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ORION EDUCATION TRUST 1

EMPLOYEE HANDBOOK

WELCOME NOTE

Welcome to Orion Education Trust!!!


We are excited to have you as part of our team. You have now become a team member of
select band of professionals who continuously endeavor towards excellence. We believe
“PEOPLE ARE OUR GREATEST ASSET”. We take every step to ensure a congenial
working atmosphere where working is pleasure.
You are hired because we believe you can contribute to the success of our business, and
share our commitment in achieving our goals as stated in our mission statement. As part of
the Orion team, we hope you will discover that the pursuit of excellence is a rewarding
aspect of your career here.
The success of Orion Education Trust is determined by our success in operating as a unified
team. Our success is built by creative, productive employees who are encouraged to make
suggestions while thinking "outside the box".
The primary goal of Orion, and yours, as one of its employees, is to live our mission
statement. We achieve this through dedicated hard work and commitment from every
employee. Sincerity, Integrity, Loyalty, Hardwork, Compassion and Love for subordinates,
Regard for our superiors and a burning desire to learn and excel are some of the qualities we
expect from every member of Orion Family. While we hope that you will live up to our
expectation, we assure that we will provide you every opportunity for advancement in life
and career.
At Orion, we want to recognize the contributions of all employees.
In conclusion, I take this opportunity to warmly welcome you to Orion. I trust that your
period of employment with us will be enjoyable, productive and fulfilling. We hope that
your experience here will be challenging, enjoyable and rewarding.

Welcome!!! I look forward to working with you.

Swapnil Bhuskute
Director -Operations
ORION EDUCATION TRUST 2
EMPLOYEE HANDBOOK

ABOUT THIS HANDBOOK

Welcome to Orion Education Trust!!!


We are pleased that you have chosen to work with Orion. It is our goal to provide you with a
satisfying and productive work environment. This handbook is designed to facilitate your
working experience. This handbooks aims to answer many questions that may occur during
your employment with Orion and to provide you with information about corporate philosophy,
culture, policies, rules and practices, working conditions and benefits affecting your
employment. The information contained in this Employee handbook applies to all Employees.
One of our objectives is to provide a work environment that is conducive to both personal and
professional growth. This Handbook will serve as a guide to the Terms and Conditions of
Employment, benefits and other related matters pertaining to the service of an employee of
Orion Education Trust.

The contents of the employee handbook does not emphasize as a promise of employment or as a
contract between Orion and any of its employees. Orion Education Trust at its option may
change or discontinue parts of the policy in it entirely, at any time without prior notice.
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EMPLOYEE HANDBOOK

MESSAGE FROM DIRECTOR

On behalf of the senior management and staff members of Orion Education Trust, I am
pleased to welcome you on board!!!!!

As an employee of this company, you will want to know more about your job, your work
rules, benefits etc. This handbook has been developed keeping you in mind and you will find
answers to most of your queries. Whether you are with us for short time or for many years,
we want you to know how much we appreciate the contribution you will be making to the
continued success of our company.

We have always emphasized that outstanding people are the key to our success. We have
established our leadership in market through the efforts of our employees, and we must
continue to retain this place of pride. In return for your loyalty and co-operation we believe
it is our responsibility to keep you accurately informed of our company’s policies and
procedures, this handbook will familiarize you with the various aspects of working with
us.

Wishing you a successful and long term association with us

Warm Regards

Narendra Khanna
Director -Sales
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EMPLOYEE HANDBOOK

COMPANY PROFILE

The contemporary year 2009 marks the purposeful naissance of Orion Education Trust - an
autonomous open and distance learning provider for the present youth of different wide
ranging geographies who can dare to dream and has a desire to win in the challenging and
difficult times of today.

The world scenario is grim. Economists and few prophets of ‘economic decoupling’ theory must
be eating humble pie now, for portraying the 2008 US housing market collapse as a stray event
confined to a few investment banks on the Wall Street, as opposed to the financial cataclysm of
the “Fall Street” rather than the “Wall Street” with serious world- wide contagion effects. Such
an event has given rise to an emergence of a new notional economic doctrine or rhetoric,
unfortunately, in the world stage called the “slump-ometer” which the economic soothsayers
use as a global yardstick to measure the severity of the recession in various economies across
the world.

Under the vanguard of Orion Education Trust, four business schools of different ethos, ideas,
school of thoughts, and professional needs and purposes have been devised and are being
launched namely Kautilya School of Business Intelligence (KSBI), Paradigm School of Applied
Business (PSAB), School of Financial Intellect (SFI) and Radiance School of Business
Management (RSBM).

KSBI is apt and is exclusively designed for middle level business managers of various segments
of business organizations who are or may be interested for a 1- year Executive Masters Program
(EMP) in order to horn their already existing skills and competence, so that they can raise their
bar of hope, desire and ambition to compete with the world at large at ease in a real time
scenario. Areas of Management which they would be exposed to are Leadership,
Entrepreneurship, and Family Owned Businesses along with the needs of Corporate
Governance and globalization issues of today’s businesses leading to further concepts like
Change Management.

PSAB on the other hand has a mission which is exclusively dedicated to provide an experience
which is thoroughly and densely sector specific in nature. DM and PGDM courses are designed
for a time span of 6 months to 1 year and are available in areas relating to BPOs, Logistics,
Retail, Insurance and Service Management.

SFI ventures into areas which are greatly generic in nature. The school provides DM and PGDM
courses to seekers who are or would like to pursue a career in conventional areas of financial
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management like assets, banking, finance and financial institution. Moreover, in the PGDM
level, keeping in view the global needs and changing trends, there are 7 more demanding areas
of learning and erudition in area of Management that have been introduced and are available
only for competent minds namely, Treasury and Foreign Exchange, Investment Analysis,
Corporate Finance, International Finance, Mergers &Acquisition, Corporate Taxation and
Portfolio Analysis and Derivatives.

RSBM is an establishment of professionals from diverse areas of expertise with many years of
practical experience at international headquarters and foreign subsidiaries of renowned
multinationals. We founded this institution with the sole objective of teaching Business
Management and Administration through distance learning mode at an economical price
regardless of location, nationality and age, thus, breaking all the bars which would hinder
growth. The RSBM courses reflect the international work experience of the developers and
faculty, who constantly interact with many professional from different nationalities and
cultures in all aspects of business.
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INDUCTION POLICY
INTRODUCTION
Orion realizes that in order to maintain effective and efficient service delivery, all
employees must be taken through a comprehensive induction process. Orion commits itself
to assist new employees to integrate into the culture of the organization and to acquaint
themselves with details and the requirements of the job as quickly as possible.

OBJECTIVE

• To make a new employee more rapidly productive


• To reduce fear and insecurity
• The reduction of Manpower turnover
• Helping to create realistic employee expectations
• Creating job satisfaction and a positive attitude towards the employer

SCOPE OF THE INDUCTION TRAINING


Induction training shall be conducted for all employees of Orion as follows:

• General organization induction which affect all employees within the organization
including new employees.

• Departmental induction which will be tailored to the new employee’s specific department
and job.

GUIDELINES
No new employee would be engaged on the normal job directly without having been
exposed to an Induction Program. It is the responsibility of the Administration Executive /
HR to plan and deliver, in consultation with the Branch Manager, a suitable induction
program.

The duration and extent of the induction to be given to the new employee will depend on
the position. For junior level position it shall be for a maximum period of two days. The
induction program shall be preceding the mandatory training program that is organized for
every new joinee in the organization. The induction period can be extended for a longer
period if the need arises to ensure that new employees are properly inducted.

However, the following minimum requirements must be fulfilled:

By the HR Department:
• Welcome to the Company.
• History of ORION and its operation.
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• Mission and Vision of the Company.


• Company's organization chart, product range, future plans.
• Branch Locations.
• Company’s values and core belief systems.
• General conditions of work – Discipline, Company Property, Grievances, Attendance
procedures, late coming, probation, leave policies, Performance Appraisal, Salary
administration.
• Hierarchy of the Company.
• Welfare - PF, Medical.
• Any other matter on which the employee wants clarification.
• Important contact numbers of employees in the Company.

During the induction program, the employee shall be required to complete the
documentation process including:

• Completion of Joining Report.


• Completion of Personal Detail Form.
• Completion of other joining formalities.
• Submission of Documents as per joining checklist.
• Completion of salary account opening form.

No employee should be provided letter of appointment and also not allowed to continue
his/her duties if the requisite documentation has not been submitted within 15 days after
joining. The employee should be taken around the office, shown the location utilities and
introduced to concerned HOD. The concerned Reporting Manager will be responsible for
the subsequent processes of Induction.

By the Concerned Department:


• Welcome to the Department.
• Organization of the Department - who is who in the department.
• Explain the work of the department and its linkages with other departments.
• Explain the job and roles expected out of the new employee and enquire what support
he/she needs.
• Explain the Department’s plan in inducting him/her to his/her regular job.
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EMPLOYEE HANDBOOK

TRAINING POLICY
INTRODUCTION
The purpose of the training is to ensure that all employees have requisite skills to do their job
effectively and plan for their development keeping in view of their career aspirations and other
future resource requirement of department. It is applicable to employees across the
organization at all levels. Training is about the acquisition of knowledge, skills, and abilities
(KSA) through professional development.

