Employee

HANDBOOK
Mumbai | Delhi | Bengaluru | Nashik | Pune | Leeds | Durham | New Jersey
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Email: relationship@esds.co.in | Toll FREE: 1800 209 3006 | Fax: +91 9595 247 247 | Website: www.esds.co.in
 Table Of Content
Sr. No. Topic Page No.
1 Welcome Note 3

2 About ESDS 4
2.1 Vision, Mission, Values & work ethics 6
2.2 Our services Offerings 7
2.3 Our products 8
2.4 Our strengths 9
2.5 Our Multi Datacenter and Office Network 10
2.6 Our History 11
2.7 The Management Structure 12
2.9 Grade Structure 13
2.10 ESDS Culture 14
2.11 Awards & Accolades 15

3 Communication Channels 16
3.1 HR Portal 17
3.2 IRC 17
3.3 Official Email accounts 18
3.4 Salary Portal 18

4 HR Polices & Practices 19

4.1 Recruitment, Selection & Onboarding 20
4.2 Code Of Conduct 21
4.3 Attendance Policy 31
4.4 Leave Policy 32
4.5 Travel Policy 35
4.6 Company Car Policy 43
4.7 Mobile Policy 44
4.8 Education Policy 47
4.9 Bring your own Buddy Policy 49
4.10 Team Get Together Policy 51
4.11 Relocation Policy 52
4.12 KRA Policy 55
4.13 Exit Policy 56

5 Version Control 57

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1. Welcome Note

Dear ESDSians,

Welcome Aboard! We are delighted on you joining our organization & being a part of our
journey here on. Your role is critical in fulfilling the mission of our Company. Its an exciting time for
ESDS as we continue to grow, we strive to remain as adaptable, motivated and responsive to our
new employees as we are to our customers.

We look forward to seeing you grow and develop into an outstanding employee that exhibits
a high level of care, concern, and compassion for others. We hope that you will find your work to be
rewarding, challenging, and meaningful.

The enclosed information is designed to serve as an introduction to our culture and provide
resources that will help you make a smooth transition into your new role.

The HR team is here to support your transition. You are requested to take your time and
review our Employee Handbook so that you can know understand what is expected out of you and
make a positive contribution. Again, we look forward to seeing you grow as a professional and build
up lifetime relationship with you.

Team ESDS

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 2. About ESDS

ESDS is one of the Worlds leading Data Center

Services and Cloud Solution providers.

Founded in 2005 by first generation entrepreneur

Piyush Somani, ESDS was initially conceived as a
web hosting company. Since then, ESDS has
moved from strength to strength, establishing a
huge clientele worldwide and acquiring a number
Piyush Somani
of smaller enterprises along the way. MD & CEO

Managing operations of several UK-based web hosting companies has added immeasurably to its
experience and the quality of its offerings, leading to the establishment of an enterprise-grade,
Uptime Certified Data Center facility in the state of Maharashtra, India.

Creating and sustaining excellent customer experience, coupled with focus on Innovation, has
helped ESDS to evolve as the preferred choice for Managed Data Center Services and Auto-Scalable
Cloud Solutions for its customers.

About ESDS
ESDS
GROUP OF COMPANIES

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TIER III DATA CENTERS

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2.5. Our Multi Datacenter and Office Network

DELHI

426, Fourth Floor,

DLF Tower, Shivaji Marg,
New Delhi-110015

Corporate Office

ESDS Software Solution Pvt. Ltd. NAVI MUMBAI

Plot No. B- 24 & 25, NICE Industrial Area,
Plot No. Gen 71/1 & 71/1/1,
Satpur MIDC, Nashik 422 007. Mahape Circle, Mahape MIDC,
Navi Mumbai 400710

BENGALURU

No.12/3, H. C. Chambers,
G2, Infantry Road Cross,
Bengaluru - 560 001

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2.6. Our: History

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2.7. The Management Structure

Piyush Somani
CEO

Rajeev Papneja Ashish Kumar Sameer Redij Komal Somani

COO & VP CFO CRO CPO

- Project Delivery - Finance - Regional Sales - Talent

- IDC - Accounts - Alliances Acquisition
- Pre Sales & - Procurement - Proactive Sales - Talent
Solutions - Planning & - Relationship Management
Budgeting -Online Sales - L&D
- Online Marketing - HR Ops

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2.9 Grades structure

- Sales, Online Sales, Proactive

- Technical Support Sales, RM
- R&D - Online Marketing
- NOC - Finance, Billing
- Presales - HR & Admin
- Electrical
- CRM & PHS
- Projects, Service Delivery
- Quality, Purchase & other

Level Grade Level Grade

SEB SEB
EB3 EB3
L4 EB2 L4 EB2
EB1 EB1
T9 S9
L3 T8 L3 S8
T7 S7
T6 S6
L2 T5 L2 S5
T4 S4
T3 S3
L1 T2 L1 S2
T1 S1

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2.10 ESDS Culture

At ESDS, we believe in fostering a highly cohesive and cooperative work environment

that facilitates creativity, efficiency and productivity.
The emphasis is on encouraging initiative and giving vent to the talent of a youthful
employee corps. Individual opinion and expression is valued and respected which
eventually urges our people to develop a sense of belongingness with us.
The organization is proud to have created a work culture so attractive that our employee
loyalty is one of the highest in todays volatile IT industry.
Our employees both past and present feel that ESDS is a great place to work with, where
we believe not only in building lifetime relationships with our customers, but also our
valuable employees.

We strive to promote an Open Culture here at

ESDS.
We have the practice of respecting people by
their work, and not by titles of
Sir & Mam

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2.11 Awards & Accolades

ESDS honored with

the Prestigious
"Global Business
and Service
Excellence Award,
2014" for
Excellence in
Service Orientation

ESDS has bagged the most

prestigious and highly competitive
Award for "Innovation in Cloud
technology" from Economic Times

ESDS graced with an award by IBM

for Developing Innovative
Solutions using IBM

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3. Communication Channels

3.1. HR Portal
Every employee will have his/her own Employee Account
on the HR portal. This account contains all the details of the
employee. Apart from this, the following details are
available on the portal-
1- Policies
2- Leave calendar
3- Details of other employees
4- IN-OUT Timings
5- Department specific reports
6- Event updates etc.

The URL to access the HR Portal is http://portal.esds.co.in/

Password will be shared by the HR team on the day of

joining

3.2. IRC
The IRC channel is our internal forum to
communicate with each other. We can discuss the
official issues with any of the employees of ESDS
via IRC.

The IT engineer shall configure IRC & provide you

the login details for the same after allotment of
workstation.

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3.3. Official Email Accounts

For official communications, employees are given 2 email id-

Internal communication-
The .com emails are used to send emails internally within ESDS

Url- https://mail.eds.co.in/
Username- firstname.lastname@esds.com
Password- supp0rt#EmpID

External communication- Depending on the job profile, employees will be given a .co.in email
account for communication with people outside ESDS

Url- https://mail.esds.co.in:2096
Username- firstname.lastname@esds.co.in
Password- password will be shared on the joining date

3.4. Salary Portal

All your salary reports will be available on your Make My
Salary portal(MMS portal)

Logins credentials will be shared after the 1st salary.

URL- https://makemysalary.com/
Username- name.surname@host.co.in
Password will be received on your host.co.in email id

Reports such as
1- Monthly pay slips
2- Annual Salary Summary
3- Form 16
4- Income Tax computation reports etc. are to be
collected from MMS portal

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4.1. Recruitment, Selection & Onboarding

ESDS is an equal opportunity employer. It understands the critical role its pool of talent plays in its
success and growth and therefore has a process of staffing and recruitment that hires individuals
solely on the basis of his/her competencies to perform the job. All appointments, whether from
internal or external source, are made on the basis of individual suitability and merit.

