company has its corporate salary account. Every month your calculated net salary would be directly deposited to your individual account. However, if there is a delay in receiving your account number your salary will be paid through Cheque for the first month and subsequently you should update the Bank account number details.
6.2. Deductions
- Income Tax (Tax Deducted at Source)
- Professional Tax
- Provident Fund as per the provisions of Employees Provident Fund and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952.
- Employees State Insurance Act, 1948. (applicable for Employees as provided under ESI)
- Any Other dues
It is statutory that the Company should make a certain deduction from your Salary. Among these are:
Any unauthorized leave, late coming, acts that cause damage or loss to the Company, may also lead to appropriate deductions in the salary as provided in the penalty provision under this Handbook.
All employees are paid a salary on the 1st day of each month. In case the 1st day of such month is a holiday, then the salary shall be credited on the next working day.
The Company takes all reasonable steps to ensure that you receive the correct amount of pay in your account and are paid promptly on the scheduled payday.
In case of any error in the amount of pay, promptly bring this to the attention of the HR Department so that corrections can be made as quickly as possible.
6.3. Provident Fund (PF) Benefit
A regular contribution from your salary during your salary, matched by Company’s contribution and the interest accrued on the total of these contributions shall be made by the Company as per the law and its policies.
PF Benefit is applicable to all Employees. Your contribution is at the rate of 12% of Basic Salary. The Company makes a matching contribution of 8.33% to Pension Fund and the remaining goes into Provident Fund (3.67%)
Employees whose basic salary is less than INR 15,000/- are mandatorily covered under PF.
6.4. Employees State Insurance (ESIC)
To empower the social security for employees of the Company and in accordance with the Employees State Insurance Act, 1948, our objective is to provide a security system to or employees, especially during health-related eventualities (ESI Scheme).
The ESI scheme offers benefits to both the employees and their dependents in case of any unfortunate eventualities at work. Under the ESI Act, employees or workers employed at the above-mentioned categories earning wages up to INR 21,000 per/month are entitled for this social security scheme.
The ESIC scheme shall not (and currently does not) cover workers or employees earning more than INR 21,000 per month and in the case of persons with a disability, the maximum wage is capped at INR 25,000 per month.
The employee shall contribute a total of 1.75% of his/her respective salary while the Company (employer) shall contribute 4.75% towards the ESI scheme. Please note that these rates are revised from time to time, and the same shall be informed to the employees appropriately. Those workers whose daily average wage is up to INR 50 shall be exempted from contributing to the ESI fund. However, the Company shall continue to contribute towards these employees.
6.5. Gratuity
- on superannuation, or
- on retirement, or
- on resignation, or
- on death, or
- disablement due to accident or disease
Employees are also covered as per the Payment of Gratuity Act 1972. Under this coverage, gratuity will be paid to an Employee who has rendered not less than five (5) years continuous service, at the time of his/her termination of his/her service either;
However, any Employee irrespective of whether he/she has been in employment for five (5) years or not, whose employment is terminated due to death or disablement, is entitled to gratuity.
An Employee, for this purpose is any person employed on rolls and includes even persons in a managerial or administrative capacity. Gratuity payable is calculated at the rate of fifteen (15) days basic salary for every completed year of service or part thereof in excess of six (6) months. Gratuity payable to an Employee up to INR 20,00,000/- (Rupees Twenty Lakhs only) is non-taxable and any amount received in excess of INR 20,00,000/- (Rupees Twenty Lakhs only) shall attract tax as applicable.
But, if Employee's service has been terminated for any act or willful omission or negligence causing damage or loss to or destruction of property belonging to the employer, then, gratuity to the extent of damage or loss caused shall be forfeited.
Further, if the services of the Employee have been terminated due to riotous or disorderly conduct or any other act of violence; or for any act, in the course of employment, which constitutes an offence involving moral turpitude, then gratuity may be wholly or partially forfeited.
6.6. Medical Insurance
- Additions and deletions of employee will be done on their day of joining/exit.
- Dependents to be declared at the time of inception of the policy. No midterm inclusion of dependents allowed except for spouse after marriage and child by birth. Addition of family members must be intimated within 30 days after marriage or childbirth.
- Non-Medical expenses including but not limited to RMO charges Surcharges, service charges, miscellaneous charges, night charges and other non-treatment related expenses are not payable.
- It shall be a condition precedent to the Company’s liability under this policy that all supporting documents relating to the claim must be submitted within fifteen (15) days from the date of discharge from the hospital. In case of post-hospitalization treatment days, all claim documents should be submitted to the relevant heads or departments within fifteen (15) days after completion of such treatment.
- In addition to the conditions mentioned above, the terms and conditions of the insurance provider mentioned in Policy shall be applicable with respect to your claims.
- In accordance with Clause ‘e’ above, in the event that the insurer or benefits provider refuses to provide you with cover the Company will notify you and will have no further obligation under this clause, whether to arrange the provision of cover with another authorized insurer or benefits provider or to meet the cost of that cover or the amount as a lump sum payment.
The following medical insurance shall be provided to all employees/staff from their date of joining: Subject to being charged normal rates, the Company will make necessary arrangements to provide you with appropriate insurance(s) (Group Personal Accidental and Group Medical Insurance) and other benefits (Provident Fund, ESI and Gratuity) but subject always to the terms and conditions of the policy under which such cover is to be provided, and you satisfying such requirements as the insured or the benefits provider may impose.
Special Conditions:
6.7. Lunch Policy
The Company shall provide free lunch from an authorized vendor to all employees. In locations that the Company is not able to provide free lunch, it shall provide reimbursement of INR 75/- per day of work completed by the employee in such locations.
- Performance Evaluation and Salary Reviews
- The pay/salary compensation is designed to reward an Employee’s productivity, creativity, and contribution to the Company. Managers will conduct regular salary reviews to assess Employees’ compensation in relation to their performance and business contributions.
- Salary increases are based on a number of factors, including but not limited to merit, productivity, efficiency, the Company’s sales performance, budgeting issues, industry standards, internal and external equity and other factors the Company may consider from time to time, at its sole discretion.
- Salaries/Compensation(s) are not based on tenure.
- Having a performance review does not necessarily mean an Employee will be given a salary hike.
7.1. By observation and in consultation with departmental heads, the Management shall review the quality of performance of each employee on completion of three (3) months from the time of joining in order to confirm his/her employment with the Company.
7.2. Based on the review, the probation period may be extended if the Employee’s performance does not meet the performance standard set by the Company for the Employee.
7.3. In the event the Employee gets confirmed and appointed on a permanent basis, then the Employee would be evaluated once in a year and considered for any revision in accordance with the Company’s Performance/Appraisal policy.
7.4. The Employee's supervisor, department head or any other designated person will evaluate each Employee’s job performance. Such evaluation shall include consideration of accomplishments, strengths, and weaknesses of the Employee.