OBJECTIVE
To provide clear guidelines to the trainer and trainee about what is expected out of him/her at
the end of the training program.

To establish training requirements for department personnel to ensure the highest quality
service is provided to the customers and to develop teamwork and efficiency of operations
during incident management among members of the department.

TYPES OF TRAINING PROGRAM


The employee training programs can be classified into different types depending upon the
stage of employment or organizational needs. The programs can be classified as under:

• For New Joinees / Inductee


• Refresher Training
• For Performance Enhancement of Existing Employees
• For New Product / Service
• Role based – For promoted employees

NEW JOINEES/INDUCTEES
The underlying policy governing the induction of new inductees is two-fold – to induct
“young blood” in the organization and mould them according to the Company culture, and,
to ensure that these recruitments provide the company with a trained and skilled
manpower pool keeping in view the long term growth and business strategy of the
company.

The HR department would consolidate the need for new inductees, based on the medium
and long term requirements of the employee. The HR department would review and decide
the number of employees that should be inducted and would be responsible for the
Induction and Product / Process Training of the inductee. The new inductee could either be
hired externally or could be transferred and promoted internally.

Qualified trainers shall be responsible for execution of the training program. A detailed
training program as per schedule below has to be organized and the responsibility of
arrangement of the training program shall lie with the HR. It shall be the responsibility of
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the Branch Manager to ensure the trainees receive the prescribed training inputs. They will
facilitate the socialization process, and ensure that the regular feedbacks are obtained from
the trainee regarding the training program.

All new recruits are required to undergo a 6 day training program that provides them with
all the relevant information pertaining to the organization, its rules and regulations and
equips the inductee with all the relevant information pertaining to the product and the
process to develop an understanding about the industry on the whole.

One of the objectives of this program is to enable the employee to clearly understand the
roles and responsibilities of the position so as to enable him to perform his duties diligently.
In order to facilitate clear understanding of the roles, individual Key result areas (KRAs) have
been formulated for each position. The individual KRA sheets shall need to discussed with
the new recruit and signed by each inductee immediately on completion of training
program. Copy of signed KRA shall be kept with HR for records.

At the end of the training program, every candidate shall be evaluated through a written
test. In addition to the final assessment the trainee shall also be assessed by the trainer on
factors such as:

• Behavioral pattern during the training session


• Trainee participation in the session.
• Mock counseling sessions.
• Module assessment scores.

Trainer will conduct a final assessment of the trainee on the last day of the training program.
Inductees shall need to score minimum 65% marks to qualify for the on-the-job training
program. Those scoring below 65% marks in the test shall be retrained for maximum of two
days and reassessment would also be done by trainer. Retraining shall be offered in areas
where the candidate has demonstrated unsatisfactory progress. The Branch Managers shall
also be involved in the providing feedback about the candidate after the test and identify the
gaps in training for the candidate. On successful completion of the 6 days training program, the
HR in consultation with the Manager would evolve a subsequent on-the-job training program
for the inductee.

REFRESHER TRAINING
Refresher Training serves a dual purpose of reinforcing the training that has been offered to
the candidate and identifying the gaps in the training program. The program shall be
conducted by trainer within every two months. The trainers shall play a significant role in
the refresher training program as it helps them identifying the gaps in the training module
that has been created. Through a comprehensive refresher training program, the trainer
shall be able to identify the areas of improvement that may be required in delivery of the
training course. On completion of session, feedback shall be taken from trainees regarding
the session, trainer and module. The program also act as a doubt clearing session where the
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subject knowledge is further enhanced. Trainee shall fill in the feedback form and trainer
shall submit a detailed report to HR for review.

PERFORMANCE ENHANCEMENT TRAINING


Performance of every employee shall be assessed on quarterly basis through performance
review with an objective of identifying the gaps in the employee’s performance on the job.
If, non-performance is due to training, a special training program for performance
enhancement shall be conducted. The HR department shall also conduct a personal
counseling session to identify and resolve any personal issues that may be affecting the
performance of the candidate. The performance enhancement programs would generally
involve retraining on the product, process or may include behavioral/attitudinal training
program to enhance superior performance.

NEW PRODUCT/SERVICE ORIENTATION


Orion continuously endeavors to introduce new products/services within the company. In
such cases the employees shall need to be introduced to the developments within the
company. Trainers shall be responsible to understand and update the employees about
these developments. Specific training modules shall need to be designed for the employees
in order to communicate the implications/benefits of the new developments. Updates such
as new courses being added within the institute or changes in the admission/examination
procedures shall need to be effectively communicated to the employees.

ROLE BASED TRAINING PROGRAMS


Orion follows an equal employment opportunity policy for its employees. There is a
likelihood that an employee would be promoted to a higher position or may be offered a
lateral movement into a different department. Further job rotation within the branch also
needs careful consideration. In such cases, the employee shall be trained and oriented
about the new challenges involved in the role. Training shall be provided on topics like team
management, target setting and conflict resolution, process orientation etc that shall
prepare the candidates to ready themselves for the new challenges involved in the position.
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PROBATION POLICY
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of probation is to closely observe, monitor and guide the new entrant to settle
down into the organization, assimilate in its culture and discharge the duties and
responsibilities in accordance with the acceptable standards. Therefore, during the
probationary period, the performance and conduct of the employee should be supportively
monitored on a continuous basis.

PROBATION PERIOD
Probation period for all employees is as stipulated in their terms and conditions of employment
offer / appointment letter. In general, the probation period for all employees will be not less
than six months.

PROBATION REPORT
The performance of the probationer should be assessed in the Interim Review Form.

CONFIRMATION / EXTENSION OF THE PERIOD OF PROBATION


Confirmation of the service of an employee is based on satisfactory performance during the
probation period. For an employee to confirm his / her position in the organization he / she
shall has to perform efficiently. Employee performance score card is used as a measure to
determine the performance of the probationary employee. Based on his / her score at the end
of the quarter a decision shall be taken to discontinue / continue / extend the probation period.

On successful completion of the probation, an order of confirmation has to be issued in writing


by HR. Any employee whose services are not confirmed in writing shall be deemed to be on
probation until a written order of confirmation is not issued to him / her.

In case of certain situations beyond the control of the employee e.g. sickness, accidents or any
such justifiable and mitigating circumstances, where the performance of the employee cannot
be assessed due to insufficient period of service, an extension of probation period may be
granted covering the period of such absence. Extension of probation may also be granted based
on the continual progress demonstrated by the employee during the review period. The
maximum tenure of the probation should not exceed 9 months or 270 days.

The decision regarding extension of probation will be taken along with the Supervisor in
consultation with the Functional Head and an order of extension has to be issued in writing by
HR.

DISCONTINUATION DURING THE PERIOD OF PROBATION


The services of the probationer, whose services are found to be unsatisfactory either during the
probationary period or during the extended period of probation, shall be discontinued after the
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performance review. It shall be the responsibility of the supervisor to provide feedback on the
performance of the probationary employee before the decision is taken on discontinuation.

The decision to discontinue the probation shall be based on the assessment of the HR
department of the employee’s potential to achieve the required score for confirmation. The
services of a probationer whose performance is found unsatisfactory will promptly be
discontinued by giving him 7 days notice or payment of salary for 7 days in lieu of such notice.
The letter of discontinuing the services of a probationer will be signed by the HR.
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EMPLOYEE HANDBOOK

LEAVE POLICY
OBJECTIVE
Employees of Orion Education Trust are permitted to take leaves as per their requirements
based on some criteria. Leave is a provision to stay away from work for genuine reason with
prior approval of the Authorities. The employees can avail annual leave by informing and on
approval of the Reporting Manager/HR. The leave is regarded as unauthorized if not
approved by the organization.

ANNUAL LEAVE & APPLICABILITY


Employee can avail and be eligible for the leave in financial year that is 1st April to 31st
March.

The Employees are entitled for the following leaves in an Annual Year.

• Privilege Leave
• Casual Leave
• Sick Leave

LEAVE ENTITLEMENT PER YEAR


CATEGORY Privilege Leave Casual Leave Sick Leave (SL)
(PL) (CL)

Quantum of Yearly
12 days 12 days 6 days
Entitlement

On completion of From the time of On completion of


Entitlement of Leave
one year of service joining probation period

Confirmed and
Confirmed Confirmed
Employee Status Probationary
employees employees
employees

Leave at Stretch 12 days 2 days 6 days

Combination of Leave No Combination No Combination No Combination

Accumulation of Leave Max. 7 leaves No accumulation No accumulation

Intervening weekly off/ Shall not be Shall be Shall be


Paid Holiday considered considered considered
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1. PRIVILAGE LEAVE (PL)


Eligibility:
• All confirmed employees of the company are eligible to avail Privilege Leave.
• Privilege Leave will be credited in the employees leave account on 1st April of every
financial for the preceding year.
• Employees joining in the course of the year will be eligible for pro-rata leave as on 1st April
for the service rendered in the preceding year.
• In case any employee separates from the services of the Company during the year, pro-rata
privilege leave up to maximum 7 leaves can be credited to the employee’s leave account for
the period of service rendered during the said financial year.
• In case any employee separates from the services of the Company during the year, no
recovery on account of PL availed by the employee during the year would be made.