The recruitment process is designed to ensure that every applicant is treated equally with dignity
and respect. The selection process is transparent, task oriented and merit based, with weightage
given to factors that suit organization needs.

Hiring Process-

1. Job requisition- The respective hiring or reporting head must draw up the latest job description
and profile. He then has to share the same with HR to facilitate sourcing of the right candidate.
HR validates this against the Approved Head count plan shared by the respective departments. If
within approved headcount, the Talent Acquisition team initiates the sourcing process and
shares profiles from different sourcing Channels.

2. Sourcing Channels- The primary sourcing channel would be the Talent acquisition team. This
team shall then refer various job portal, Employee Referrals, External Vendors and
Advertisements to source the appropriate candidates.

3. Technical Interview- The shortlisted candidates resume is shared with the respective Hiring
Managers. The Hiring Managers evaluates the candidate and takes him/her through
assessments/technical interviews as applicable.

4. HR Interview- If the candidate clears all assessments/ interviews and found good to be hired,
the candidates profile is passed on to HR for HR Validation and Offer Roll out.

The HR Validation would include-

Internal Parity Check in terms of Compensation & Role
Education & Prior Experience Validation
Cultural fit assessment
The selected candidate will go through the Background Verification Process after an offer is
rolled out. If the background verifications comes to be negative, the offer is revoked.

5. Onboarding- After an employee joins, we make him/her go through a formal Induction program
wherein the new joinees are made familiar with the organization, its culture, values and business
goals. In this process the new joinees also come to know about their new team members as well
as different functional heads with whom they will be interacting on a regular basis.

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4.2 Code of conduct

Introduction

ESDS's business success is directly linked to its integrity in dealing with customers, suppliers,
employees and governments. In order to be valued, we must be trusted. The highest order of
ethical conduct has and continues to be the very foundation of our enterprise. The following
statement of business philosophy and objectives applies to all facets of ESDS's business. This Code
of Business Conduct (this "Code") provides firm, uncompromising standards for each of us in our
dealings with agents, customers, suppliers, political entities and others.

Adherence to this Code is the responsibility of each member of the Management (the "Mgmt."),
officer and employee (individually, an "ESDS Person"; collectively, "ESDS Personnel") and is a
condition of continued service or employment. Every director, officer and employee is to comply
with this Code, to raise questions when in doubt about the best course of action, and to report
possible misconduct promptly after becoming aware of it. Unless a particular provision of this Code
directs otherwise, employees are to raise questions with their supervisor, the Human Resources
Department, or the Management Team.

Information about how to report possible misconduct is set forth under Compliance below.

In addition to the principles discussed here, there are specific policies and procedures that apply
when dealing with financial matters, proprietary information, and employment and other issues.
ESDS Personnel are to familiarize themselves with these policies and guidelines as well, all of which
are explained in ESDS's Policies & Procedures Manual. When we refer to "ESDS" below, we are
referring to ESDS and its subsidiaries collectively.

Compliance with Laws

It is ESDSs policy to conduct its business in accordance with all applicable laws, rules and
regulations wherever ESDS does business. ESDS expects all ESDS Personnel to carry out their
responsibilities on behalf of ESDS in accordance with the law and to refrain from illegal conduct. No
individual is expected to know the details of all applicable laws, but individuals have an obligation to
be knowledgeable about specific laws, rules and regulations that apply to their areas of
responsibility. To the extent that provisions of local law are more restrictive than this Code, ESDS
Personnel are to follow the more restrictive provisions. To the extent any provision of this Code is
expressly prohibited by the laws of a particular jurisdiction in which ESDS does business, the laws of
that jurisdiction will prevail within that jurisdiction. Individuals who have questions about whether
particular circumstances may involve illegal conduct, or about specific laws that may apply to their
activities, are to contact the HR Department.

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Integrity and Confidentiality of Assets and Information

Confidential Information -
ESDS assets are more than physical assets and equipment. They include technology and concepts,
valuable ideas, trade secrets, and business and product plans, as well as other information about
our businesses. ESDS Personnel have a responsibility to protect the confidentiality of all information
they receive, from whatever source, while employees or Management team of ESDS. This includes
information received from or relating to third parties with which ESDS has or is contemplating a
relationship, such as suppliers, customers or affiliates. All ESDS Personnel must protect the
confidentiality of confidential information, use this information only for business purposes, and limit
the dissemination of confidential information to those (both inside and outside ESDS) who have a
need to know the information for business purposes. Confidential information received from third
parties is to be used only for the specific purpose for which it was disclosed and handled consistent
with the terms of any applicable non-disclosure agreement.

Protection and Proper Use of Company Assets -

ESDS Personnel have a responsibility to protect ESDS's assets from damage, destruction, theft or
unauthorized use.

Accurate Reporting and Public Disclosure - Our integrity as a company depends upon the integrity of
each ESDS Person. As a result, it is imperative that all reports of any kind (including customer billing,
time reported, expense reports, hours worked, sales reports, etc.) be completed accurately and
honestly. Dishonesty or intentional inaccuracy in reporting expenses or hours worked is not only a
violation of ESDS policy, it is illegal. Additional information about the responsibility to keep accurate
books and records is set forth under Business and Accounting Practices below.

ESDS Personnel are responsible for the accurate and complete reporting of financial information
within their respective areas of responsibility and for the timely notification to the Manager
responsible for their organization of significant transactions, trends and other financial or non-
financial information that may be material to ESDS. Reports and documents that ESDS files with or
furnishes to any statutory body, and other public communications, should contain full, fair,
accurate, timely and understandable disclosure.

Projections of future performance are to be provided only by senior management. All inquiries from
securities or financial analysts or brokers involving requests for specific or detailed company
information are to be directed to the Chief Executive Officer.

Employee Information - ESDS only collects, uses and maintains employee information that is
required for business or legal reasons. ESDS provides employees access to their personnel files.
ESDS does not release employee information without the approval of the employee affected except
to verify employment or to satisfy legitimate investigatory or legal requirements.

Conflicts of Interest

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A conflict of interest is any activity or interest that is inconsistent with or opposed to, or appears to
be inconsistent with or opposed to, the best interests of ESDS. This may include an activity or
interest of a family member or an organization with which a ESDS Person has a significant
relationship.

The following are examples of conflicts of interest to be avoided:

Interests in Other Businesses Circumstances in which ESDS Personnel have a direct or indirect
financial interest in a transaction to which ESDS is a party or any present customer, competitor or
supplier that could cause divided loyalty or the appearance of divided loyalty.

Independent Associations - ESDS expects employees to devote their full business time and attention
to ESDS. Therefore, employees are not to engage in outside work either for their own account (e.g.,
as a consultant) or for any third party without prior written approval from the Human Resources
Department or the Office of the CEO. Under no circumstances is outside employment by any
employee to lessen his or her interest in, or efficiency, alertness or productivity with respect to,
ESDS.

Gifts and Other Gratuities - No ESDS Person or family member of an ESDS Person is to accept
material gifts or gratuities or other favoured treatment from any person associated with a present
or prospective customer, competitor or supplier of ESDS. Good judgement is to be exercised in the
acceptance of business gifts, lunches, dinners and entertainment. These activities must be
consistent with company policies and for the express purpose of enhancing a business relationship.
Similarly, no ESDS Person is to give money or gifts of material value to a customer, prospective
customer, competitor or supplier if it reasonably could be viewed as being done to gain an unfair
business advantage. If you are uncertain whether a gift is questionable or improper, consult with
the Office of the General Counsel or your supervisor.