7.5. Based on the quality of his/her performance, the Employee shall be informed about his/her progress or the lack of it, what improvements need to be made and the amount of knowledge updating, if any, that is required. Interim evaluations may occur throughout the year to check if an Employee is well above or below normal standards. Increment or improvement plan will be decided on a case to case basis.
7.6. Appraisal: At the time of an Employees’ job performance review, Employees will have an opportunity to read their performance appraisal form and discuss their performance rating with their appraiser.
7.7. Employees are encouraged to ask their appraiser questions they may have regarding their individual performance or performance standards/objectives. Employees’ evaluation provides you and the company an opportunity to discuss their career goals and progress respectively. It also provides Employees with a chance to voice their opinions and/or concerns, if any, with respect to their job.
7.8. Employees are encouraged to bring questions, problems, and matters regarding their job to the attention of their supervisor or to utilize the Grievance Procedure (as provided by the Company) to appeal against their performance review.
7.9. Salary Revisions
8. Policies Overview
8.1. Dress code
- The Dress code aims to provide an overview of appropriate business attire. Employees are expected to dress neatly and to exercise common sense in selecting clothing and footwear that is appropriate for a business environment.
- This policy details what is generally acceptable as business formal/casual attire and what is generally not acceptable as business formals/casual attire.
- No dress code can cover all contingencies, so Employees must exercise a certain amount of reasonable judgment in their choice of clothing.
- In case of uncertainty about acceptable, professional business formal/casual attire for work, please ask your supervisor or your Human Resources staff.
- V-neck T-shirts, T-shirts with floral prints, sports jersey, Shirts / T-Shirts with competitor logo, words or slogans or Symbols that are derogatory and offensive in nature.
- Jeans that are ragged/ torn/ ripped, cargo pants, cam, sweatpants, shorts.
- Footwear - Sandals, floaters, slippers, flip-flops, boots with large metal buckles/high heels and any other open footwear.
- Accessories: Flashy bracelets/wrist band, Large metal buckles, tassels or any other form of accessories which are deemed to be inappropriate for a workplace.
- Shorts halter tops, crop tops, see-through lace, spaghetti straps, sports jersey, tube tops, t-shirt with words or slogans or Symbols that are offensive in nature.
- Capris, Bermuda, bicycle pants, sweatpants, athletic pants, army fatigues overalls, low‐waist jeans, Miniskirts, dresses
- Footwear - Floaters, flip-flops, fancy boots.
- Accessories: Glittering/sparkling jewelry or any other form of accessories which are deemed to be inappropriate for a workplace.16
- Men: Hair, beard and moustache should be well groomed;
- Men and Women: Long hair should be styled and groomed well;
- Basic rules of personal hygiene and cleanliness apply to every employee every day; d. Body painting, piercing (other than earrings), tattoos should be covered by clothing;
- In such situation, their absence during the work time, shall be recorded as unpaid absence
- Repeated non-compliance to dress code policy shall be raised to the HR Department and can be treated as a disciplinary case to be included in the Improvement Plan
8.1.1. Policy
All employees must maintain highest standards of personal cleanliness and present a neat and professional appearance at all times. An Employees’ professional image is an important aspect for the Company.
All employees are expected to dress in accordance with acceptable standards of decorum maintaining neat, clean, and well-groomed appearance.
All employees are expected to adhere to this policy at the workplace and/or while representing the Company during official working hours.
All employees working in morning and afternoon shifts shall wear Business Casuals from Monday through Thursday and Casuals on Fridays.
Men working in day shift are expected to tuck in the Shirt / T-Shirt from Monday to Thursday. Any accessories worn by the employees should be simple, discreet, elegant and should not be loud. Wearing inappropriate accessories as defined below, is prohibited.
8.1.2. Inappropriate Attire for Men
8.1.3. Inappropriate Attire for Women
8.1.4. Personal Grooming
8.1.5. Effect of Non-Compliance
When an Employee arrives at the office with clothing that does not comply with the dress code, the Company reserves all rights to send the Employee back home in order to comply with / adhere to the Company policy on Dress Code
In addition to the above, HR department may also take any other necessary action as deemed appropriate for violation of the Company policy
8.2. Stepping out of the Company premises at night without approval from the Manager Employee Code of Conduct
- Misuse of Money, equipment or supplies;
- Forgery or fudging of documents
- Conviction in a criminal act
- Falsification of time keeping or other records
- Working under the influence of Alcohol, drugs, etc.,
- Fighting or threatening violence in the workplace and carrying weapons to office that are illegal and prohibited, Insubordination or other disrespectful conduct
- Smoking in restricted areas
- Habitual tardiness or absenteeism
- Creating or contributing to unsanitary or disorderly housekeeping conditions
- Unauthorized disclosure of business secrets or confidential information k. Sexual or other unlawful harassment
- Violation of Compliance policies
- Violation of personnel policies
- Unsatisfactory performance
- Avoid association with Employees who may have been asked to leave the Company on disciplinary grounds.
- Do not encourage visitors during work hours. In case you have visitors, ensure that they are seated in the visitors’ area only if, it is felt necessary.
- Do not ignore any inappropriate behavior by colleagues/support staff. Report any instance to your Manager / HR personnel.
8.2.1. The Company endeavors to employ responsible individuals and believes that, the majority of Employees are responsible persons who understand and respect the rights and property of their fellow Employees and that of the Company. However, when large groups work together, reasonable rules are necessary in order to maintain the orderly conduct of the operation. To this end the Company has in effect and will establish from time to time such reasonable rules as it considers necessary to ensure the orderly and efficient conduct of its business, ensure safety of its Employees and property, and to comply with all applicable laws.
8.2.2. It is not possible to list all the forms of behavior that are considered unacceptable in the workplace. The following are the examples of some infractions that may be considered unacceptable and result in disciplinary action(s);
8.2.3. It is necessary to act in a professional manner and extend the highest courtesy to co workers, visitors, customers, vendors, and clients. Please remember that the above are only examples of violations, which may result in disciplinary action or immediate discharge. Other situations of similar nature may arise, and these too may result in various degrees of discipline or discharge.
8.3. Disciplinary policy briefing
- Policies and procedures of the company
- Information and security requirements18
- Terms and conditions of employee agreement
- Code of ethics
- Counselling and verbal issue of warning
- Official warning letters
- Show-cause notice
- Dismissal/termination
8.3.1. The Disciplinary policy is a document of frameworks and procedures to resolve incidents relating to violation or breach of the company’s rules, regulations, and policies. The principal objective of the policy is to ensure the highest standards of conduct and behavior by all employees of the company at all times.
8.3.2. The incidents include misconduct, non-compliance or malpractice. This Policy is applicable to all Employees, Trainees and Interns, within the organization, at all times. Performance related non-compliances do not come under the scope of this Policy.
8.3.3. Further, the policy defines improper conduct as one which causes a direct or indirect conflict with the following policies:
8.3.4. Violation(s) under any of the above-mentioned domains, shall be reported immediately to the concerned supervisor and the HR team. The HR team should also be notified of any breach of security/code of conduct or any other serious misconducts.