Procedure:
• Employees are entitled to get minimum 1 PL every month i.e. 12 days in a year.

• While availing PL, the intervening Weekly off days / National / Festival / Declared holidays
would not be counted as PL. However, preceding and succeeding weekly off days/holidays
would be counted.
• All the employees are required to submit a leave plan to their respective head of the
department stating when he/she intends to take PL.
• PL can be carried forwarded if the balance leave are equal to or less than 7 at the end of
the financial year. Privilege leaves which are more than 7 in number shall be lapsed as
there is no policy of encashment of PL.
• Employees have to fill Leave Application Form and submit it to the Reporting Manager
one week prior and get an approval.
• Since the purpose of the privilege leave is to provide regular periods of rest and relaxation
necessary to maintain health and level of efficiency of the employees, the employees
should be encouraged to take the PL in one installment in full every year. In any case, PL
should not be taken in more than four installments during any year. Normally each PL
period will be for at least three (3) days. Employees must proceed on leave regularly every
year and no carry forward of any excess leave over and above the accumulation limit will be
permitted.
• PL cannot be allowed to be taken in advance except in very special cases, such as prolonged
sickness, marriage of the employee, or serious sickness/death of a very close relative. Prior
sanction of the HR / Reporting Manager is necessary for availing advance PL.
• Ordinarily, PL will not be adjusted against any absence except in case of prolonged sickness
or absence due to non-industrial accident and where all the eligible sick leave has been fully
exhausted.
• PL cannot be availed in conjunction with CL or SL.
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• However, for self marriage, emergencies at home and appearing for examination, leave
will be adjusted with the balance Privilege leave on approval by HOD. Due to any
reason, the leave is not accrued to your credit; the availed leave will be treated as LWP
(Leave Without Pay).

2. CASUAL LEAVE (CL)

Eligibility:
• All employees (probationary and confirmed) are eligible to take 1 CL per month i.e. 12
days in an Annual Year.
• Maximum 2 days CL can be taken at a time at a stretch.
• Employee cannot combine PL and CL unless in pressing or emergency situations.
Approval of such combination of leaves shall need prior approval of the HR department.
• Casual Leave will be credited in the employees leave account as on the 1st April of every
financial year in advance.
• Employees joining in the course of the year will be eligible for pro-rata leave on their
date of joining for the period up to 31st March in the said financial year.
• In case any employee separates from the services of the Company during the year, no
recovery on account of casual leave availed by the employee during the year would be
made.

Entitlement:
• If CL extends beyond 2 days, then the excess days taken will be treated under LWP.
• Intervening Weekly off days / National / Festival / Declared holidays will be counted as a
part of CL. However, preceding and succeeding weekly off days/holidays would not be
counted.
• Balanced CL remaining unutilized as on 31st March will lapse.
• Half day CL can be taken as needed.
• All uninformed leaves shall be considered as CL and shall be accordingly deducted from
the employee’s balance leaves. When leave is taken without prior sanction (under
certain unavoidable circumstances), the absence should be notified to the respective
Reporting Manager on the same day through phone.

Procedure:
• Employees have to fill Leave Application Form and submit it to the Reporting Manager 3
days prior and get an approval.
• Approved leave application should reach the HR department within 2 working days
before availing the leave.
• Casual Leave can neither be encashed nor be adjusted to the notice period.
• CL cannot be availed in conjunction with PL or SL.
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3. SICK LEAVE (SL)


Eligibility:
• All confirmed employees are eligible to take 6 SL in an Annual Year.
• If an employee avails more than 6 SL during the Annual year, excess leave will be
deducted as PL and if PL is not available they will be unpaid leave.
• SL will be credited in the employees leave account as on the 1st April of every financial
year in advance.
• Employees joining in the course of the year will be eligible for pro-rata leave as on 1st April
for the service rendered in the current year subject to confirmation of service.
• In case any employee separates from the services of the Company during the year, pro-rata
SL would be credited to the employee’s leave account for the period of service rendered
during the said calendar year.
• In case any employee separates from the services of the Company during the year, no
recovery on account of SL availed by the employee during the year would be made.

Entitlement:
• Balanced SL remaining unutilized as on 31st March cannot be carried forward to the
next year.
• Medical Certificates has to be submitted as a proof of sickness if SL is exceeding more
than 3 day.

Procedure:
• Inability to attend office because of any sickness should be notified to the respective
Reporting Manager on the same day through phone.
• Leave Application Form has to be filled & submitted along with the medical certificate.
• Sick Leave for more than three days should be supported by medical certificate from a
registered medical practitioner. If an employee is absent for a period exceeding a week
because of sickness, he should produce a fitness certificate from the attending
physician/surgeon.
• Intervening weekly off days / National / Festival / Declared holidays will be counted as a
part of SL.
• SL cannot be availed in conjunction with PL or CL.

4. MATERNITY LEAVE (ML)


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Eligibility:
Minimum 6 months of service should be completed to avail maternity leave.

Entitlement:
Subject to the provisions of the Maternity Benefit Act, 1961, female employees can avail
Maternity Leave (ML) of 12 weeks, preferably 6 weeks pre-natal and 6 weeks post-natal, for the
first two children.

Procedure:
• 90 days of paid Maternity Leave is allowed to females who have to deliver a child.
• In case of miscarriage, female employees shall be entitled to leave for a period of 6
weeks immediately following the date of the miscarriage.
• The concerned employee will have to apply for such leave at least one month in advance
through her Departmental Head.
• Before availing this leave, a certificate from the Doctor has to be submitted mentioning the
expected date of delivery.
• Intervening National / declared / festival / weekly off days will be counted as a part of
the leave.
• Maternity leaves cannot be accumulated or encashed.

5. LEAVE WITHOUT PAY (LWP)

• During the period of LWP, the employee is not entitled for any Pay or Allowance.
• A maximum of 1 month of LWP can be availed on the approval of the Management.
• If the employee fails to report to duty on the specified date after the sanctioned LWP, it is
deemed that the employee has abandoned his service with the company on his own accord.
• Intervening National / declared / festival / weekly off days will be counted as a part of LWP.
Any national holiday or a declared holiday prefixed and/or suffixed to the LWP shall be
combined with the leave without pay.

6. OFF DAYS AND PAID HOLIDAYS

Off Days:
• Employee has to work for six days in a week. Compensatory Off shall be available for all
employees who shall engage in work during the Weekly Offs and or Holidays. In order to
avail a compensatory off, an employee should have worked for minimum 6 hours on a
weekly off/national holiday or declared holiday.
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• Employees shall avail such Compensatory Off in the same month or succeeding month
with prior written intimation and approval from the Reporting Manager /HR.
Compensatory off that has not been availed shall be lapsed.

Paid Holidays:
• Paid holidays include selection of National/ Local Festival celebrated depending on the
location of the branch offices.
• The total number of holidays will be decided by the Management every year after
reviewing the important festivals of each location.

7. CANCELLATION OF LEAVE

The department head can also cancel the once sanctioned leave on situational / need basis. If
an employee proceeds to avail the cancelled leave then those days will be treated as absence
from duty and the rules pertaining to LWP will be applicable.

8. GENERAL LEAVE RULES


• Granting of leave, other than sick leave, to an employee shall depend on the exigencies of
work, and as such, shall be at the discretion of the Head of Department concerned.
• Privilege leave in all cases, and casual leave except in unforeseen circumstances, should be
applied for as per the prescribed procedure in advance and be with the prior approval of
the sanctioning authority.
• To ensure uninterrupted level of performance, each department should plan the workload,
taking into consideration the normal absence due to leaves, so that bunching of absence
due to leaves could be avoided and employees could plan the leaves well in advance.
• Unauthorized absence will be viewed as a serious breach of discipline and can attract
disciplinary action, in addition to deduction of salary/wage or adjustment against leave
standing to the credit of the employee.
• All application for leave should be made on the prescribed Leave Application Form
(Annexure 1) available with the HR department. This has to be duly approved and
signed by the Immediate Supervisor / HR.
• It is the individual’s responsibility to ensure his/her Leave Application Form is duly
updated every time leave is availed.
• In case of termination of employment due to non performance, the accumulated
Privilege leave (up to maximum 7) can be adjusted to the notice period that may be
required to be served. However, in case of termination due to violation of code of
conduct or code of ethics, the employee shall not be entitled to the benefit of
adjustment of balance leaves.
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COMPENSATION & BENEFITS POLICY

INTRODUCTION

Compensation is a systematic approach to provide monetary value to employees in exchange


for work performed. Compensation may achieve several purposes assisting in recruitment, job
performance, and job satisfaction. Compensation is a tool used by management for a variety of
purposes for further existence of the company. Compensation may be adjusted according the
business needs, goals, and available resources.