Family - No ESDS Person is to conduct business involving ESDS with a person to whom he or she is
related by blood or marriage, or a business organization in which an individual to whom such ESDS
Person is related by blood or marriage has a significant or controlling interest.

Loans - ESDS is not to extend credit to any of its executive officers or directors if the extension of
credit would violate applicable law or regulations. A conflict of interest or potential conflict of
interest may be resolved or avoided if it is appropriately disclosed and approved. In some instances,
disclosure may not be sufficient and ESDS may require that the conduct in question be stopped or
that actions taken be reversed where possible. Any situation, transaction or relationship that may
give rise to an actual or potential conflict of interest must be disclosed to the Office of the CEO.
Employees are to report actual or potential conflicts to the CEO and members of the Management
Team who would take an action as appropriate.

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Corporate Opportunities

ESDS Personnel are not to:

take for themselves personally business opportunities that are discovered through the use of
ESDS property or information or their position with ESDS;
use ESDS property, information or their position with ESDS for personal gain; or
Compete with ESDS for business opportunities; provided, however, that if, after disclosure of all
material facts, a determination is made that it will not be adverse to the interests of ESDS for an
individual to pursue a business opportunity, the individual may do so.

This determination is to be made:

(i) in the case of directors and executive officers, by the disinterested members of ESDSs
Management Team or another body of disinterested directors to whom the determination is
delegated;

(ii) in the case of all other employees, by, and upon the written consent of, the Chief Executive
Officer or the Management Team.

We prohibit any trading (purchase or sale) of securities by a person while in possession of material,
non-public information (i.e., information not publicly announced that could reasonably be expected
to be important to a person making a decision to trade in such securities). Communicating non-
public information to another person who then bases a trade on such information, or suggesting
that another person trade in a companys securities at a time when you have material, non-public
information about the company, are also prohibited under the insider trading laws. Individuals who
violate the insider trading laws are potentially liable for civil damages, as well as criminal fines and
imprisonment, and companies may face civil penalties for insider trading violations by their
employees and other agents.

To avoid serious civil and criminal liability, all ESDS Personnel are to comply with the following rules:

In all cases in which a ESDS Person is in possession of material, non-public information regarding
ESDS or any other publicly traded company (such as customers), that ESDS Person must refrain from
trading or recommending a purchase or sale of ESDS stock or other securities (or any derivative
security) or the stock or other securities of the other publicly traded company until such information
has been publicly disclosed and adequately disseminated.

All ESDS Personnel are to keep confidential all non-public information they possess regarding
ESDS or any other publicly traded company prior to its public disclosure.

Any ESDS Person who is considering a transaction involving ESDS or any other publicly traded
securities and who feels that he or she may have possession of material, non-public information is
to consult with the CEO.

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Health, Safety, and Environmental Policy

External Environment - ESDS is committed to conducting its business activities and operations in
a manner that promotes protection of people and the environment. ESDS maintains an
environmental compliance program to foster compliance with all environmental laws and
regulations, as well as corporate policies and operating instructions.
Internal Environment - ESDS endeavours to provide its employees a workplace free from
recognized chemical and physical hazards that are reasonably likely to cause harm, and complies
with the laws and regulations governing safety in those jurisdictions in which its sites are
located.
Fair Dealing - ESDS aims to succeed through fair and honest competition. ESDS seeks superior
performance, but never through unethical or illegal business practices. ESDS Personnel are to
deal fairly with ESDS's customers, suppliers, competitors and employees.

Employment Practices
Discrimination - In keeping with our commitment to the communities in which we do business,
ESDS is an equal opportunity employer. ESDS does not discriminate against qualified applicants
or employees with respect to any terms or conditions of employment based on race, colour,
national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, age, religion, creed, physical or mental
disability, medical condition, marital status, military service status, or any other characteristic
protected by state or federal law or local ordinance. Further, when necessary, ESDS attempts to
reasonably accommodate employees and applicants with disabilities if the individual is
otherwise qualified to safely perform all of the essential functions of the position. Any employee
who witnesses discrimination or believes he or she has been discriminated against is to notify
his/her Human Resources representative immediately. Any employee who is found to have
discriminated against another employee as described above is subject to discipline up to and
including termination.

Harassment - ESDS is committed to providing a work environment free of harassment.

Harassment of any kind is prohibited, including harassment on the basis of sex, race, colour,
religion, gender, age, mental or physical disability, medical condition, national origin, marital
status, veteran status, sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected under state law
or local ordinance.

No individual will suffer any reprisals or retaliation for reporting any incidents of harassment, or
perceived harassment, for making any complaints of harassment or for participating in any
investigation of incidents of harassment or perceived harassment. If you believe you have
witnessed some form of harassment in a job-related activity, or believe you have been the
victim of harassment, notify your supervisor or Human Resources representative immediately or
email at ind_mgmt@esds.com

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Payment Practices

In order to comply with the The Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, ESDS Personnel are to
observe the following rules:

Business and Accounting Practices - ESDS Personnel must adhere to the legal requirements of
each country in which ESDS conducts business and employ the highest ethical standards. No
undisclosed or unrecorded ESDS fund or asset is to be established for any purpose, and no false
or misleading entries are to be made in ESDS's books or records. No payment on ESDS's behalf
is to be made without adequate supporting documentation, or made for any purpose other
than as described in such documents. ESDS Personnel are to comply with ESDS's internal
control policies at all times.

Questionable Payments - With the exception of certain regulatory fees set by the government
and "facilitating payments", all payments, promises to pay, or offers of payment for anything of
value to any foreign official, political party or official thereof from either ESDS or private funds
in furtherance of ESDS business are prohibited. Where, in accordance with the practice and
custom of a particular jurisdiction, the payment of a nominal sum ("facilitating payments") must
be made in order to induce an official of a foreign government to perform an act which the
official would be required to perform in any event, such payment is not prohibited. These
facilitating payments must be properly documented and recorded in ESDS's financial records.

Political Contributions - ESDS does not make any contributions or payments to political parties,
candidates, or initiative or referendum campaigns, unless such payments are permitted by law
and approved by the Chief Executive Officer. This restriction is not intended to discourage ESDS
Personnel from making individual contributions to, or being involved with candidates, parties,
initiative referenda or political committees of their choice as private individuals. Such
involvement, however, is to be on a ESDS Persons own time and at his or her own expense and
can in no way indicate ESDS's approval or endorsement of such activity.

Fraud and False Statements - ESDS Personnel must not engage in embezzlement, bribery,
misappropriation or conversion of property, false statements to the government, or any
fraudulent, deceptive or corrupt conduct, with respect to ESDS, its customers, suppliers,
contractors, or anyone else with whom ESDS has business associations.

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Conduct in Office

Following are some guidelines which all the employees of ESDS are bound to follow in ESDS
Premises-

Office Timings: ESDS operates in following shifts and all the employees are bound to adhere to
their shift timings as assigned to them. -

All the employees are requested to confirm their shift timings and weekly off's from their
supervisors at the start of the month. Employees who are often found to be late on their shifts
are liable for a disciplinary action against them.

Workstation Employees are responsible for maintaining the cleanliness of their workstations.

Each workstation is required to be kept neat and clean at all times. In case they have not been
cleaned, the Housekeeping should be informed immediately. In case unsolicited material is
lying around, it has to be immediately handed over to respective Manager.