8.3.5. Upon notification, a preliminary investigation into the matter will be conducted, a preliminary report shall be filled, and details of the employee’s history shall be given to the HR team for further investigation.
8.3.6. The HR is responsible for further investigations and does so by gathering documents from the supervisor, examination of witnesses/complainant and recording them for reference.
8.3.7. The consequences for any violation will be according to the seriousness of the violation. The consequences include the following:
8.3.8. The decision/verdict is reached subject to an in-depth scrutiny of the given reports, witnesses and documentation of incidents with complete and conclusive proof.
8.3.9. Employees are given a fair chance for justification, and to present their side of the incident/case. No harsh and arbitrary judgment shall be forcefully effected upon an employee.
8.3.10. The aim is to create and standardize the personal and professional conduct and behaviors for all employees within the organization.
8.3.11. All actions on a disciplinary issue will be taken based on the disciplinary grid defined along with the disciplinary policy.
8.4. Disciplinary Proceedings:
- Issue of charge sheet/Detailed complaint report
- Holding of domestic enquiry in accordance with principles of natural justice (if deemed appropriate)
- Report to enquiry officer;
- Issuance of show cause notice
- Giving the Employee an opportunity to rebut charges of misconduct levelled against him, and
- Issuance of order of punishment
- Impertinence, insubordination or disobedience whether alone or in combination with others, of any lawful and reasonable order of a superior.
- Inciting or leading or participating in an illegal strike or actions detrimental to the Company’s interests or reputation.
- Causing loss or damage to the business or property of the Company.
- Habitual late attendance or absence or leaving the work prior to the end of working hours, etc.
- Work performance issues/concerns;
- Absenteeism or Misconduct
8.4.1. Your supervisor is responsible for ensuring that the Company’s policies, procedures, and rules are followed and shall report to the HR department, any violation / breach so that appropriate disciplinary actions may be initiated against the concerned Employee. Disciplinary action taken depends on the severity of the violation as stated under the section on Employee Code of Conduct.
8.4.2. While terminating the services of an Employee on the ground of misconduct, the Company would consider the following disciplinary procedure, viz.,
8.4.3. Some of the examples of behaviour that falls within the scope of misconduct requiring disciplinary action are as follows:
8.4.4. Disciplinary action is the process or procedure laid down by the Company setting out the policy that needs to be followed while terminating the services of an Employee.
8.4.5. An Employee can be terminated for the following causes:
8.5. Leave Policy
- In a financial year of twelve (12) months from April to March, each Employee is allowed PL, the number of days of which is determined by the level of the employee in the organization.
- You shall be entitled to a total of Thirty (30) PLs in a financial year. PL shall comprise of:
- For any leave request, prior approval has to be obtained in order to facilitate smooth and efficient functioning of the department/organization. Any leave of more than one (1) day duration has to be planned and has to be informed to the respective manager, at least 3 (three) days in advance and approval for the same has to be taken.
- Such leave will not be granted for more than three (3) days in a stretch and at a time (subject to the sole discretion of the Company).
- Further, if leaves amounting to two (2) or more weeks are taken in one stretch, then the non-working days during such two-week period shall be counted for the purposes of the calculating leave taken by you.
- Any leave without approval or beyond the approved limits will be treated as a loss of pay (LOP). In case of any unapproved leave being prefixed and suffixed by a Sunday or Company approved holiday, the same will also be accounted as leave and deducted as LOP.
- In case an Employee has not taken any leave during the year and wants to avail the same at the end of the year, it would be approved only under rare/special cases and if such a long leave would not in any way affect the work.
- Casual leave cannot be clubbed with Earned leave or Wellness Leave unless the case is genuine.
- The Company wants its employees to maintain a healthy work-life balance and expects that employees avail their PLs during the year. However, there may be situations where PLs accumulate during the year. In such situations, only the Earned Leaves are allowed to be carried over to the next financial year. Any unused leaves (which is not an Earned Leave) would lapse on 31st March of each year.
- Only Earned Leave can be en-cashed, upon reaching the accumulation limits (i.e. a total of 30 days of Earned Leaves, which shall include the Earned Leaves of the current year of employment with the Company) and is linked to the Basic pay.
- Leave without wages or LOP may be granted for exceptional cases at the discretion of the Management. You will not be entitled or eligible for leave with pay if any of the following conditions apply:
- If there is no leave available in your total leave credit for the Financial year
- If you violate the late attendance and the permission policy
- iii. Absent without prior information
- Absent without prior information on extended leaves either before and/or after the actual approved leave
- When appropriate reason(s) for leave is not established properly
- If you were on leave without pay, the deduction from the salary would be:
- Current gross monthly Salary X Number of days you were absent
- Total number of days in the month in which the leave was taken
- Employees who are not contributories to Employee State Insurance (ESI) Act are governed as below:
- Women Employees who have worked for a period of not less than eighty (80) days in the twelve (12) months immediately preceding the expected date of her delivery are eligible for maternity leave
- Woman Employees who are pregnant shall be entitled for Maternity Leave as stipulated in the Act, which is as follows - 8 weeks immediately preceding her expected date of delivery and 18 weeks immediately following the day of her delivery.
- For Women who are expecting after having 2 children, the duration of paid maternity Leave shall be 12 weeks (i.e., 6 weeks pre-and 6 weeks post expected date of delivery). Both days inclusive
- Further, for a period of one (1) month immediately preceding the (26) weeks before the delivery date, no woman Employee, upon a request being made, may be required to do any work of an arduous nature, or which involves long hours of standing or which is likely to interfere with her pregnancy or the normal development of the fetus, or otherwise likely to adversely affect her health
- For the actual period of absence, every woman Employee will be paid maternity benefit at the average rate of daily wage (calculated based on monthly salary). This is payable for a maximum period of Twenty-Six (26) weeks i.e. for a maximum of eight (8) weeks prior to the delivery date and eighteen (18) weeks subsequent to the day of delivery
- This is applicable to all women employees in the company
- Employees who are contributories to ESI are directly covered under Employee State Insurance (ESI) Act. However, for the benefit of Employees the following are the benefits specified in ESI Act:
- Maternity Benefit is payable to an insured woman in the following cases subject to contributory conditions: -
- Confinement - payable for a period of twenty-six (26) weeks (180 days) on the production of Form 21 & Form 23.7
- Miscarriage or medical termination of pregnancy (MTP) - payable for six (6) weeks (40 days) from the date following a miscarriage on the production of Form 20 and 23.
- Sickness arising out of Pregnancy, Confinement, Premature birth - payable for a period not exceeding one (1) month based on Forms 8, 10 and 9.
- In the event of the death of the insured woman during confinement leaving behind a child, maternity benefit is payable to her nominee on the production of Form 24(B).
- Maternity benefit rate is double the Standard Benefit Rate or roughly equal to the average daily wage.
- Leave can be approved giving Leave with pay.