OBJECTIVE
Compensation may be used to:
• Recruit and retain qualified employees.
• Increase or maintain morale/satisfaction.
• Reward and encourage peak performance.
• Achieve internal and external equity.
• Reduce turnover and encourage company loyalty.

GRADE & DESIGNATION

To rationalize the compensation policy, positions are classified into grades. The grades and
respective designations are as below:

DEPARTMENTWISE DESIGNATIONS
GRADE SALES ACCOUNTS ADMINISTRATION OPERATIONS HR
SM5 - SM8 Regional Manager / General Manager / General Manager / Sr. General Manager / General Manager
National Manger Sr. General General Manager Sr. General Manager / Corporate Head
Manager
SM1 – SM4 Territory Manager / DGM / Sr. DGM DGM / Sr. DGM DGM / Sr. DGM DGM / Sr. DGM
Zonal Manager
M5 – M8 Business Manager / Manager / Sr. Manager / Sr. Manager / Sr. Manager / Sr.
Branch Head Manager Manager Manager Manager

M1 - M4 Asst. Manager / Dy. Asst. Manager / Dy. Asst. Manager / Dy. Asst. Manager / Dy. Asst. Manager /
Manager Manager Manager Manager Dy. Manager

E1 – E4 Business Executive/ Accountant / Sr. Executive / Sr. Executive / Sr. Executive / Sr.
Sr. Business Accountant Executive Executive Executive
Executive
C1 – C4 Counselor/ Sr. NA NA NA NA
Counselor
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PAYMENT TERMS AND SALARY PERIOD


The compensation structure in Orion has been defined to provide a fair and reasonable
compensation package to employees. The employee shall need to open a salary account with
the Bank (as determined by organization) where the salary shall be credited on 10th of every
month.

SALARY COMPONENTS
Compensation refers to monetary benefits offered and provided to employees in return of the
services they provide to the organization. The monetary benefits include Basic Salary, House
Rent Allowance, Conveyance, Leave Travel Allowance, Medical Reimbursements, Special
Allowances, Bonus, PF, Gratuity, etc. They are given at a regular interval at a definite time.

The compensation structure/components at Orion shall be as follows:

1. BASIC SALARY:
Basic Salary is the money an employee receives from his/her employer by rendering his/her
services. It is the amount received by the employee in lieu of the work done by him/her for a
certain period say a day, a week, a month, etc. The basic scale would be as per the terms of
employment and revisions from time to time and is reckoned for the purpose of PF.
Basic shall be paid to all the employees @ 40% of the gross salary.

2. HOUSE RENT ALLOWANCE (HRA):


HRA is related to attendance and is proportionately reduced for absence without leave. The
HRA shall be paid to all employees on monthly basis as per the grade.

GRADE Percentage of Basic Salary


Senior Management (SM-1 to SM-8) 50%
Middle Management (M-1 to M-8) 40%
Junior Management (C-1 to C-4 & E-1 to E-4) 30%

3. CONVEYANCE ALLOWANCE:
As per the income tax guidelines, it is exempted maximum up to Rs. 800/- per month or Rs.
9600/- per annum and no proof is required. For the purpose of commuting from home to office,
all employees are eligible to receive conveyance allowance as per grade.

GRADE Amount (in Rs.) Per Annum

Senior Management (SM-1 to SM-8) 30000


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Middle Management (M-1 to M-8) 20000

Junior Management (C-1 to C-4 & E-1 to E-4) 9600

4. MEDICAL ALLOWANCE:
Organizations also look after the health conditions of their employees. All employees are
eligible to receive medical allowance as per grade. The employee shall need to furnish medical
bills in order to claim tax exemption.

GRADE Amount (in Rs.) Per Annum

Senior Management (SM-1 to SM-8) 45000

Middle Management (M-1 to M-8) 30000

Junior Management (C-1 to C-4 & E-1 to E-4) 15000

Provision:
• All employees are entitled for reimbursement of a fixed amount (specified as part of the
salary component) for actual expenses incurred by the employee and his family members
(family is defined as spouse, parents, children, brother(s) and sister(s) wholly / mainly
dependant on the employee) in case of any illness.
• Computation is done on a financial year basis for employees, and for new joinees on a pro -
rata basis.
• The medical expense reimbursement is guided by the prevalent Income tax guidelines.
• Reimbursement on the expenses will be done on submission of Doctor's prescriptions &
bills/Chemist bills on purchase of medicines. Expenses incurred on prescribed and
recognized streams of medicine - allopathic, homeopathic and ayurvedic is also reimbursed.

Guidelines:

• Employees can claim reimbursement on medical expenses, up to extent of accrual each


month, from the date of joining, until completion of three months within the organization.
Post that an employee can claim reimbursement up to his/her entitlement amount.
• Medical expenses should be claimed within 3 months of expenses having been incurred by
submitting the necessary medical bills to HR Department.

5. SPECIAL ALLOWANCE:
This shall be a balancing amount that is adjusted as per the gross salary. This amount is fully
taxable and all employees are eligible for the same.
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6. FESTIVAL BONUS:
Bonus is paid to the employees during festive seasons to motivate them and provide them the
social security. Festival Bonus amount shall be paid only to confirmed employees @ 10% of the
annual basic amount.

7. LEAVE TRAVEL ASSISTANCE (LTA):

Eligibility:
All confirmed employees are eligible to avail Leave Travel Assistance (LTA) for reimbursement
of actual fares incurred by employees and their family when they travel to any place within
India, by road, rail or air, while on vacation. “Family” includes spouse, children, parents,
brothers and sisters who are dependent on the employee.

Guidelines:
• Management staff will be entitled to LTA on completion of one year of service subject to
confirmation of services. However, pro-rata LTA will be paid at the time of Full & Final
settlement even if one year is not complete.
• Employees joining the services of the company during the year will be entitled to avail LTA
proportionate to the period of service in that financial year.
• Employees who resign or leave the services of the company during the year will be entitled
to LTA on a pro-rata basis. In case the employees resign or leave the company after drawing
the LTA during the year, the proportionate amount of the LTA for the period of the financial
year not completed will be adjusted in the full and final settlement of dues. However, in
respect of employees who retire or expire while in service of the Company will be entitled
to the full LTA for that financial year.
• Employees can postpone availing the LTA in a given financial year and can avail the same
during the next financial year along with the LTA for the next year. Accumulation of un-
availed LTA is allowed up to two years within the block of four years specified under the
Income Tax Rules. However, the fourth year’s LTA cannot be carried forward to the next
block for accumulation purposes. The current block is for the period of calendar year
January 2006 to December 2009.
• LTA can be claimed up to one month in advance of going on leave by filling the prescribed
‘LTA form’ ( Annexure 2) along with the Privilege Leave (PL) application.
• A minimum of 6 days Privilege Leave must be taken to avail LTA benefit. The dates of
Privilege Leaves and dates of travel need to be the same.
• The LTA declaration form along with proof of travel should be submitted by 31st January of
each year to Payroll Administrator. The prescribed forms are available with the Payroll
Administrator. The taxability of LTA would be governed by the prevailing Income-tax rules.
• An advance for LTA can be availed for booking tickets by making an application to HR
Department together with a copy of the approved leave application. The advance will be
paid up to 30% of entitlement. The balance amount shall be paid on production of travel
ORION EDUCATION TRUST 23
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tickets within seven days of completion of the journey, failing which the advance will be
recovered from the salary.

All employees are eligible for the below mentioned LTA amount as per grade.

GRADE LTA (in Rs.) Per Annum

Senior Management (SM-1 to SM-8) 20000

Middle Management (M-1 to M-8) 15000

Junior Management (C-1 to C-4 & E-1 to E-4) 10000

Documents Required For Claiming Exemption:


The following documents must be produced along with the prescribed LTA claim form:

Mode of travel Documents

Rail Photocopies of railway tickets

Air Original Tickets and Boarding Pass

By own vehicle: Petrol bills


Road
By Hired Vehicle:
• Bill of the Tour Operator

8. LOYALTY BONUS:
Another principle that Orion follows to attract, motivate and retain the most talented
employees is to provide Loyalty Bonus to its employees. An employee successfully completing
one year of service, shall be eligible for the same and the amount shall be paid at the rate of
10% of annual basic amount.

9. CHILDREN EDUCATION ALLOWANCE:


This allowance will be paid on monthly basis. An eligible employee shall be paid Rs. 100/- per
child subject to max 2 children. Hence maximum Rs. 200/- per month is exempted.
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10. PERFORMANCE LINKED PAY (PLP) / VARIABLE PAY:

The PLP / Variable Pay shall be disbursed on a quarterly basis upon completion of the
performance review. Both Confirmed and Probationary employees are eligible to avail quarterly
PLP. The PLP amount shall be paid to all employees as per the grade.

GRADE PLP Percentage

Senior Management (SM-1 to SM-8) 10% of Gross Annual salary

Middle Management (M-1 to M-8) 15% of Gross Annual salary

Junior Management (C-1 to C-4 & E-1 to E-4) 20% of Gross Annual salary

The maximum PLP amount that an employee is to be provided on quarterly basis shall be based
on his/her quarterly Performance Score attained after review. PLP shall be calculated as per the
below mentioned formulae on the quarterly amount he/she is eligible for.