1. Employees are not permitted to eat on their workstations.

2. Employees are not allowed to borrow items from other workstations like headsets,
keyboard, mouse etc.

Conference rooms, Meeting rooms: Conference rooms, meeting rooms, and any common area
should also be very clean and orderly. For better utilization and avoidance of confusion against
the guests, conference rooms should be booked in advance through the supervisor's or Admin
Department. Please ensure that all material carried for meetings are removed immediately
after the meeting is over.

Smoking: Smoking inside the office premises is strictly prohibited. Employees are requested to
step out of the premises in-case they want to smoke. Anyone found to smoking on the premises
of ESDS is liable for disciplinary action.

Visitors: Visitors are not allowed on the floors, without prior approval from the
Supervisor/Management Team. You are requested to meet the visitors in the reception area or
the areas specified for the same.

Personal Belongings : Employees personal belongings like I pods, mp3 players, stereo,
camera, CDs, floppies, laptops, USB drives, camera phones etc. being brought to the company
premises are not allowed inside work floor. Company is not liable in-case of theft of personal
belongings like mobile, jewellery, money, debit/credit cards, wallets etc. ESDS reserves the right
to check the belongings of an employee before he/she leaves the premises.

Discipline: To work successfully with others in a productive atmosphere, it is advisable to

conduct yourself in compliance with long-established conventions. This helps to generate
confidence, respect and cooperation amongst those you work with or work for.

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 ID Cards: It is mandatory to wear ID cards visibly. In case of loss of ID card, employees should
report the same to HR team.

Mobile Phones on the Floor: Employees are requested to restrict their personal calls during
office hours. They are also discouraged to receive their calls on their workstations, they should
move to common areas like reception, conference rooms etc as their calls may disturb people
sitting around their workstations. Employees should put their mobiles on Silent Mode as soon
as they enter the Work Floor.

Change in Personal Coordinates: It is essential that all employees keep HR Department

informed of any changes in their personal coordinates like residential address, telephone
numbers, changes in family status, etc.

Dress Code: As a member of ESDS family, it is essential that you dress in a manner befitting a
professional. The dress code for office from Monday to Friday is Business Formals / Business
Casuals. Business Casuals must be simple and sober colours without an embroidery designs on
it. No T-Shirts and Denims will be allowed.

Antitrust
Competition laws and regulations throughout the world are designed to foster a competitive
marketplace and prohibit activities that restrain trade. Generally, actions taken in combination
with other companies that restrain competition may violate the antitrust laws. Certain antitrust
violations involving agreements with competitors are crimes and can result in large fines and
prison terms for the individuals involved. In addition, actions taken by an individual company in
market segments in which it has a particularly strong position may violate competition laws if
they have the effect of excluding competition through unfair means. ESDS's success depends on
competing independently and fairly at all times. ESDS competes vigorously but within the
bounds of fair competition. You are to be attentive to the following types of practices:

You are not to enter into any arrangements or understandings with competitors or potential
competitors concerning prices, terms or conditions of sale or license, sales or marketing
practices or plans, or R&D plans.

Participation in a standard-setting organization or similar organization is to be approved in

advance by the CEO. When representing ESDS in a standard-setting organization or similar
organization, you are to adhere to the rules and by-laws of the organization, including rules
affecting intellectual property disclosure.

Participation in trade associations, seminars, standard-setting organizations, or other industry

groups is not to be used as, or even appear to be used as, an occasion for any discussion of
competitive policies or practices.

In connection with any collaborative activities with other Web Hosting or companies that
otherwise may compete with ESDS in any part of its business, including strategic alliances or
joint ventures, all discussions are to be limited to the specific projects in which the companies

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 are collaborating and avoid any discussion of areas in which the other company is a
competitor.

You are not to enter into any arrangements or understandings with a particular competitor to
not deal with a particular customer or supplier.

You are not to enter into any arrangements or understandings with a supplier or customer to
not deal with an ESDS competitor.

c) You are not to enter into agreements or understandings that control the prices charged by a
distributor.

If you have any questions concerning the propriety of any business practice, consult with the
CEO.

Procurement Policy
Restricting a supplier from selling its products or services (unless proprietary to ESDS) to ESDS's
competitors or other third parties may be illegal under some circumstances. Requiring a supplier to
buy ESDS products in return for ESDS's purchases may also be illegal under some circumstances,
although ESDS may otherwise attempt to sell ESDS products to its suppliers. Thus, restrictions on
sales to competitors or requiring reciprocal purchases must first be cleared by the CEO.

Confidential or proprietary information is not to be accepted from or released to a supplier unless a

written agreement regarding any restrictions on use of disclosure has been executed. Employees
are not to discuss the problems or weaknesses of one supplier with another.

Other Unethical or Disreputable Activity

In addition to the above, ESDS Personnel are not to engage in any unethical or other conduct that
could besmirch, whether directly or indirectly, the reputation of ESDS or any of its affiliates.

Compliance
Admittedly no summary of guidelines for ethical business conduct can cover every situation. The
absence of a guideline covering a particular situation does not relieve ESDS Personnel from the
responsibility to operate with the highest ethical standards of business conduct. Each of us is
responsible for his or her actions.

Raising Questions - Do not hesitate to seek guidance and assistance regarding compliance
with this Code. Unless a particular provision of this Code directs otherwise, employees are to
raise questions with their supervisor, their Human Resources representative, or the CEO.
Reporting Possible Misconduct - Each ESDS Person has the responsibility to report possible
misconduct, including unethical business practices, violations of this Code and apparent or
suspected illegal activities. Employees are to report potential misconduct to the CEO or to
any member of Management Team. In case a report concerns a Management Team member
of the Company, the CEO should be notified immediately.

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 No Retaliation - No individual will suffer any reprisals or retaliation for reporting in good faith
any possible misconduct or for participation in any investigation of possible misconduct.
Management Team is responsible for overseeing compliance with this Code with respect to
the employees within their organizations and for promptly referring possible misconduct to
the CEO for investigation.
The HR Department is responsible for investigation of possible misconduct, and in-case a
violation of this Code exists, appropriate corrective and disciplinary action is to be taken.
Such action may include one or more of the following measures, as appropriate: (i)
counseling; (ii) a warning; (iii) a reprimand noted in the ESDS Person's personnel file; (iv)
probation; (v) change, including reassignment, in job responsibilities, compensation,
authority and/or title; (vi) temporary suspension, with or without pay; (vii) termination of
employment or other relationship with ESDS; (viii) reimbursement of losses or damages
resulting from the violation; or (ix) referral for criminal prosecution or civil action.

Integrity is the foundation of our business. Each of us must insist that we as individuals, and ESDS as
a company, attain the highest ethical standards of business conduct.

Waivers
ESDS does not expect to grant waivers of this Code except in very limited circumstances.Any waiver
by ESDS of any provision of this Code with respect to any member of the Management Team is to be
made only by CEO, after disclosure of all material facts by the individual seeking the waiver. ESDS
shall disclose any such waiver with respect to a member of Management Team in accordance with
applicable law. Any waivers for other individuals are to be granted only by the Chief Executive
Officer or any person nominated by the CEO.