- Leave can be approved giving LOP.
- Leave can be disapproved and result in cancellation.
- Leave can be disapproved with a warning on the grounds of any violation of leave policies.
- Eligibility: All Employees are eligible for Compensatory Off.
- Computation: On holiday or Weekly off the Compensatory Off will be computed as under:
- Employees should have worked for a minimum of at least four (4) hours on a declared holiday.
- After working for four (4) Hours, the Employees will be entitled to the total period, as compensatory off.
- Eight (8) hours in this regard, will constitute one full working day.
- Availing of Compensatory Off:
- Individual can avail Compensatory Off only on the basis of its being pre sanctioned.
- Not more than three (3) days Compensatory Off can be availed at a time.
- While on Compensatory Off, weekly off and paid Holidays will be excluded for computation.
8.5.1. Paid Leave (PL)
Earned Leave: 18 days
Wellness Leave: 6 days
FINSAVE TECHNOLOGIES PVT. LTD.
Casual Leave: 6 days
8.5.2. Applicability. The above requirement is not applicable (unless the Employment Agreement specifically refers to Employee Handbook) to any persons occupying positions of Management in the establishment, by virtue of the exemption provided in S. 4(1)(a) of the Shops and Commercial Establishments Act, 1947. In these cases, such leave would be governed by the contracts of employment or by the service regulations of the establishment.
8.5.3. Loss of Pay (LOP)
8.5.4. Maternity Leave
8.5.5. Paternity Leave
Male Employees who have completed 6 months in service at the company shall be eligible for Paternity Leave of five continuous (5) days with pay. Employees availing paternity leave shall produce records of birth of child in the family upon return to office.
8.5.6. Kind of Leave Approvals
8.5.7. Compensatory Off. Depending on business needs, Employees may at times be required to work on holidays and/or a weekly off. The management appreciates such extended support and is desirous of compensating such Employees. The policy relating to Compensation Off is as detailed below. The Policy will facilitate the grant, monitoring, and provision of "Compensatory Off" (as applicable).
- Performance Improvement Plan Policy (PIP)
- Performance counselling: Based on the feedback given by the group leader, the employee is identified for a counselling by the manager along with the HR in order to create an action plan to achieve a favorable performance improvement.
- PIP: Based on the action plan made for the PIP, the outcomes are measured and verified for improvement.
- PIP review: The results are documented every week and is shared with the HR for a review.
- PIP closure: The result of the PIP for an employee is documented at the end. The PIP is closed with a positive remark if the standards are met and a negative remark otherwise. The results are then shared with the HR which will be documented.
9.1. The PIP is conducted for employees who do not meet the requirement standards set by the company. However, the PIP will be initiated only for employees who have completed a minimum of 3 months in the company.
9.2. The PIP is applicable to all full-time employees of the company. The HR shall provide necessary counseling and create an action plan for performance improvements along with the respective supervisor(s), which will last for a period of 4 weeks.
9.3. The employee under PIP will be defined with the goals and performance metrics to be achieved by him/her every week. These parameters will be documented by HR for a review.
9.4. The PIP is intended to be a constructive approach in providing any associate who is under performing in his current role/responsibility with an opportunity to improve upon his deliverables and succeed while still holding him/her accountable for their past performance.
9.5. The key areas of improvement and the performance targets set for the employee during PIP will be identified by the HR in consensus with the group leader/ manager.
9.6. The PIP cannot be considered and/or used as a method of disciplinary action for any kind of escalation and/or non-compliance.
9.7. The following will be the steps followed for the PIP:
9.8. Upon successful completion of PIP, the outcomes and performance are reviewed and documented by the HR. An Employee, whose performance does not meet the standards set in the PIP/does not achieve the targets will be subject to appropriate action(s) which can lead to termination.
9.9. The employee performance, post the counselling, shall be monitored and reviewed every week. The PIP will be followed as a step-by-step improvement process with a gradual and structured process. The employee will be provided with ample support and resources required to improve his/her performance as per company standards, during the PIP. The employee’s compensation and benefits during the period of PIP will be unchanged.
- Separation policy
10.1. The separation policy defines an employee’s exit (voluntary and involuntary) process and the corresponding requirements which have to be fulfilled for the same.
10.2. Voluntary reasons for separation from the organization are to be initiated by the employee by providing reasons.
10.3. Involuntary separation will be initiated by the Company after providing reasons.
10.4. Abandonment of Service/Absconding from work while on the company rolls is when an employee does not report to work for 3 consecutive days without informing the supervisor/Manager/HR and does not respond to the contact attempts made by the Organization.
10.5. The absconding initiation will be done by the Manager. The organization will wait not take any disciplinary action if the reason(s) for the uninformed leave is genuine and critical.
10.6. If the employee is found to be absconding for any reason other than what is identified as genuine, appropriate action will be taken against him/her according to the policy, which can lead up termination.
- Sexual and other Unlawful Harassment
11.1. The Company is committed to providing a work environment that is free of discrimination and harassment. Actions, words, jokes and/or comments based on an individual’s sex, race, ethnic origin, religion or any other legally protected class will not be tolerated.
11.2. Sexual and other unlawful harassment (both overt and subtle) is a form of Employee misconduct that is demeaning to another person, undermines the integrity of the employment relationship and is strictly prohibited.
11.3. Any case of sexual or any other unlawful harassment will be dealt with in accordance with the Company’s Policy [Sexual Harassment (Procedure and Redressal mechanism) Policy].
11.4. Any Employee, who wants to report an incident of harassment, should promptly report to HR.
11.5. Please refer to the Sexual Harassment (Procedure and Redressal mechanism) Policy which has been provided to you.
11.6. Grievance procedure. Good communications with all Employees is desired. A healthy organization requires that Employees freely and openly discuss problems with their supervisors and management. This Company is no different than any other company in which occasional mistakes and/or misunderstandings will inevitably occur. When a problem arises, Employees are encouraged to come forward and discuss their views with their supervisor. In most situations, Employees can receive a timely answer from their supervisor. Follow the following steps to handle your concerns.
Please refer to the Grievance Redressal Policy as annexed to this Handbook.
- Probation and Confirmation
- During probationary/extended probationary period, you may resign from the employment of the Company only after giving the Company a fifteen (15) days’ prior notice in writing.
- During this period, the Company can terminate your employment either by giving fifteen (15) days’ notice in writing or by giving gross salary in lieu thereof.
12.1. You will be on probation for a period of three (3) months from the date of your joining. The said period of probation is liable to be extended by the management, from time to time, as deemed fit.
12.2. Your employment with the Company will be confirmed only after the satisfactory completion of the probationary/extended probationary period. The said satisfaction shall be the subjective decision of the management and shall be binding upon you.
12.3. Unless communicated to you in writing - extending your probation or terminating your employment, you will be deemed to be confirmed, on the completion of your probationary period.