Levels Grade Rank Definition Score PLP AMOUNT


Quarterly amount of PLP (eligible for)*
LEVEL 1 A E Excellent 4.51 - 5.00
Score % (convert rating into %)
Quarterly amount of PLP* Score %
LEVEL 2 B G Good 3.51 - 4.50
(convert rating into %)
Quarterly amount of PLP* Score %
LEVEL 3 C A Average 2.51 - 3.50
(convert rating into %)
LEVEL 4 D BA Below Average 1.81 - 2.50 No PLP

LEVEL 5 E P Poor 1.00 - 1.80 No PLP

11. PROVIDENT FUND:


The Employee Provident Fund And Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952, is enacted for
compulsory contribution to the provident fund, family pension, employee deposit link
insurance for the employee after his retirement or for his dependents in case of his early death.
The objective is to accumulate certain sums of the benefit for the employee[s] or his
dependents; the fund has future provision for them and their families and / or nominees. The
Company contribution and the Employee contribution towards PF shall be 12% of the monthly
basic salary or Rs. 780/- p.m. whichever is less in the fund.
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12. PROFESSIONAL TAX:


Professional Tax, or tax on employment, is levied by a state under article 276 of the
Constitution. It is deducted from the salary every month. The amount paid, as Profession Tax, is
however exempted while calculating the taxable income of the employee. Professional tax is
deducted on account of the said provisions and thus varies from state to state.

13. INCOME TAX:


As per section 192 of the income tax act, 1961, it is statutory obligation of the employer to
deduct tax at source before making the payment to the employee. For this purpose, employer
has to make an estimate of the salary which is likely to be disbursed to the employee and make
a calculation of income tax and has to be recovered from the salary of the employee on
monthly basis to deposit with the Central Government. While making the estimation of income
tax to be deducted, savings under section 80 C and other sections which an employee qualify
for exemption are to be taken into consideration. All employees of Orion shall be required to
submit a declaration (Annexure 3) of the investments, savings under section 80 C that he/she
shall make for the purpose of determining the tax deduction at source.

14. GRATUITY:
Gratuity is a lump sum amount that your employer pays you when you retire or resign from the
organization. An employee does not contribute any portion of his salary towards this amount.
Gratuity is paid out at the time of retirement or resignation or in the event of death or
disablement of an employee because of an accident or illness.

An employee needs to have at least five full years of service with an employer to qualify for
gratuity. This rule is relaxed in the case of discontinuation of service due to death or
disablement. In the event of the death, the gratuity will be paid to the nominee specified in the
‘Personal Details Form’ filled at the time of joining of service. Gratuity shall be paid to
employees @ 4.83% of annual basic amount.
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15. INCENTIVE PLAN:

Monthly performance incentives shall be available to the sales employees as per the below
mentioned plan:

SCHOOLWISE INCENTIVE PERCENTAGE


MONTHLY MINIMUM
GRADE TARGET TYPE REVENUE COLLECTION RSBM PSAB SFI KSBI
(In Rs.)
C1 – C4 &
INDIVIDUAL 75,000 1% 2% 3% 4%
E1 – E4
M1 – M4 TEAM 5,00,000 0.50% 1% 1.50% 2%
M5 – M8 DIRECT SALES 12,00,000 0.25% 0.50% 0.75% 1%
ASSUMPTION: NO INDIVIDUAL SALES CONTRIBUTION BY THE ASSISTANT MANAGER AND BUSINESS
MANAGER IN THE TOTAL REVENUE GENERATION OF THE BRANCH
NOTE:
1) Revenue collected denotes total revenue collected through enrollments including fresh
sales and PDC payments.
2) Revenue collected would be subject to realization of payments.
3) Incentives are paid on a quarterly basis along with the salary. Incentive for the month
of January to paid with March salary.
4) Revenue collected by way of admissions through Indirect Sales shall not be credited to
the Sales Executives’ account.
5) Incentives shall not be payable for collection of registration fees or incase of
conditional admissions.

ALLOWANCES
1. Local Travelling Allowance:

Travelling within the city for the purpose of business shall be eligible for this allowance.
Reimbursements shall only be made against actual bills or vouchers produced to the HR
department.

GRADE MAXIMUM ALLOWANCE (IN Rs.) per month

SM-5 to SM-8 3000

SM-1 to SM-4 2500

M-5 to M-8 2000

M-1 to M-4 1500

C-1 to C-4 & E-1 to E-4 1000


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2. Mobile Communication Allowance:

Mobile phone bills (post paid connections only) shall need to be produced by the employees in
order to avail the reimbursement of expenses incurred. In the event of an employee travelling
to other branch locations, the amount may exceed the maximum allowance permitted. Such
bills may be reimbursed after consultation with the management.

GRADE MAXIMUM ALLOWANCE (IN Rs.) per month

SM-5 to SM-8 3000

SM-1 to SM-4 2500

M-5 to M-8 1500

M-1 to M-4 1000

C-1 to C-4 & E-1 to E-4 500

3. Birthday Gift Vouchers:

GRADE MAXIMUM ALLOWANCE (IN RS.)

SM-1 to SM-8 1500

M-1 to M-8 1000

C-1 to C-4 & E-1 to E-4 500

4. Wedding Anniversary Gift Vouchers:

GRADE MAXIMUM ALLOWANCE (IN RS.)

SM-1 to SM-8 1500

M-1 to M-8 1000

C-1 to C-4 & E-1 to E-4 500


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DOMESTIC TRAVEL POLICY

OBJECTIVE
The policy endeavors to provide its employees a comfortable travel while on company’s
business.

SCOPE

• This policy shall apply to all employees of ORION EDUCATION TRUST for travel made for
official work within India. Official work would include Project requirements, Training and
Attending Meetings.
• Local travel within the place of appointment is excluded from this policy.

ENTITLEMENT
The entitlement for domestic (within India) travel is regulated as under:

C – 1 to C – 4
SM - 5 to SM –
PARTICULARS SM - 1 to SM - 4 M - 1 to M – 8 &
8
E - 1 to E – 4

Air Travel –
Train Travel – II Train Travel – III
Mode & Class of Travel Air Travel Economy / Train
Class AC Tier AC
Travel – I Class AC

Accommodation
(Hotel Tariff per day)

a) Metro Rs. 1600/- Rs. 1400/- Rs.1200/- Rs. 700/-

b) Non-Metro Rs. 1400/- Rs. 1200/- Rs. 800/- Rs. 500/-

Dearness Allowance
(For Meals; Conveyance
Rs. 1500/- Rs. 1200/- Rs. 1000/- Rs. 500/-
and other incidentals
Per day)

NOTE
• A higher class of travel, accommodation than what is allowed can be authorized by
Department Head. However, a brief note should be attached to the travel bill stating the
reason for such exceptions approved by Department Head.
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• The employees shall fill in Tour Sanction Form (Annexure 4) duly signed and approved by
Supervisor / Functional Head along with signature of HR before going on any official tour.
The employee shall submit the sanctioned form in HR department.
• The employees may claim cancellation charges of reservation due to official reasons at
actual rates as per the receipt.
• The reimbursement should be claimed in the Tour Bill Form (Annexure 5) with supporting
bills subject to the specified limits for different grades.
• Boarding or lodging allowance can be claimed in full for overnight stay or stay exceeding 12
hours. However, for stay less than 12 hours, only 50% of the allowance can be claimed
against vouchers/ bills.
• All other business expenses incurred by employees (subject to production of bills) will
require specific approval of Department Head against each item.

GENERAL
• This policy outlines the spirit behind the company's approach in bringing absolute
transparency in communications as regards its policies. Therefore, personnel covered by
this policy are expected to respect the rules and standard procedures governing this policy.
Where circumstances are abnormal or situations not anticipated or defined in this policy
arise, such matters should be referred to the HR Department for resolution in a matter that
is consistent with the whole aim and spirit of this policy.
• Abuse of this policy in any form will not be entertained and will be viewed seriously.
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STANDARDS OF CONDUCT

ORION EDUCATION TRUST will conduct its business honestly and ethically. We will constantly
improve the quality of our services, products and operations. We will maintain a reputation for
honesty, fairness, respect, responsibility, integrity, trust and sound business judgment.

Ethics cannot be merely mandated but must be inseparably woven into the character of the
organization — through tradition, value systems and a commitment to uphold the spirit as well
as the letter of the rules that govern us. This is what the Orion strives to achieve in all its
activities.

Maintaining this commitment and our traditions of integrity and ethics requires each one of us
to uphold certain standards of conduct and behavior.

INTRODUCTION

Orion expects all its employees, officers and Directors to act in accordance with high
professional and ethical standards. You must be, and be seen to be, committed to integrity in
all aspects of your activities and comply with all applicable laws, regulations and internal
policies.

The standards of conduct are not necessarily prescribed by the regulators - they are something,
which a well respected institution must have in place and adhere to on an ongoing basis. We
therefore expect a high level of ethical conduct.