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4.3. Attendance Policy

Objective: To encourage regular and timely attendance

Scope: All employees who are irregular or not punctual

General Guidelines

1. Regular attendance is essential to the Companys efficient operation and is a necessary

condition of employment. When employees are absent, schedules and customer commitments
fall behind, and other employees assume added workloads.
2. Employees are expected to report to work as scheduled and on time. If it is impossible to report
for work as scheduled, employees must call their manager and HR department atleast 1 hour
before their starting time.
3. Office Timings: ESDS operates in following shifts and all the employees are bound to adhere to
their shift timings. All the employees are requested to confirm their shift timings and weekly
off's from their supervisors at the start of the month.
4. Late coming is permitted till 15 minutes after the shift starts, if employee is coming after that,
then it would be considered as late arrival, and three late arrivals in a month will result in a
warning letter.
5. In case an employee receives more than 3 warning letters in a quarter, they would be
suspended without pay for a week and this would be affect the quarterly performance of the
employees.
6. If late comings still continue even after several warnings and suspension, disciplinary action
would be taken against the employee which could also include termination.
7. It is expected from every employee to arrive on time, complete their work and leave on
scheduled time.
8. Half-Day
a- If an Employee works for less than 8 hrs it will be marked as half day.
b- If an employee works for less than 4.5 hrs it will be considered as a full day off.

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4.4. Leave Policy

Policy Statement: Leave is granted to employees with the intention of providing rest, recuperation
of health and for fulfilling social obligations. This provides a healthy and efficient staff for the
company.

Objectives:
a. To provide annual leaves to the Full Time employees of ESDS
b. Provide guidelines using which the employees can take the leaves.

Personal Leaves (PL):

Employees are entitled for 18 Privilege leaves annually.
1.5 leaves would be added to employees leave account at start of each month.
Upto 15 leaves can be carry forwarded from one calendar year to another, rest of the leaves
would lapse.
At any point of time an employee can have maximum of 30 leaves in his account. Rest
balance leaves would lapse.
In case an employee requires a half day, 0.5 leaves would be deducted from his leave
account.

Eligibility & Leave Year:

All Full Time Employees of ESDS
Leave year is from 1st January to 31st December.
Employees who are appointed during the course of the year shall be entitled to the above
leaves on pro-rate basis.
Employees whose date of joining service falls between 1 st to the 15th of a month are entitled
to get the leave credit (1.5 leaves) for that month.
Employees whose date of joining service falls between 16 th to the end of the month are
entitled for the half leave credit (0.75 leave) for that month.
If an employee is relieved on any day between 1st to 15th of a month, then he / she is not
entitled for leaves due for that month.
If an employee happens to leave on any day between 16 th to the end of the month then
he/she is entitled for leaves due for that month.

Special Leaves:

A. Maternity Leave (ML)

All female employees are entitled to 3 months of Maternity Leave for the birth of upto 2
children as per following guidelines -
ML can be divided into Pre-Delivery and Post Delivery periods, however this period should
be continuous. For e.g.-. Employee can break the period as 1 month before the delivery and
2 months after delivery.
ML Cannot be encashed & accumulated.

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 The employee should inform the company about the start date of ML at least 1 month in
advance.
The employee would be entitled only to the basic salary during this leave.
In case of Miscarriage or medical termination of pregnancy the employee will get maternity
benefit at the discretion of the company on production of applicable certificate from a
reputed hospital.
Only Full time confirmed female employees are eligible for maternity leave.
Employee is requested to submit the medical certificate and the necessary documents upon
joining.

Weekly Off Privilege

Company shall grant weekly offs on all Saturdays and Sunday to female employees whose
children are less than 1 year of age
Weekly offs must fall on weekends only (i.e. Saturdays & Sundays) & cannot be taken on
weekdays.
Employee cannot claim a compensation against the weekly offs
As per work demands/ instructions by manager, the female employee must be present on
weekly offs as and when required.

B. Paternity Leave
All male employees are eligible for taking Paternity Leaves of up to 5 Days for the purpose of
providing care for his newborn/adopted child.
Employee must have completed atleast 1 year in the organization to avail Paternity Leave.
This leave should be availed within 1 week of birth/adoption of child.

C. Unplanned Leave
Employee is requested to avoid taking unplanned Leave.
If employee is taking unplanned leave due to unavoidable circumstances, they are advised to
call the reporting Manager and inform him of his/her inability.
Employee who is on leave without informing his supervisor for more than 3 days should
meet the respective heads and HR before and give proper reason and apologies before
presuming his/her work.
On return from unplanned leave the employee should input the leave details in the Online
Leave management portal else leave would be marked as uninformed leave and penalty will
be applicable.

D. Marriage Leave
All employees who have completed a minimum tenure of 2 years are eligible to Marriage
leave of 7 days.
The employee must take a written approval from his/her manager and HR atleast 2 months
before the date of leave.

Note: - None of the above leaves are encashable if not availed.

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General Procedure on Availing Leave:
Employees must add their leaves on Leave Portal indicating reasons for and duration of
leave at least 5 days in advance.
The Supervisor/Manager must approve all leaves prior to the leave taking place.
The employee is required to give prior notice to his supervisor before taking leaves.
Leave approvals should be based on operational requirements, merit, reasonableness and
past practice.
An employee should have required leave balance in their Leave Account.
Leave for Supervisors/Managers' are to be approved by Business Unit Head and further
notified to the HR Department.
The employee must ensure that their leave application (except sick leave) has been
approved before commencing on leave. Failure to do so will result in Loss of Pay.
In case of absence because of sickness, leave application has to be submitted immediately
on the day of resumption of duty.
Prior Notice is to be given before availing the leaves as per following:

No. Of Leaves Notice

1 to 4 days 48 hours
More than 4 days 10 days
Emergency Leave ASAP

List of Holidays
In a year following National Holidays can be availed

Date Day
26th January Republic Day
st
1 May Maharashtra Day
15th August Independence Day
2nd October Gandhi Jayanti

Leave without Pay

Without pay leave is granted only in exceptional circumstances approved by the Supervisor
and HR and only after all leaves in leave account have been used up.

Weekly offs and national holidays in between the leaves are excluded in the calculation of
number of days of absence as LOP.

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4.5. Travel Policy

Purpose of the Policy:

This Policy was issued by Corporate Human Resources and approved by the CEO on April 24, 2015. It
defines the requirements which apply to employees who are engaged in authorized company travel
and Third Parties who expense funds on behalf of the company for travel-related purposes. The
purpose of these guidelines is to define the process of travel bookings, expense claims for travel and
defines the necessary specifications for reimbursement of the incurred costs.

Applies to: This policy applies to all employees whose period of business travel does not exceed
more than 30 consecutive days.

Objectives of this policy are to:

Define the process of travel bookings, expense claims for travel and the necessary
specifications for reimbursement of the incurred costs.
Travel is consistent with the business objectives and at the same time ensure that the lowest
cost alternatives are considered while being consistent with good business practices.
To ensure fair and equitable treatment of employees by defining procedure for authorized
business travel and guidelines for expense reimbursement.
To ensure cost effective travel and the allied support services thereof.
Travel is consistent with the Mission and Values of the company.

Alignment with Values:

Respect and care for fellow ESDSians We will try to be as egalitarian as possible ensuring
that the views and needs of others are considered while making travel plans.
Exuberant customer support We will make sure that the customer needs and requirements
are of paramount importance and will not allow anything to interfere in meeting that
objective while traveling.
Organization above team and self We will ensure that we will adjust and combine our
programs and travel plans in a manner that the Companys costs do not get impacted for want
of simple adjustments.
Proactive approach We will plan our travel in such a manner that the Administration
Department is able to leverage the cost arbitrage that is available if travel is planned properly.
Continuous knowledge enhancement As an organization, we continuously strive to make
changes to our policies incorporating good practices to be in line with business needs.
Love for environment We will reduce waste of unplanned travel and contribute to
controlling carbon emissions by car-pooling to the maximum extent.