12.4. Notice period during probation
13. Termination of employment or Resignations
- Discharge: Discharge is involuntary employment termination initiated by the Company for disciplinary reasons. Please note however that the Company may also terminate services forthwith (without notice) as per employment contract in specific circumstances. This is not applicable (unless the employment contract specifically refers to Employee Handbook) to persons occupying positions of management by virtue of the exemption provided in Karnataka Shops and Establishments Act, it would be governed either by the service regulations or by the terms of the employment contracts.
- The salary for any employee who has submitted his/her resignation or “Intention to separate” will be released in a regular manner, the salary for the subsequent month or the month when the notice period ends will be put on hold. The held-back salary for the employee will be paid along with the full and final settlement.
- While on notice period, employees will not be eligible for any compensation increase and/or change in position related attributes that are due as on the date of resignation or deemed due from a prior date owing to organization decisions at a later date.
- Note: Salary including any other payments like Bonus, Allowances etc. scheduled for that month will be put on hold. Employees cannot avail any leave during the notice period except for exceptional circumstances (to be approved by Head, HR). In such cases, the notice period will be extended by the same number of day(s) for which the employee is on leave(s). However, this will not be applicable for Company holidays, Earned Leave and RHS. Further, Earned Leave cannot be adjusted with any shortfall in the requisite notice period required to be served by the employee.
13.1. The Company hopes and expects your employment in the Company to be long lasting and satisfying. However, termination of employment is an inevitable part of the personal activity within any organization and many reasons for termination are routine.
13.2. Since employment within the Company is based on mutual consent, both Employee and the Company has the right to terminate employment at will at any time by serving the required notice period (in case of misconduct or other disciplinary action(s), notice period need not be served. Further, pay may also be deducted) and/or by payment of compensation in accordance with provisions of applicable laws and contract.
13.3. The following is one of the most common circumstances under which employment can be terminated.
13.4. Notice Period Clause
13.5. Exit Interview
Prior to your termination, an exit interview will be scheduled to discuss the reasons for resignation and obtain reliable data on the problem areas, enabling the Management to initiate corrective measures.
You are responsible for all the Company’s property, materials, and/or written information issued to you or in your possession or control. You must return all Company’s property immediately upon request or upon termination of employment.
The Company may withhold from your salary, the cost(s) of any items that are not returned when required. The Company may also take all action deemed appropriate to recover or protect its property.
The Employee should ensure that the entire checklist is completed before he/she gets relieved from the Company.
A full and final settlement letter shall be issued by the Company only after satisfaction of all the requirements as considered necessary by the Company during the exit process.
- Staying informed
When there is any revision, alteration, supplementation and/or update to the policies mentioned in the handbook, you will be kept informed through the appropriate sources. 27
- Disclosure Protection Notice
This document is the property of Finsave Technologies Pvt. Ltd. and contains confidential and/or proprietary information. It shall not be disclosed outside the company and shall not be duplicated, used, or disclosed in whole or in part for any purpose other than to evaluate this document. Finsave Technologies review of this material is considered acceptance of this Disclosure Protection Notice. Should this be unsatisfactory, please return this material to Finsave Technologies Pvt. Ltd.
- Miscellaneous
All other aspects with regard to your employment with the Company shall be in accordance with the Appointment Letter that has been executed and binding between you and the Company, which shall, inter alia include confidentiality, non-solicitation and non circumvention, etc.
ANNEXURE I – GRIEVANCE REDRESSAL POLICY
- POLICY STATEMENT
1.1. The Grievance Redressal procedure at Finsave Technologies Private Limited (Finsave Technologies) aims to reinforce the organization’s commitment towards providing fair and equitable work opportunities to all employees. The objective of the grievance resolution process is to provide employees with an easily accessible mechanism for settlement of their individual grievances. This policy applies to all employees of Finsave Technologies and those of Partner organizations who are in a relationship with Finsave Technologies.
1.2. For the purpose of the policy, “Grievances” means individual grievance and includes all matters but excludes the following:
1.2.1. Annual performance appraisal;
1.2.2. Grievance pertaining to, or arising out of, disciplinary action or appeal against such actions; and
1.2.3. Grievance arising out of termination/dismissal.
- GRIEVIENCE STATEMENT AND POLICY
2.1. A grievance can be defined as any sort of dissatisfaction, which needs to be addressed in order to enable employees to function efficiently and effectively within the organization. A grievance is a sign of an employee's discontentment with his job or his relationship with his colleagues. Broadly, a grievance can be stated to be any discontent or dissatisfaction with any aspect of the organization.
2.2. Finsave Technologies grievance policy is designed to provide an effective procedure for resolution of problems. The purpose of the disciplinary procedure is to ensure that unacceptable conduct is addressed promptly and appropriately.
2.3. The disciplinary procedure applies to all Finsave Technologies employees. The procedure takes account of the Finsave Technologies code of conduct and will be reviewed periodically in line with developments in good practice.
- CRITERIA
3.1. Except for gross misconduct, no employee will be dismissed for a first breach of discipline. The level of any formal action will be dependent on the seriousness of the offence, having regard to the need for fairness and natural justice.
3.2. The procedure is internal to Finsave Technologies and does not allow for any external representation. No disciplinary action will be taken against an employee until the case has been fully investigated. 29
- PREFACE
4.1. Finsave Technologies believes in maintaining good relationship with the employees to maintain and preserve the dignity of the employee. Good employer employee relationships go a long way in preserving the employees for a longer tenure and in building their trust.
4.2. Any sort of dissatisfaction or discontent among the employees, if attended, makes the employee feel a sense of lack of justice and fair play and the complaint then assumes a status of grievance. A grievance needs to be redressed in order to bring about the smooth functioning of the individual in the organisation. Accordingly, the Grievance Redressal Policy has been put in place which will offer an open communication channel for the employees to discuss their grievances.
4.3. The policy aims at creating a healthy working environment for all the employees of Finsave Technologies.
- COVERAGE
5.1. Employee grievances can be filed in cases of employee dissatisfaction/complaint as described below:
5.1.1. Any discontent related to infrastructure which hinders the smooth functioning of the activities of the employee or jeopardises health and safety of the employee. For example, these may include health, sanitation or safety related issues, or software and hardware related problems.
5.1.2. Any discontent related to salary, incentive and employee loan.
5.1.3. Any discontent related to processing of bills e.g. travel and lodging, delay in receiving stationery from Head Office, delay in joining formalities etc.
5.1.4. Proper training not received by the employee or training not useful/adequate for the role.
5.1.5. Improper work sharing within the team, a particular person burdened with work, long working hours etc.
5.1.6. Any discontent related to delay in appraisals and promotions or transfers. 5.1.7. Delay in receiving leaves and working on holidays.
5.1.8. Female employee facing sexual discrimination at workplace or workplace safety not maintained for women.
5.1.9. Gaps in communication of policy changes, non-availability of contact information of senior employee or Manager, as the case may be.