Employees must conduct their duties according to the language and spirit of this Code and seek
to avoid even the appearance of improper behavior. You should be aware that even well
intentioned actions that violate the law or this Code may result in negative consequences for
Orion and for the individuals involved.

While covering a wide range of business practices and procedures, these standards cannot and
do not cover every issue that may arise, or every situation where ethical decisions must be
made, but rather set forth key guiding principles that represent Orion policy.

AUTHORITY TO MAKE APPOINTMENT


All appointments to posts in the Company shall be made by the HR Head. The Chairman may,
by an order and subject to such conditions as he may deem necessary and specify in the order,
delegate to any other authority the power to make such appointments.
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ATTENDANCE AND PUNCTUALITY


Orion Education Trust expects employees to be ready to work at the beginning of assigned
daily work hours, and to reasonably complete their task by the end of assigned work hours. All
employees of all grades are required to register their attendance daily at the scheduled
reporting time. Salary will not be paid for the day’s attendance not been registered.
Employee’s regular attendance is essential to the efficient flow of work and is considered as a
measure of his desire to perform the job. Orion cannot tolerate repeated absenteeism, which
results in low productivity and indiscipline.

Employees must report to duty on a fixed / notified time and are required to sign the
attendance register every day to confirm their reporting to work.

Whenever there is a need of leave or absence in case of emergency situations, the employee
must inform their supervisor over phone. In addition, the employee must submit the leave
application to their immediate reporting manager as soon as he/she returns to duty. All other
leaves should be sanctioned in advance, as per company’s leave procedure.

WORKING HOURS & BREAKS


The Company’s office hours are from 10.00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. from Monday to Saturday. All
employees are required to follow the normal hours of work. The management may, at its
discretion re-arrange the prescribed working days and hours depending on operational needs.

Employees are allowed a lunch break of 45 minutes generally between the hours of 1:30 p.m.
to 2.15 p.m.

ABSENCE AND LATE MARKS


Emergencies, illnesses, or pressing personal business that cannot be scheduled during work
hours may arise, but in such cases, employee has to immediately inform to their Reporting
Manager. Three late marks or early exits are permissible to every employee in a month, after
which each late mark will be considered as a Half Day.
Any employee working for less than 5 hours in the office shall be considered to have worked for
half day. Appropriate disciplinary action will be taken by the management if any employee
comes late regularly.

WORK PLACE RESPONSIBILITY


Fair Employment Practices and Diversity (Non – Discrimination):
Orion is committed to adoption of fair employment practices. It ensures diversity of workplace
through efforts to recruit, develop and retain the most talented people from a diverse
candidate pool. It upholds the principle that advancement is based on talent and performance
and there is a commitment to equal opportunity.
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EMPLOYEE HANDBOOK

Employment decisions at the Company will be based on merit, qualifications, and abilities. The
Company does not discriminate in employment opportunities or practices because of race,
color, religion, sex, national origin, age or disability.

Safety in the Workplace:


Orion is committed to safety of employees and expects its businesses and employees to comply
fully with appropriate laws and internal regulations.

Orion encourages responsible behavior of its employees and colleagues that result in the best
possible accident prevention measures. This applies both to the technical planning of
workplaces, equipment, and processes and to safety management and personal behavior in
everyday workplace.

Hygiene at Workplace:

Orion attaches considerable importance to the cleanliness/hygiene of the office as it is


impossible to obtain neat and methodical work if the office itself is untidy. Keeping
workstations clean is a matter of common sense and good hygiene. Employees are expected to
be responsible enough to keep their surroundings and workstation clean and tidy.

Company premises shall be kept clean and free from any drain, or other nuisance.
Accumulation of dirt shall be removed daily by sweeping or by any other effective method from
the floors, benches of workrooms, from staircases, passages and disposed off in a suitable
manner. The floor of every workroom shall be cleaned every day by washing, using disinfectant,
where necessary, or by some other effective method.

Contact with Media:


In order to pro-actively manage our reputation with the media and to ensure consistency of
messages, interaction with media must only occur with the prior approval of the Management.

Ground Rules:

• All employees shall display their identity card during their working hours.
• Mobiles phone should be on Silent Mode.

PRIVACY / CONFIDENTIALITY
• Employee will be required to maintain confidentiality about all matters, documents and
information relating to company’s operations and this requirement for confidentiality
would continue in perpetuity.
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• Employee must always protect the confidentiality of proprietary and confidential


information that they obtain or create in connection with their activities for the company.
• Employees are not allowed to transfer official information into personal databases or carry
hard copies of official information (otherwise than for official purposes) outside the office,
without prior permission from their superior.
• At Orion, we recognize and protect the privacy and confidentiality of employee medical and
personal records.
• Any employee who improperly use or disclose secrets or confidential business information
will be subjected to disciplinary action, including termination of employment and legal
action, even if he/she does not actually benefit from the disclosed information.
• If, during the course of employment, the employee conceives any new or advanced method
of improving designs/ processes/ formulae/ systems, etc. in relation to the business/
operations of the Company, such developments will be fully communicated to the company
and will be, and remain, the sole right/ property of the Company.

ACCURACY OF COMPANY RECORDS AND REPORTING

Every employee must ensure that records, data and information owned, collected, used and
managed by them for Orion are accurate and complete. Officers, managers and employees are
required to report all information accurately and honestly.

All employees are required to promptly disclose any unethical, dishonest, fraudulent and illegal
behavior, or any violation of company policies and procedures, directly to management.

RESPONSIBILITY OF SUPERIORS AND MANAGERS


In addition to responsibilities as employees, supervisors and managers must abide by the
following:

Duty of selection - Carefully select the employees for a job in light of their personal and
professional qualifications. The duty of care increases with the importance of the obligation to
be entrusted to the employee.
Duty of instruction – Formulate obligations in a precise, complete, and binding manner,
especially with a view to ensure compliance with provisions of instructions. Inform employees
in their teams about the employee code of conduct, relevant policies, procedure & actions.
Duty of monitoring - Ensure that compliance with provisions of applicable laws / regulations is
monitored on a constant basis. The supervisors should strive to create and sustain an
environment that promotes ethical behavior.
Duty of communication – Communicate to the employees that any violation of the applicable
laws / regulations is disapproved of and would have disciplinary implications.
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PROTECTION OF ORION’S ASSETS


Orion provides employees with the equipment needed to do their job. None of this equipment
should be used for personal use, nor removed from the physical confines of the Company —
unless it is approved for a job that specifically requires use of company equipment outside the
physical facility. Company equipments must solely be used for business purposes but
information and messages stored in these systems will be treated no differently from other
business-related information and messages.
Computers: All computers should be strictly used for official purposes. Loading of games,
movies, photos, songs and any other entertainment sources are strictly prohibited.
E-mail & Internet: E-mail and Internet services are available for official use. Employees are
responsible for using the Internet in a manner that is ethical and lawful. Browsing unofficial
websites including social networking sites is strictly prohibited.
Phone: No employee shall use Company’s / Client’s telephone, printers and fax facilities for
private purposes, except with prior permission. Incidental and occasional personal use of phone
is permitted, However if the employee is found using the phone for personal use then the
charges will be recovered from the employee through his salary.

HARASSMENT POLICY / SEXUAL HARASSMENT

Harassment Policy:
Orion does not tolerate workplace harassment. The Company is committed to providing a work
environment that is free of discrimination and unlawful harassment.

Actions, words, jokes, or comments based on an individual’s sex, race, ethnicity, age, religion,
or any other legally protected characteristic has no place in such culture, as it denies respect for
the rights of staff to fair treatment.

If an employee has been the victim of harassment, or knows of other employees who have
been harassed, it is the responsibility of the employee to raise concerns and make reports
without fear of revenge.

Any superior who becomes aware of possible harassment should promptly advise Management
or the Human Resource Department, who will handle the matter in a timely and confidential
manner.

Sexual Harassment Policy:


Sexual Harassment is any form of conduct of a sexual nature that is unwanted; such conduct
can be in the form of words or actions. Sexual harassment is not about sexual attraction, it is
about inappropriate and unacceptable behavior towards a member of staff, or towards a visitor
to the organization. It is a serious issue that undermines morale and can adversely affect the
ability of staff to achieve their full potential. A complaint or report of sexual harassment will be
ORION EDUCATION TRUST 35
EMPLOYEE HANDBOOK

immediately investigated and appropriate action will be taken against the offending
employee(s). Depending on the nature and seriousness of the offense strict disciplinary action
including termination of service shall be taken.

SMOKING
No smoking of any kind is permitted inside Company Premises. All employees are urged to
make sure that their visitors adhere also to this policy. Violation of this policy shall result in
immediate termination from service.
• Smokers who need to take breaks should do so during their allotted breaks. These breaks
must not be taken at the entrance to offices. This is a poor representation of the Company
and people who may be visiting company, would not want to be walking through a cloud of
smoke. Any additional breaks (outside of allotted breaks) must be approved by Reporting
Manager.
• Excessive smoking breaks will be regarded as absenteeism and disciplinary action shall be
taken.
ALCOHOL, DRUGS AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE
This policy applies to all levels throughout Orion. The policy is not concerned with social
drinking or the taking of prescribed drugs for medical purposes, the concern is directed to
instances where alcohol or other drug dependence or abuse affects the job performance and
or/safety of any employee(s).