Scope and Validity:

The scope of this Policy includes air travel, accommodation, ground transportation and other
expenses incurred by employees while on company business trips.

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Travel incurred in relation to internal staff meetings and events (group of employees) is also subject
to this Policy. In such cases the individual meetings and events planners are responsible for ensuring
compliance and, if possible, planning internal staff meeting and events in low seasons.

Any Third Parties (e.g. Contractors or Consultants) travelling on behalf of ESDS must also comply
with this policy, unless specifically approved by CEO or CFO.

This Policy applies to all employees of ESDS Software Solution Pvt. Ltd. and its subsidiaries and
affiliate companies except otherwise where guided by the CEO.

Responsibilities of Business and Employees:

This Policy supersedes all previous instructions concerning business travel. The Corporate
Administration Department together with the Human Resources Departments are responsible for
ensuring that the employees are informed of their obligations with regard to this Policy and that
they comply with it. Furthermore, they shall ensure that all existing Travel Policies and Expense
Regulations used within their legal entity are amended where necessary to reflect the requirements
specified in this Policy.

Employees are responsible for complying with this Policy. They are expected to exercise good
judgment with respect to incurring expenses and wherever possible to use the most economical
means of travel, accommodation and transportation. With this in mind, before booking travel the
employees first choice should be to consider whether audio or video conferencing provide a
suitable alternative in preference to travelling as well as the appropriateness of making the journey
by air, sea, rail or road.

It is the employees responsibility to ensure that the expenses charged to the company are
necessary for business purposes. Only actual expenses are reimbursed and not expenses to which
one might be entitled under this Policy but which were not actually incurred. Each traveler is
personally responsible for the correctness of the expense claims and for compliance with this Policy.

Requirements:

Planning a trip:
Employees must seek the written approval of their manager that there is a business need to travel
before making any travel plans. The manager cannot delegate this approval authority further down
in the organization, unless written approval from the hierarchical responsible Executive Member. All
air tickets and hotel accommodation should be booked in advance as follows:
a) Domestic travel - 7 days in advance
b) International Travel 15 days in advanceto allow air tickets and hotel accommodation to be
purchased as economically as possible.

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Definition of tour:

An employee is deemed to be on tour, if he/she visits a place not less than 100 km from the origin
to destination and/or requires overnight stay at the destination.

Transportation:
Travelers should use the most cost-effective and safe means of getting to the final destination. Taxi
fares are reimbursable, however where reasonable, public transport is preferred. Car rental
reservations are to be made through the Corporate Administration Department. The Corporate
Administration Department shall determine the type and quality of vehile to be arranged. The
travelers will have no ability to demand specific type of vehicles or to demand taxis to be arranged
for a single individual. The Human Resources Department shall be responsible for determining
exemptions.

Employees are encouraged to travel by Train where connectivity is available and / or by road if
required. Employees should take note of the travel guidelines described in the table below. It will
be the responsibility of the Corporate Administration Department to follow the guidelines and they
will seek the assistance of the Human Resources Department for exceptions to be made. Employees
are discouraged from breaking protocol and should not try to influence the decisions of the
Corporate Administration Department.

Mode of Travel:

Level Distance up to 300 Kms Distance beyond 300 Kms

L1 Car rented by Company, Own car**, A/C
coach (Bus) or Railway - 3 Tier A/C or Chair
car
L2 Car rented by Company, Own car**, A/C
coach (Bus) or Railway - 3 Tier A/C or Chair
car
L3 Car rented by Company, Own car, A/C
coach (Bus) or Railway - 2 Tier A/C or Chair
car
C1 Car rented by Company, Own car or
Railway - 2 Tier A/C or Chair car
Car rented by Company, Own car**,
A/C coach (Bus) or Railway - 3 Tier
A/C or Chair car
Car rented by Company, Own car**,
A/C coach (Bus) or Railway - 3 Tier
A/C or Chair car
Railway - 2 Tier A/C or Chair car or Air
travel where possible
Railway - 2 Tier A/C or Chair car or Air
travel where possible

** L1 & L2 car pooling is a must i.e. more than one employee.

37
In the event an employee wishes to travel using his/her own vehicle fuel will be reimbursed as per
following able:

Vehicle Type Fuel Amount

Two-Wheeler Petrol INR 4/KM
Four-Wheeler Petrol INR 9/KM
Four-Wheeler Diesel INR 6/KM

Air Travel:
All air travel-related arrangements are to be made through the Corporate Administration
Department.

For cost reasons air travel should not be used for short distances (say with flying time less than one
hour), unless this substantially reduces the absence from the office and/or if high accommodation
costs can be avoided. The Corporate Administration Department is instructed that all flight tickets
must be booked through the preferred Travel Service Providers. Considering the scope of the travel,
the Travel Service Providers have been instructed to choose the most economic arrangement in
terms of time and cost for the company. Employees are requested to make their bookings as soon
as possible to ensure lowest fares and not later than the number of days stipulated above.

In the event of employees have to undertake urgent business travel they can select mode of travel
as Air Travel (where possible) provided prior approval of the Business Unit Head is obtained.
However, employees need to establish and articulate the urgency in the Travel Authorization form.
The nature of urgency and why advance travel planning could not be done must be explained
clearly.

The traveler must provide the Corporate Travel Management Department with information on the
required destination, schedule and any business-related constraints impacting the travelers
itinerary. The Travel Service Provider will determine the most adequate routing and carrier(s) taking
account of desired schedule, class entitlement and cost. The traveler is not allowed to designate a
specific routing per airline and should give the the Corporate Travel Management Department at
least 8 hours of flexibility in terms of a preferred arrival and departure time.

Only in case of business urgent matters and with written authorization from the employees
hierarchical direct reportee of the CEO an exception to this Rule will be allowed.

Employees in levels L1 and L2 may be permitted to travel by air provided they are accompanying
direct reports of the CEO. However, the Corporate Administration Department will require written
authorization from the employees hierarchical responsible direct reportee of the CEO as also the
Human Resources Department. The justification should include reasons why the travel could not
have been planned in advance to facilitate travel bookings.

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Accommodation:
All accommodation related arrangements are to be made through the Corporate Administration
Department in Nashik.

The Corporate Administration Department has access to a limited number of guest houses, seviced
apartments and/or preferred hotels. Note that 5 star hotels are not allowed. These guest houses,
serviced apartments and/or preferred hotels are to be used unless there is an overriding business
reason to do otherwise. Should no preferred properties be available, the Corporate Administration
Department will propose properties of a similar standard up to pre-defined maximum rate limits per
destination, taking into account seasonal rate fluctuations and peak occupancy periods.

City Type Old Amount New Amount

Tier 1* INR 2000 INR 3000
Tier 2** INR 1000 INR 2500
Tier 3*** NA INR 1000

Employees are requested to make their hotel bookings as soon as possible to ensure lower costs
and not later than the number of days stipulated above in of this Policy.

Exceptions:

Should travelers require a booking of an air flight or hotel accommodation outside the planning trip
requirements (7/15 days in advance) or require an itinerary other than the one determined by the
Corporate Travel Management Department then he/she must provide the Corporate Travel
Management Department with written authorization from their hierarchical responsible Executive
Member and the Human Resources Department before the booking will be made.

Direct reports of the CEO will exceptionally be permitted to request an air flight or hotel
accommodation booking outside the planning trip requirement (7/15 days in advance) or an
alternative itinerary, but not a different class of travel or hotel accommodation.