5.2. The examples mentioned above are only indicative and not exhaustive. In case of any such unsolved complaints, the employee can choose to use the grievance policy. Also, to seek any long-awaited information sought by the employee from any support department at the employee can route his/her grievance through the Grievance Redressal Officer (GRO).
- DISQUALIFICATION
6.1. All grievances related to sexual harassment at workplace will be covered under ‘Sexual Harassment Policy’ and is excluded from the purview of this policy.
6.2. Any grievance raised by more than one employee and is of collective nature. The GRO shall only entertain cases raised by individual employees.
- PROCEDURE FOR FILING OF GRIEVANCES
7.1. Phone Call. Employees can contact the Grievance Redressal Officer at +91 8527222021 [Srishti Kathuria];
7.2. Written Complaint. Employees can write to Srishti Kathuria or post their written complaint to the registered address of the Company as mentioned below:
Grievance Redressal Officer (GRO): srishti.kathuria@mypaisaa.com.
7.3. Walk-Ins. Employees can meet the Grievance Redressal Officer in person at office premises and register their grievance
- PROCESS OF GRIEVANCE REDRESSAL MECHANISM
The following process should be followed for expressing and seeking Redressal to a grievance:
8.1. Employees may communicate their grievance in writing to Grievance Redressal Officer while at the same time, addressing a copy to the HR manager. In case the grievance involves the Grievance Redressal Officer, then the employee can contact the Grievance Redressal Officer’s manager, while simultaneously copying the HR manager
8.2. The concerned manager must immediately acknowledge receipt of the grievance in writing informing the employee of the receipt of grievance and inviting the employee for a formal meeting. Managers may consult with the HR manager and revert to the employee with a course of action/ solution within 7 working days from the date of receipt of grievance
8.3. The Grievance Redressal Officer will convey their decision to the aggrieved employee through the HR manager within 5 days of receipt of the complaint.
8.4. The Grievance Redressal Officer has to maintain the log of grievances in the “Grievance excel sheet” and provide complaint reference number to the complainant within 1 working day. He/she is required to maintain the details of the open complaints, complaints in progress and the complaints closed.
8.5. The Grievance Redressal Officer (GRO) shall forward the complaint to the relevant department within 1 day of receipt of the complaint.
8.6. The Department will in turn inform the GRO about the closure of the employee grievance. If the GRO does not receive any feedback from the concerned department within a period of 7 days, then the issue will be escalated to the Department Head. The Grievance Redressal Officer will ensure that the grievance is resolved within a period of 14 days. The GRO will hence communicate to the employee the resolution as provided by the department. 1
8.7. In case the Grievance is baseless or cannot be resolved, the GRO will communicate the same to the complainant concerned over phone or by email.
8.8. Grievances will be treated with utmost confidentiality and sensitivity.
8.9. GRO shall maintain a record number of grievances settled/ pending and report to the senior management team on a quarterly basis.
- CLOSURE OF COMPLAINT
9.1. In any case all attempts will be made to close the complaint within 30 days.
10. GROSS MISCONDUCT
10.1. In case of gross misconduct, the employee will be removed from employment without notice or and no payment will be made in lieu of notice. The list provided below is illustrative but not exhaustive, and should be deemed that any other conduct not falling within the purview of what is stated below is akin to gross misconduct; the Grievance Redressal Officer will exercise the authority to determine gross misconduct depending on the circumstances of each case:
10.1.1. Fraud;
10.1.2. Deliberate falsification of records;
10.1.3. Embezzlement;
10.1.4. Theft;
10.1.5. Intimidation, harassment, threats or acts of violence;
10.1.6. Misuse or misappropriation of position or benefits;
10.1.7. Wilful damage to organization’s assets, including those of its employees, partners, other stakeholders;
10.1.8. Disparagement or defamation of the Company, its employees, partners or other stakeholders;
10.1.9. Taking or giving bribes or any other illegal gratification, including sexual gratification;
10.1.10. Serious incapability due to being under the influence of alcohol or being under the influence of illegal drugs at the workplace and during working hours;
10.1.11. Serious negligence which causes unacceptable loss, damage or injury; 10.1.12. Serious act of insubordination;
10.1.13. Deception or inappropriate access to private and/or confidential Company records and/or information without authorization or need-to-know.
32
- APPEAL
11.1. An employee who wishes to appeal against a disciplinary decision must do so within 5 working days. The Grievance Redressal Officer will hear all appeals and will make a recommendation to the Board. The Board’s decision will be final and communicated in writing to the employee by the HR Manager. At the appeal, any disciplinary penalty imposed will be reviewed.
11.2. An employee has the right of appeal against formal action, including dismissal. The emphasis on the appeal hearing is to ensure the disciplinary hearing was carried out correctly, the evidence presented appropriately, the employee was given the opportunity to present his case and the disciplinary action taken was proportionate to the misconduct. It does not need to be are-hearing of the original disciplinary hearing unless there have been procedural errors, which need to be addressed, or new evidence has become known. In such circumstances, are-convened disciplinary hearing usually should be called and the process commenced again.
11.3. Should an employee wish to appeal they must do so, in writing, to the appropriate manager within five working days of being informed in writing of the formal action.
11.4. A request for an appeal must specify the grounds of the appeal, preferably under one or more of the following headings:
11.4.1. The severity of the action.
11.4.2. The finding of the hearing on a point of fact, which is pertinent to the decision of the hearing.
11.4.3. A failure to adhere to the published procedure.
- DISCIPLINARY ACTION
12.1. Policy Statement: We expect all employees to comply with Finasave Technologies policies, procedures and Code of Conduct. Disciplinary procedures will be implemented, in case of unsatisfactory performance, or deviant behaviour which is in breach of organizations interest or harmful to welfare and rights of others. Disciplinary procedures are meant to be corrective, rather than punitive and follow principles of natural justice. They are meant to motivate employees to accept standards of conduct, which are desirable or necessary for organizational performance.
12.2. Principles of Disciplinary Procedure:
12.2.1. Counselling will be offered, where appropriate, to resolve problems
12.2.2. No disciplinary action will be taken against an employee until the case has been fully investigated
12.2.3. At every stage in the procedure the employee will be advised of the nature of the complaint against him or her and will be given the opportunity to state his or her case before any decision is made.
12.2.4. No employee will be dismissed for a first breach of discipline except in the case of gross misconduct, where the penalty will be dismissal without notice or payment in lieu of notice.
12.2.5. An employee will have the right to appeal against any discipline imposed.
12.2.6. The procedure may be implemented at any stage if the employee's alleged misdemeanor or warrants such action
12.3. The employee should be advised of the conduct expected of them in the future and of the possible consequences of further problems. Where necessary an informal warning given by the manager will reinforce the advice. Informal advice and support are not part of the formal disciplinary procedure and the employee should be informed of this. However, a record of an informal warning needs to be kept on the employee’s personal file held in Human Resources department and may be used in future proceedings.