Orion is concerned by factors affecting an employee’s ability to safely and effectively perform
work to a satisfactory standard. Orion recognizes alcohol or other drug abuse will cause short-
term or long-term impairment to such work performance.

Orion is committed to creating and maintaining a safe, healthy and productive workplace for all
employees. Due to the nature of the service Orion maintains a zero-tolerance policy in regards
to the use of illegal drugs on their premises or the attending of other business related premises
(e.g. clients) while under the influence of illegal drugs or alcohol. Employees who violate this
prohibition will, unquestionably, lose their jobs and the reason for the employment termination
will be a matter of record.

DRESS CODE
Employees Orion are expected to present a clean and professional appearance while
conducting business, in or outside of the office. Employee has to project a professional image
for our customers, potential employees, and community visitors as it reflects the working
culture of the organization.

Appropriate business attire:

Business attire is to be worn by all employees from Monday to Friday. Appropriate business
attire for employee includes the following:
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Men:
• Blazers, suits
• Ties
• Dress shirts with buttons and collars
• Dress shoes

Women:
• Dresses
• Dress shoes
• Nylons or stocking
• Traditional wear ( Sari or Salwar Kameez)

 Hair should be clean combed and neatly trimmed. Shaggy unkempt hair is not
acceptable regardless of the length.
 Tattoos and body piercing should not be visible.
 Smart Casuals (Denims /T-Shirts with collars) are allowed only on Saturday.

If clothing fails to meet the standards, as determined by the employee’s supervisor and Human
Resources Department, the employee will be asked not to wear the inappropriate attire to
work again. If the problem persists, the employee may be sent home to change clothes and will
receive a verbal warning for the first offense. Progressive disciplinary action will be applied if
dress code violations continue.

GIFTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

Employees should not accept gifts, secret commission or benefits from a person or organization
outside Orion. Orion follows zero tolerance approach towards bribery and corruption. Any
employee found to have received; encouraged receiving or abetting the act shall be liable to
strict disciplinary action including termination from employment with immediate effect.

Bribery/Corruption is defined as receiving or offering of an undue reward from/to any third


party.

OUTSIDE EMPLOYMENT
The company’s personnel are whole-time employees and are not permitted to undertake any
business, work or public office, honorary or remunerative, except with the written permission
of the Management in each case.

KEY IRREGULARITIES
Orion believes that the employees would realize and appreciate the need to follow this Code in
letter and spirit. In an unfortunate incident or act of breach, a corrective and/or deterrent
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action becomes unavoidable. Therefore any breach of the stipulations mentioned in the code
should be treated as misconduct for which appropriate penalty would be imposed.

Based on the intent, seriousness and justifying circumstances of such non-compliance the
breaches can be broadly classified into two categories as detailed here under:

HABITUAL IRREGULARITIES
Repeated negligence in performing duties, depending on the significance and consequences to
the Company may fall under this category. Illustrative behavior includes:

• Unpunctual or irregular attendance, leaving workplace without permission, habitual or


prolonged absence without leave.
• Negligence or failure to take due care while obtaining and preserving documents/records,
or failure to ensure accuracy and timely completion of work.
• Indecent/discourteous behavior with customers, employees, superiors etc
• Habitual violation of the prescribed dress code.
• Use of foul or abusive language.
• Showing an inflexible or unreasonably negative attitude to management and/or fellow
employees

GROSS SERIOUS VIOLATION


Any act which is in breach of the Code, internal policies/procedures and which may cause
financial loss or reputation risk to the Company falls under this category. Illustrative behavior
under this category includes:

• Failing to comply with Orion policies, procedures, rules and working practices.
• Engaging in any other trade/ business/ employment while in the employment of the Orion
without confirming with Management.
• Participation in any demonstration against the Company or its officials.
• Accepting gifts and favors from clients and vendors in violation of relevant guidelines.
• Involvement in harassment including sexual harassment or racial harassment
• Failure to take all possible steps to protect the interest of Orion to perform duties with
utmost integrity, honesty, devotion & diligence.
• Indulging in any act which is likely to cause damage/loss to the property and which are
prejudicial to the reputation and interest of Orion.
• Any other act which is against the ethos/culture of the company.

DISCIPLINARY ACTION
In the event of employee violating the code of conduct, disciplinary action shall be taken
against him. The disciplinary action may include issuing warnings /awarding penalties or
dismissal from service.
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Warnings:
Verbal Warning: The HR executive in consultation with the Manager is authorized to give
Verbal Warning. Verbal warnings are to be issued in cases where the violation of code of
conduct is of habitual nature. Two such Verbal Warnings will give rise to one Warning Letter or
could be even subjected to suspension or dismissal from service.

Written Warning: The HR Department in consultation with the Manager is authorized to give
Warning Letter and is authorized to take this decision on his own or with management’s
concern. Two such Warning Letters for the same issue could give rise to termination.

Penalties:
Depending upon the nature of violation of the code of conduct, the Management, at its sole
discretion, may impose on an employee any of the following penalties for the misconduct
exhibited by him/her

• Suspension without wages for a period not exceeding seven days;


• Withholding of increment(s) of pay and or promotion
• Recovery from pay or such other amount as may be due to him of the whole or part of any
pecuniary loss caused to the Company by his negligence or breach of orders.
• Reduction to a lower stage in the scale of pay, grade or designation for a specific period
with or without further direction regarding condition of restoration to the grade or post or
service.
• Dismissal from service without notice which shall be a disqualification for future
employment.

Employee is liable to be dismissed from the service of the Company for an act of misconduct
after following due legal procedures in that behalf. The Management shall also have the right to
suspend the employee without wages or compensation pending investigation, enquiry etc., for
any misconduct that may be alleged against him. The services of an employee are liable to be
terminated in the following cases:

• Gross Misconduct.
• Unsatisfactory performance.
• Involvement in criminal offences.
• Giving false statements about his/her personal/professional background at the time of
joining.
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TERMINATION POLICY
GUIDELINES
• Services of permanent employees will be terminated only according to the terms of
appointment/employment and after complying with all statutory requirements, by giving
the stipulated notice or salary in lieu thereof. Any termination of an employee by the
company will need clearance from HR and the Managing Director.
• If the services of a permanent employee are to be terminated consequent to disciplinary
procedure, it should be ensured that all formalities in connection with the internal enquiry
are fully complied with.

Terminations will be treated in a confidential, professional manner by all concerned. It is


important to ensure that while terminating the employee from service, the dignity and the
respect of the employee is maintained. Except in cases of gross violation of code of conduct and
code of ethics, every employee should be given adequate opportunity to improve his/her
conduct or performance while in service of the company.

Termination of an employee (Probationary / Permanent) may be caused due the following


reasons:

1. Termination due to Non- performance:


On evaluation of employee’s performance during the tenure period if it is found that employee
has not shown adequate progress despite several warning and instructions then the company
shall opt to separate the employee service. The performance of the employee shall be
measured through quarterly performance review that shall be conducted by their superior.
Based on the review, if found unsatisfactory, the employee will be given a retraining. If the
performance still remains unsatisfactory, company will then discontinue the services of the
employee. The services of a probationer whose performance is found unsatisfactory will be
promptly discontinued.

2. Termination on violating Code of conduct:


If there is a serious misconduct by the employee leading to violation of the disciplinary rules as
specified below, the services of employee are liable to be terminated. The decision to terminate
the services of the employee shall be based upon the intensity and the regularity of the
offence. The company follows a zero tolerance policy on issues such as alcohol or drug abuse
and sexual harassment. Therefore such offences attract immediate termination. Violation of
the code of conduct shall include but is not limited to:

a) Unpunctual or irregular attendance, leaving workplace without permission, habitual or


prolonged absence without intimation / approval from the management.
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b) Fighting, riotous, indecent or disorderly behavior, threatening, intimidating, coercing any


employee or person, any act involving moral turpitude committed within the premises of
the Company.
c) Habitual negligence of work, having a let- go attitude towards the superiors.
d) Consumption or being under the influence of alcohol or drugs during the workday, including
rest periods and meal periods.
e) Smoking within the premises of the company where it has been restricted by the
organization.
f) Violating the prescribed dress code despite repeated warnings.
g) Sleeping during the working hours.
h) Misuse of any company assets.
i) Giving any false information or spreading any rumors against any employee or the
company.
j) Possessing, selling, or otherwise providing any weapon, including guns, knives, explosives,
or simulated weapons or use of any office object in a threatening manner such pen, pencil,
paperclips etc
k) Unlawfully possessing, offering, arranging for, or negotiating to sell any drug items.
l) Harassment or abetting in harassment of an employee including sexual harassment.
m) Committing an obscene act including sexual acts even though consensual or engaging in
regular profanity, swearing or vulgarity.
n) Causing, attempting to cause, or threatening to cause physical injury to another employee.
o) Tampering or destruction of company records, documents and data base.
p) Indecent/ discourteous behavior with the clients, employees and superiors.
q) Use of foul or abusive language within the premises of the company or while in contact with
the customers/clients of the company.