Per Diem:
Employees in levels L1 and L2 are eligible for Per Diem allowance as per the table given below to
cover expenses incurred on account of food, etc. during his/her travel. The employees are not
required to submit any documentation for the expenses incurred.

City Type Full Day Full Day Half-Day Half-Day

Old Amount New Amount Old Amount New Amount
Tier 1* INR 500 INR 500 INR 250 INR 250
Tier 2** INR 500 INR 500 INR 250 INR 200
Tier 3*** INR 500 INR 350 INR 250 INR 150

39
Employees in levels L3 and C1 are excluded from claiming the Per Diem. The expenses incurred by
such employees will be reimbursed at actuals subject to limits and exclusions prescribed below.

The above Per Diem rates will automatically get halved for employees working in remote areas on a
consistent basis. Such employees will not be able to claim transportation and Per-Diem together but
will be able to claim either transportation (own mode) or Per Diem whichever is greater.

Local Transportation:

Intra city transportation while on tour must be undertaken by as per the the table below. Expenses
will be reimbursed only upon production of tickets and / or recepits except in the case f travel by
auto rickshaw. Where radio taxis are unavaialable, employees may use the available mode of
transportation.

Level Mode of travel

L1 Metro rail or any other mass rapid transport system. First class where
available or auto rickshaw.
L2 Metro rail or any other mass rapid transport system. First class where
available. Auto rikshaw or radio taxis.
L3 Radio taxis
C1 Radio taxis

Travel Advance:

Employees at all levels will be permitted to travel advance to meet the expenses of their trip.
However, in the interest of safety, the advance will be restrcited to an amount equivalent to seven
days Per Diem and local travel needs. Additional advance requirements must be communicated to
Corporate Administration Department so that they can arrange for the monies to be deposited into
the Bank account of the traveler or transferred thru exchange mediums such as Western Union
Money Transfer services.

All travel advances must be settled within 15 days of returning from tour duties failing which the
Finance / Payroll Department will recover the advance taken from the subsequent payroll eg. If an
individual has returned from travel on 5th of a month, he / she must settle the account no later
than 20th of the same month otherwise payroll deduction wil take place. However, if the individual
has returned on say 10th and the payrll cut-off date is 22nd there will be no dedcution from that
payroll. The deduction will take place in the subsequent months payroll if the account has not been
settled.

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Reimbursements:

The Company will reimburse actual receipts for meals and other miscellaneous expenses during the
business trip. The maximum daily amount including tips that can be reimbursed for travelers as
allowance upon actual receipts for meals will be per day:

India: INR 2,000

UK: GBP 80
USA: USD 80

If meals are provided (e.g. breakfast is included in the accommodation price or the traveler attends
an internal meeting in which lunch/dinner is provided) or there are no actual receipts for meals, the
above mentioned maximum daily amounts will be reduced as follows:

Breakfast: the maximum daily amount will be reduced by 20%.

Lunch: the maximum daily amount will be reduced by 30%.
Dinner: the maximum daily amount will be reduced by 50%.

The above amounts will be reviewed twice a year by the Corporate Administration Department in
January and July of each year to reflect any price changes.

ESDS will pay miscellaneous expenses (i.e. costs other than the direct cost of the air travel,
accommodation, ground transportation and meals) where these are reasonable and justifiable in
the context of the business trip.

Miscellaneous expenses that are reimbursable include:

Meals/Gifts for business partners and Third Parties provided it has been upfront approved
by the employees hierarchical responsible Head of Department. (HOD here means
Functional Heads and Regional heads)
Internet connectivity charges.
Laundry: travelers will be reimbursed for reasonable and actual expenses for laundry
services that are necessary due to an absence from home for five or more days or when
unusual and documented circumstances mandate these services.
Tips and Gratuities: normal, reasonable gratuity amounts (e.g. for taxis and restaurants).
Tolls and parking fees.
Travel insurance in case this has not been provided by the legal entity of the traveller.
Medical expenses and prescriptions after falling ill during the travel.
Miscellaneous expenses that are not reimbursable include:

Barbers, hairdressers, toiletry items, health club fees, cigarettes, prescriptions and non-
prescription medications.
Hotel pay-per view video and mini-bar expenses (excluding bottled water).
Meals included in another reimbursable items (conference fee, hotel booking etc).

41
The reimbursement of travel expenses will follow after the business trip. All expenses that incurred
during the business trip have to be supported by receipts that are in line with local tax requirements
for reimbursement.

Travelers must submit travel expense reports, with all required information and business rationale,
to their manager for approval within 2 weeks of completion of the trip failing which Corporate
Administration Department will intimate Finance and Human Resources to recover the advances
taken from the following payroll processing.

By signing the expense claim, the manager confirms the business necessity of the travel expenditure
and endorses the legitimacy and appropriateness of the expense claims. The manager cannot
delegate this approval authority further down in the organization, unless written approval from the
CFO. Efforts will be made to reimburse travelers within 30 days after submitting their expense
report to the manager.

Abuse of expense claims by the traveler will lead to disciplinary action, including possibly dismissal.

To ensure that the employees follow the maker-checker princple, the senior most employee must
make the payment in the event of common expenses such as meals, travel, etc.

42
4.6. Company Car Policy

Objective
The new Company Car Policy has been formulated in order to introduce an employee
friendly and easy to administer car scheme in the company.
In recognition of extra-ordinary performances shown by an employee over the years,
company decides to reward the employee with a car, as a gesture.
It is completely at the discretion of the Management to reward the extra-ordinary
performer.

General Guidelines-
Under this scheme eligible employee can avail of a Company owned car for both official
duties as well as personal use.
Employees can select a car from the choices given by the Company.
Apart from standard accessories, if employee wishes to procure additional accessories for
their car, entire cost shall be borne by the employee.

Standard Operating Procedure:

Admin Department retains original copy of -
1. Original Invoice
2. Insurance Cover Note
3. R C Book
4. Insurance Policy
And provides a photo copy of above mentioned documents to the employee.

HR Department provides the necessary inputs to the Payrolls Department with the monthly salary
input.

Maintenance / Repairs / Normal Running / Insurance

The employee will be required to maintain the Car in good condition & incur all running costs
including costs of fuel, spares, tubes, tyres, repairs, maintenance, servicing etc., as required from
time to time.
No driver will be employed for any of the Company owned cars, used by the employee.
The insurance cost will be borne by the Company.

End of Employment Services

When an employee exits from the company, the car will be returned to the company in the
stipulated time. The employee exit can be due to any of the following cases -
Resignations
Retirements (including Voluntary Early Retirement)
Personal Reasons
Termination
Car must be returned to the company in appropriate condition along with the documents.

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4.7. Mobile Policy

Objective-

This policy is established to provide guidance to employees who, through the nature of their work,
are required to be contactable by Cell Phone regardless of the time of day, day of the week or
geographical location.

This policy has been introduced to

to facilitate the Employees in their jobs by increasing communication within the organization and
especially with customers.
clearly define who is entitled to a cell phone/Handset
streamline the costs of business calls

Eligibility-

1- All members of Management Team and Business Unit Heads

2- Employees who by virtue of their function have a constant need to be in contact with other employees
or who are traveling frequently for business purposes and / or need to be in constant touch with our
clients and to attend external customers or office work through mobile phone.