- STAGES OF DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS FOR UNSATISFACTORY PERFORMANCE AND/OR MISCONDUCT
13.1. Stage 1. Warning for continued unsatisfactory performance or misconduct: If the performance does not meet acceptable standards post counselling, the employee will be given an improvement note by his or her Manager setting out the performance problem, the improvement that is required, the timeline for showing improvement and any capacity building or counselling that is required that may be given. The individual will be advised that it constitutes the first stage of the formal procedure. A record of the improvement note will be kept for three months but will not form a part of the formal Annual Appraisal - subject to achievement of satisfactory performance. If an employee’s conduct does not meet acceptable standards, the employee will be given a written warning. This will set out the nature of the misconduct and the change in behaviour required. The warning should also inform the employee that a final written warning might be considered if there is no sustained satisfactory improvement or change. A record of the warning should be kept, but it should be disregarded for disciplinary purposes after a period of three months. The discussion regarding shortcomings of performance or behaviour should be held between the immediate manager, and the concerned Director and the employee.
13.2. Stage 2. Final written warning: If the offence is sufficiently serious or there is a failure to improve performance/ conduct during the currency of a warning, a final written warning may be given to the employee. This will give details of the complaint, the improvement required and the timeline. It will also warn that failure to improve may lead to action under Stage 3 (dismissal or other action as appropriate) and will refer to the right of appeal. A copy of this written warning will be kept by the supervisor and HR manager but will be disregarded for disciplinary purposes after three months subject to achievement of satisfactory conduct or performance
13.3. Stage 3. Dismissal or other action:
13.3.1. If there is still a failure to improve or in case of gross misconduct, the final step in the procedure may be dismissal or some other action short of dismissal.
13.3.2. Written note will be sent to the employee setting out the allegation and the basis for it. The process must be initiated by the HR Manager on the request of the Manager.
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13.3.3. The employee will be given an opportunity to meet with the Manager and HR Manager to respond to the allegations and provide necessary supporting evidence.
13.3.4. On conclusion of the meeting and investigation process, are commendation for appropriate action will be made to the Director Operations jointly by the Manager and HR Manager
13.3.5. Based on the decision to proceed by the Director Operations, the final disciplinary action along with the right to appeal will be communicated to the employee in writing and the record will be maintained by the HR manager.
- PENALTIES
14.1. Minor Penalties
14.1.1. Being put on Probation for 6 months irrespective of length of service; 14.1.2. Reprimand in writing to be placed on record in the Personal File. 14.2. Major Penalties
14.2.1. Reduction in salary not exceeding1/3 of the gross pay;
14.2.2. Forfeiture of Annual Increment;
14.2.3. Suspension from work for a period not exceeding 3 months on half pay;
14.2.4. Dismissal.
ANNEXURE II – BRING YOUR OWN DEVICE (BYOD) POLICY
- OBJECTIVE
This policy establishes Finsave Technologies Private Limited’s (Finsave Technologies) guidelines for employees use of personally owned electronic devices for employment-related purposes.
- SCOPE
Employees of the Company may have the opportunity to use their personal electronic devices for work purposes when authorized in writing, in advance, by the employee and management. Personal electronic devices include personally owned cell phones, smartphones, tablets, laptops and computers.
The use of personal devices is limited to certain employees and may be limited based on compatibility of technology. Please ensure that you contact the HR department for more details.
- PROCEDURE
3.1. Device protocols
To ensure the security of the Company information, authorized employees are required to have anti virus and Zoho Enterprise Business Solution’s mobile device management (MDM) software and G Suite MDM installed on their personal mobile devices. This MDM software will store all company related information, including calendars, e-mails and other applications in one area that is password-protected and secure. The Company’s IT department should install this software prior to using the personal device for work purposes.
Employees may store company-related information only in this area. Employees may not use cloud based apps or backup that allows company-related data to be transferred to unsecure parties. Due to security issues, personal devices may not be synchronized with other devices in employees’ homes. Making any modifications to the device hardware or software beyond authorized and routine installation updates is prohibited unless approved by HR. Employees may not use unsecure Internet sites.
Personal devices should be turned off or set to silent or vibrate mode during meetings and conferences and in other locations where incoming calls may disrupt normal workflow.
3.2. Restrictions on authorized use
Employees whose personal devices have camera, video or recording capability are restricted from using those functions anywhere in the building or on company property at any time unless authorized in advance by management.
While at work, employees are expected to exercise the same discretion in using their personal devices as is expected for the use of company devices. The Company’s policies pertaining to harassment, discrimination, retaliation, trade secrets, confidential information and ethics apply to employee use of personal devices for work-related activities.
Excessive personal calls, e-mails or text messaging during the workday, regardless of the device used, can interfere with employee productivity and be distracting to others. Employees must handle personal matters on non-work time and ensure that friends and family members are aware of the policy. Exceptions may be made for emergency situations and as approved in advance by management. Managers reserve the right to request employees’ cell phone bills and use reports for calls and messaging made during working hours to determine if use is excessive.
Employees may not use their personal devices for work purposes outside of their normal work schedule without authorization in advance from management. This includes reviewing, sending and responding to e-mails or text messages, responding to phone calls, or making phone calls.
Employees may not use their personal devices for work purposes during periods of unpaid leave without authorization from management. The Company reserves the right to deactivate the company’s application and access on the employee’s personal device during periods of unpaid leave.
An employee may not store information from or related to former employment on the company’s application.
Family and friends should not use personal devices that are used for company purposes. 3.3. Privacy/company access
No employee using his or her personal device should expect any privacy except that which is governed by applicable law(s) of India. The Company has the right, at any time, to monitor and preserve any communications that use the Company’s networks in any way, including data, voice mail, telephone logs, Internet use and network traffic, to determine proper use.
Management reserves the right to review or retain personal and company-related data on personal devices or to release the data to government agencies or third parties during an investigation or litigation. Management may review the activity and analyse use patterns and may choose to publicize these data to ensure that the Company’s resources in these areas are being use according to this policy. Furthermore, no employee may knowingly disable any network software or system identified as a monitoring tool.
3.4. Company stipend
Employees authorized to use personal devices under this policy will receive an agreed-on monthly stipend based on the position and estimated use of the device. If an employee obtains or currently has a plan that exceeds the monthly stipend, the Company will not be liable for the cost difference.
For all Non IT devices with i5 ang 8 gb RAM configuration, the stipend is of Rs.2300/- per month.
For all IT devices with i7 and 16gb RAM configuration, the stipend will be of Rs. 3200/- per month.
For all tablets, the stipend will be of Rs.1500/- per month, the stipend amount is subject to changes as per the company requirement at any point of time during your tenure with the company.
3.5. Safety
Employees are expected to follow applicable local, state and central laws and regulations regarding the use of electronic devices at all times.
Employees whose job responsibilities include regular or occasional driving are expected to refrain from using their personal devices while driving. Regardless of the circumstances, including slow or stopped traffic, employees are required to pull off to the side of the road and safely stop the vehicle before placing or accepting a call or texting. Special care should be taken in situations involving traffic, inclement weather or unfamiliar areas.