3. Termination on violating Code of Ethics:


This occurs when the employee has acted in such a way that it breaches the code of ethical
practices, set forth by the management. In such cases, the services of employee shall be
immediately discontinued. Any act or offence that jeopardizes the reputation of the company
or causes serious financial losses to the company shall not be acceptable. Orion expects all its
employees to demonstrate high level of ethical behavior while interacting with the customers
whether internal or external. Violation of the code of ethics shall include but is not limited to:

a) Getting engaged in outside employment whether or not for monetary gains which results in
double employment.
b) Providing false information to the company in relation to his/her qualification, previous
employment, experience etc at the time of selection or thereafter.
c) Receiving or offering of any undue reward, gifts and secret commissions from/to any third
party for personal gains.
d) Providing any confidential information about the process of the company, to any
unauthorized person which may come into the possession of the employee in the course of
work.
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e) Willful falsification, defacement or destruction of or tampering of personnel records or any


records of the company.
f) Engagement in uninvited solicitation of potential clients who, because of their
circumstances, are vulnerable to undue influence, manipulation, or coercion.
g) Failure to provide documentation verifying eligibility to work.

4. Termination due to Retrenchment:


This refers to termination of employment because of replacement of labor by machines or
closure of department or the branch office. In the event of retrenchment, the employee shall be
adequately compensated.

GENERAL GUIDELINES
Settlement of dues of the terminated employee shall be based upon the reason of termination.
In the event of the employee being terminated due to non performance or general
retrenchment, the full and final settlement of the employee’s remuneration shall be completed
within 15 working days. The management reserves the right to deny the settlement of accounts
of the terminated employee especially in cases of serious violation of the disciplinary code that
has caused damage to the reputation or financial well being of the company.
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SEPARATION POLICY
OBJECTIVE
• The objective of this policy is to ensure smooth transition of our employee in the
occurrence of separation. While voluntary separations are easy to manage, executing
involuntary separations can be stressful.
• Adequate care needs to be taken to ensure that the employee has been given appropriate
warnings before taking a decision on termination.
• Employees may be separated from employment voluntarily through resignation or job
abandonment or involuntarily through termination, layoff or position elimination.
• Terminations are certainly last option to restore the objectives of the company.

RESIGNATION
An employee who wishes to leave the services of the company will submit the resignation letter
to his/her superior, giving the notice as under:

• Employees are required to serve notice as stipulated in the terms and conditions of
employment. The management reserves the right to waive the notice period for any
employee. The notice period of a confirmed employee shall not be less than 30 days
whereas that for a probationary employee shall be not less than 7 days.
• The notice period from the employee is for the company to locate a replacement, and
therefore, should be insisted upon. Notice period will not ordinarily be waived unless
continued presence of the employee concerned is not in the best interest of the Company.
• Before accepting the resignation letter, the Head of the Department will discuss with the
employee concerned to find out the reasons for submitting the resignation letter. In spite of
such separations being painful for both sides, promises that cannot be met by way of career
growth/compensation should not be made.

To maintain uniformity of practice and also to ensure that there is no possibility of any legal
complications, the following procedure shall be followed in cases of resignation:

• The formal letter of resignation will be forwarded to the HR Manager with the
recommendations of the Departmental Head. Such resignation letter will be sent in original.
• The HR Department shall obtain in writing on the letter of resignation itself, the decision
regarding acceptance of resignation by the concerned Reporting Manager / Functional
Head. The processing time for deciding on acceptance of resignation or otherwise should
not normally exceed 10 days.
• The letter of acceptance of the resignation can be communicated by Reporting Manager /
Functional Head.
• After the acceptance of the resignation, the HR Department shall be responsible for
obtaining the ‘Exit Interview' from the Line Manager / Functional Head to ascertain facts
relating to the resignation.
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• The analysis by HR Department will be in terms of location, department, category, academic


background, particularly institutions from where they graduated, age, sex and other
demographic parameters, length of service, and more importantly, the type of organizations
they are moving to, the compensation package offered by them and the precise reasons of
leaving the company’s service. The analysis so done shall be shared with the concerned Line
Manager / Functional Head.
• Once the acceptance of resignation is communicated to the employee, the concerned
employee will be responsible to obtain the necessary clearances from various
groups/departments on the No Dues Certificate. The completed checklist should be
provided to the HR department at least a week before the due relieving date.
• Separating employees are required to return all company controlled property in their
possession and settle their dues with the Accounts department prior to receipt of any final
payments. Orion reserves the right to offset any salary payments due the employee to
compensate for unreturned property or equipment or unsettled accounts prior to release of
final payments to the employee.
• Privilege leaves earned by the employee shall be adjusted in lieu of serving the notice
period in case of resignation by the employee. The leaves such adjusted shall not exceed 7
days.

Subject to the above, on the date of the relieving, the employee shall be provided with the
following:
a) Relieving Letter
b) Experience Letter

RETIREMENT
Any employee on completion of 58 years of age as per English calendar year shall be deemed to
have retired from the service. The age of the employee shall be determined on the basis of
documentary evidence provided by him at the time of joining the organization.

Planning for retirement


The HR Manager will be responsible for assisting the employee to prepare for the retirement.
Normally, information of retirement should be given at least three months in advance in form
of an official letter. The employee should be informed of the retirement benefits which will be
available to him viz. Provident Fund and Gratuity.

Utilization of the services of retired Employees


The expertise and the experience of the retired professionals of the company could be a
valuable resource. Services of outstanding professionals could be selectively used for short
duration as self employed consultants/resource persons. However, before giving the
assignments to such employees it is necessary to get the clearance from Management and
Managing Director through HR.
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DISABLEMENT OR DEATH
Disablement due to injury or death of an employee is indeed a loss of valuable human resource
within the company. While disablement or death of an employee could be due to various
reasons, it is essential to record the reason to enable provision of necessary social security to
the employee or his/her dependants. Disablement or death of an employee could be:

1. Due to natural reasons/circumstances such as illness or accidents


An employee or his/her nominee shall be eligible to receive monetary assistance as a goodwill
gesture on behalf of the company. The amount of monetary assistance that shall be made
payable to the employee or his/her dependant shall be as follows:

50% of the annual wages of the deceased


In case of death of the employee
employee

In case of permanent disablement


75% of the annual wages
resulting in discontinuation from service

25% of the annual wages as an assistance in


In case of temporary disablement
hospitalization expenses

In addition to the above mentioned ex-gratia payment, the employee shall be entitled to
receive gratuity and provident fund as per the compensation policy of the company.

2. Arising out of and in course of employment with the company


In case of death or disablement arising out of and in course of employment with the company,
the payment of compensation is governed by the Workmen’s Compensation Act 1923. The
term ‘arising out of and in the course of employment’ means that Compensation is payable only
in those injury where the employment is the immediate and proximate cause of the said injury.
In other words, the injury/disease would not have occurred had the employee not been
employed in the particular employment. Compensation payable to the employee or his
nominee shall be as follows:

Sr. No. Description Compensation

1 Death due to injury 50% of wages * Relevant factor OR Rs. 80,000/- ,


whichever is more
Permanent total disablement 60% of wages * Relevant factor OR Rs. 90,000/- ,
2
due to injury whichever is more

Permanent Partial % of compensation as is payable in (2) or % of


3
disablement due to injury compensation proportionate to loss of earning capacity

4 Temporary Disablement 25% of wages paid half monthly


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Relevant factor is given in the Schedule IV of the Workmen’s Compensation Act.

In each of the cases above, the company shall make every attempt to ensure that the financial
aid to be given to the employee or his/her dependant is prompt and timely. As a matter of
policy, the compensation claim and/or ex gratia payment shall be given to the beneficiary
mentioned in the personal details form filled by the employee at the time of joining of service.

FULL AND FINAL SETTLEMENT POLICY


Full and Final settlement of salary account of an employee shall be completed within the
stipulated time by the HR department in the specified Full & Final Settlement Form. The time
schedule for settlement of accounts shall be as follows:

• In case of resignation with the mandatory notice period


Settlement shall be done after 15 days of completion of the notice period.
• In case of resignation without notice period
Settlement shall be done after 45 days from the date of resignation.
• In case of termination from service
Settlement shall be done within 15 days from the date of issue of termination letter.
• In case of retrenchment from service
Settlement shall be done within 15 days from the date of issuance of retrenchment letter.

The full and final settlement of salary shall include the following components:
• Salary for the actual number of days worked including paid offs

• Reimbursements of travel expenses

• Incentives
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CONCLUDING NOTE
While adequate care has been taken in the process of framing and formulating this Employee
Handbook for you, we would be glad to receive any feedbacks from you in further developing
this handbook. Should you have any queries, concerns relating to the topics included in this
handbook, please feel free to contact us at hr@orionedu.org.
Alternatively, you may write to us at,
Department of Human Resources, Orion Education Trust, 418, Laxmi Plaza, Laxmi
Industrial Estate, Andheri (W), Mumbai 400 053. Ph: 022-42381500 www.orionedu.org

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