Employees who are charged with traffic violations resulting from the use of their personal devices while driving will be solely responsible for all liabilities that result from such actions.
Employees who work in hazardous areas must refrain from using personal devices while at work in those areas, as such use can potentially be a major safety hazard.
3.6. Lost, stolen, hacked or damaged equipment
Employees are expected to protect personal devices used for work-related purposes from loss, damage or theft. The Company will not be responsible nor bear the costs for loss, damage or theft.
In an effort to secure sensitive company data, employees are required to have “remote-wipe” software installed on their personal devices by the IT department prior to using the devices for work purposes. This software allows the company-related data to be erased remotely in the event the device is lost or stolen. Wiping company data may affect other applications and data.
The Company will not be responsible for loss or damage of personal applications or data resulting from the use of company applications or the wiping of company information. Employees must immediately notify management in the event their personal device is lost, stolen or damaged.
Employees may receive disciplinary action up to and including termination of employment for damage to personal devices caused wilfully by the employee.
3.7. Termination of employment
Upon resignation or termination of employment, or at any time on request, the employee may be asked to produce the personal device for inspection. All company data on personal devices will be removed by HR upon termination of employment.
3.8. Violations of policy
Employees who have not received authorization in writing from the Company’s management and who have not provided written consent will not be permitted to use personal devices for work purposes. Failure to follow the Company’s policies and procedures may result in disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment.
ANNEXURE – III COMPANY PROVIDED COMPUTER DEVICE(S) AND INFORMATION SECURITY POLICY
This section sets forth some important rules relating to the use of Company’s computer and communications systems. These systems include individual PCs & laptops provided to employees, centralized computer equipment, all associated software, and Company’s telephone, mobile, voice mail and electronic mail systems.
Company has provided these systems to support its mission. Although limited personal use of Company’s systems is allowed, subject to the restrictions outlined below, no use of these systems should ever conflict with the primary purpose for which they have been provided, Company’s ethical responsibilities or with applicable laws and regulations. Each user is personally responsible to ensure that these guidelines are followed.
- COMPUTER SYSTEMS:
1.1. All data in Company’s computer and communication systems (including documents, other electronic files, e‐mail and recorded voice mail messages) are the property of Company. Company may inspect and monitor such data at any time. No individual should have any expectation of privacy for messages or other data recorded in Company’s systems. This includes documents or messages marked “private,” which may be inaccessible to most users but remain available to Company. Likewise, the deletion of a document or message may not prevent access to the item or completely eliminate the item from the system.
1.2. Company’s systems must not be used to create or transmit material that is derogatory, defamatory, obscene or offensive, such as slurs, epithets or anything that might be construed as harassment or disparagement based on race, colour, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, physical or mental disability, medical condition, marital status, or religious or political beliefs. Similarly, Company’s systems must not be used to solicit or proselytize others for commercial purposes, causes, outside organizations, chain messages or other non‐job‐related purposes.
1.3. Security procedures in the form of unique user sign‐on identification and passwords have been provided to control access to Company’s host computer system, networks and voice mail system. In addition, security facilities have been provided to restrict access to certain documents and files for the purpose of safeguarding information. The following activities, which present security risks, should be avoided.
1.3.1. Attempts should not be made to bypass, or render ineffective, security facilities provided by the company.
1.3.2. Passwords should not be shared between users. If written down, password should be kept in locked drawers or other places not easily accessible.
1.3.3. Document libraries of other users should not be browsed unless there is a legitimate business reason to do so.
1.3.4. Individual users should never make changes or modifications to the hardware configuration of computer equipment. Requests for such changes should be directed to computer support or the Executive Director.
1.3.5. Additions to or modifications of the standard software configuration provided on Company’s PCs should never be attempted by individual users (e.g., autoexec.bat and config.sys files). Requests for such changes should be directed to computer support or the Executive Director.
1.3.6. Individual users should never load personal software (including outside email services) to company computers. This practice risks the introduction of a computer virus into the system. Requests for loading such software should be directed to IT support team.
1.3.7. Programs should never be downloaded from bulletin board systems or copied from other computers outside the company onto company computers. Downloading or copying such programs also risks the introduction of a computer virus. If there is a need for such programs, a request for assistance should be directed to computer support or management. Downloading or copying documents from outside the company may be performed not to present a security risk.
1.3.8. Company’s computer facilities should not be used to attempt unauthorized access to or use of other organizations’ computer systems and data.
1.3.9. Unlicensed software should not be loaded or executed on Company’s PCs.
1.3.10. Company software (whether developed internally or licensed) should not be copied onto floppy diskettes or other media other than for the purpose of backing up your hard drive. Software documentation for programs developed and/or licensed by the company should not be removed from the company’s offices.
1.3.11. Individual users should not change the location or installation of computer equipment in offices and work areas. Requests for such changes should be directed to computer support or management.
Should you have any questions about any of the above policy guidelines, please contact the IT Department of the Company
- INTERNET USE POLICY
2.1. No use of the Internet should conflict with the primary purpose of Company, its ethical responsibilities or with applicable laws and regulations. Each user is personally responsible to ensure that these guidelines are followed. Serious repercussions, including termination, may result if the guidelines are not followed.
2.2. Company may monitor usage of the Internet by employees, including reviewing a list of sites accessed by an individual. No individual should have any expectation of privacy in terms of his or her usage of the Internet. In addition, Company may restrict access to certain sites that it deems are not necessary for business purposes.
2.3. Company’s connection to the Internet may not be used for any of the following activities:
2.3.1. The Internet must not be used to access, create, transmit, print or download material that is derogatory, defamatory, obscene, or offensive, such as slurs, epithets, or anything that may be construed as harassment or disparagement
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based on race, colour, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, disability, medical condition, marital status, or religious or political beliefs.
2.3.2. The Internet must not be used to access, send, receive or solicit sexually‐oriented messages or images.
2.3.3. Employees should guard against the disclosure of confidential information through the use of Internet e‐mail or news groups.
2.3.4. Employees should not download personal e‐mail or Instant Messaging software to Company computers.
2.3.5. The Internet should not be used to send or participate in chain letters, pyramid schemes or other illegal schemes.
2.3.6. The Internet should not be used to solicit or proselytize others for commercial purposes, causes, outside organizations, chain messages or other non‐job related purposes.
2.3.7. The Internet should not be used to endorse political candidates or campaigns
3. VIOLATIONS:
3.1. Violations of any guidelines listed above may result in disciplinary action up to and including termination. In addition, the Company may advise appropriate legal officials of any illegal violations. The Information Technology Act shall be applicable to the use of Computer Systems provided by the Company.
3.2. Any established wilful destruction of Company provided property shall entail the costs of replacement of the damaged property as payable to the Company for wilful destruction.
3.3. The Company does keep in mind normal wear-and-tear of property provided. In case of any damage or necessary repairs, the IT Department is to be contacted.