Guidelines

In order to get a Company Cell Phone, the requisition must come from concerned Functional Head /
Dept. Head, who will justify the requirement properly and forward the same to HR dept. for
verification / scrutiny of eligibility etc. The HR head shall then send the approval for Purchase of the
Handsets as per policy.
Management reserves the discretion for selection of the mobile phone service provider for all post-
paid mobile phone connections.
The company determines the mobile phone credit limit for post-paid connection on the basis of
position requirement and frequency of usage.
In case of theft/ misplacement/ damage of SIM card or Handset, the HR department must be
immediately informed about the same. The Cell Phone user will have the direct responsibility and
custody of their assigned instrument. S/he will be held financially liable for the loss and or damage to
it due to any negligent use or carelessness.
Activating ISD requires intimation to the service provider from the company and this facility is only
extended to employees who require this facility for the course of official business.
ESDS reserves the right to scrutinize and individuals itemized billing statement for the purpose of
determining the frequency, duration, timings and cost of phone calls made for official business.
Incase an employee engages in fraudulent activities using the company phone, company reserves the
right to take strict action against the employee.

44
 Incase an employee exceeds the bill limit the same would be deducted from their salary.
In the event of employee separation,

a. SIM Card- If any employee wishes to retain the mobile phone connection, on approval of
HR the same can be processed.

b. Handset- If any employee wishes to retain the handset he/she can retain it by paying the
cost of the handset as per following table

Age of Handset Cost of Handset

Less than 6 months 90% actual amount of reimbursement
6 months to 1 year 75% actual amount of reimbursement taken
1 to 2 years 50% actual amount of reimbursement taken
2 to 3 years 40% actual amount of reimbursement taken
3 + years No Cost

*Note The amount would be deducted from the full and final settlement.

Hand Sets -

1. Employees who clear the eligibility criteria for receiving handset, shall be eligible to receive it only
after completion of their probation period.
2. The handsets provided by the Company are replaceable once in four years.
3. In such an event, the old Handset will be evaluated for its functionality by the stores Dept., and only
after it is felt that the Handset needs to be replaced, considering the wear and tear and also the
obsolescence, a new requisition will be accepted.
4. No eligible employee can claim a new Handset as a matter of right after Four years.
5. The new handset to be provided will be procured and handed over to the eligible employee only on
return of the old handset to Stores Department.
6. Handsets would be provided by the company as per following table

Grade Handset

EB + Handset upto 20000

T8, T9, S6, S7, S8 Handset upto 15000
T6, T7, S4, S5 Handset upto 10000
T4, T5, Handset upto 8000
Below T3 and S3 Handset upto 5000

45
Procuring Handset

On approval from Manager/Functional Head and HR- Head, the employee can procure the handset of
his/her choice and claim a reimbursement for the same. The detailed process is mentioned above.
Reimbursement Claim should be submitted to HR for further processing along with original bill.
The details of the handset purchased have to be shared with Stores to enroll the same in Asset
Register.

Request for SIM Card

On approval from Functional Head and HR- Head, the employee has to request the Vodafone
Coordinators (Prasad Ahirrao) from the HR Team for a new SIM Card.

Note - HR should be informed well in advance, if an employee enters into roaming locations. If prior
intimation is not provided, HR shall deduct the exceeded credit limit.

Incase an employee avails GPRS services without prior approval / activation by HR, the usage
charges for the same shall be borne by the individual.

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4.8. Education Policy

Purpose:
ESDS values knowledge & technology and is eager to adopt it as per its requirements from time to
time. Keeping this aspect in mind, ESDS is always in the lookout of adding qualified, young &
energetic workforce in its fold. Accordingly ESDS is ready to support for seeking higher professional
qualification to its employees for their career as well as the growth of the company so as to retain a
strong, technically qualified and result oriented workforce who can sustain the challenges in the fast
growing global market environment and to look after ESDSs requirements.

Eligibility:
All fulltime employees of ESDS who have completed at least 2 years of satisfactory and result
oriented services with ESDS and are ready to serve the company in the years to come.
The employees who are having good academic background, having sufficient working
knowledge in their field, young, energetic and eager to acquire more professional/technical
acumen in their career, subject to the sole discretion of the Management.

Terms & Conditions:

Any employee, having the above eligibility, ready to execute a Bond in favor of ESDS for a period
of minimum 2 years to undertake that he/she will serve ESDS further at least 2 years after
obtaining the higher education under the ESDSs Education Policy.
He/she will be governed with the rules & regulations of ESDS in force and as applicable from
time to time.
Before opting for any such course, the employee must get written permission from his Business
Head and HR Head.
The two years bond period will commence from the date of completion of the
certification/degree/diploma/professional qualification of the candidate.
In case an employee breaks this bond, he is liable to pay back the complete amount to the
company.
No salary /perks will be payable for the period of the above education leave.
Employee cannot opt for a full time course.

Financial Assistance
Length of Service, minimum 2 years Company would bear a onetime cost of course fees on
actuals or 35k whichever is less subject to passing the final certification /degree /diploma/
professional course. The payment would be done in two installments. 50% amount would be
paid in the month in which the result was declared and 50% would be paid after 6 months.
Length of Service, minimum 4 years Company would bear a onetime cost of course fees on
actuals or upto 50k whichever is less subject to passing the final certification /degree /diploma/
professional course. The payment would be done in three installments. 50% amount would be

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 paid in the month in which the result was declared, 25% would be paid after 6 months and
remaining would be paid after 1 year.

Process

a. Employee will submit the course details to his immediate supervisor.

b. Supervisor will verify the importance and relevance of the course in the context of
employees current profile.
c. Once the verification is complete, supervisor will submit the proposal to his Business Head
and HR Head.
d. HR Head along with Business Head would approve or disapprove the application.
e. Management is free to change or to make amendments in the above policy as and when
required.

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4.9. Bring Your Own Buddy Policy

Policy Statement:
ESDS recognizes the role of the referral program as a major contributor in hiring professional(s). As
a token of appreciation the company would like to reward employees referring such professionals
for their efforts in supporting the key business initiative of hiring.

Policy Objective:
To generate enthusiasm among employees to refer their friends & acquaintances for open
positions at ESDS.
To make referring more attractive and thereby increase the number of referral hires from
employees.
Eligibility:
All permanent employees are eligible for the referral bonus except for those in the HR dept., Team
Leads & Departmental Managers, or any person in the Management level.

Procedure:
1. In order to be eligible for the payout for referral bonus, referred candidates must:
a) Be personally known to the employee who refers him/her.
b) Be a new referral not a candidate already in the HR database.
c) Hired within 6 months of their CV submission on portal.
2. Employees need to add the resume of the candidate on the HR portal through the Add
Referral tab and fill in the required details for each candidate referred.
3. The referred candidate will undergo the standard recruitment process designated for the
particular position. Recruitment will be based on the available vacancy at that point of time.
4. If the referred candidate is hired, the referrer is eligible to claim a referral bonus as per the
parameters defined below.

Parameters:
The following is the referral bonus applicable under this policy:
Sr. Grade at which the referred Referral Bonus to the
No. candidate joins Referrer (Rs.)
1. Trainee/intern 0
2. S1,S2,T1,T2 5000
3. S3,S4,T3,T4 7500
4. S5,S6, T5,T6 10000
5. S7, T7 and above 15000

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Guidelines:
1. The referral bonus is payable in two parts.
a) 50% of the reference money will be given to the referrer on completion of first month of
the referral.
b) Rest 50% of the reference money will be paid to referrer after the referral completes
6(six) months in ESDS & gets confirmed.
2. The payment will become due to the referrer on the next regular payroll date.
3. The referrer must be actively employed with ESDS on the payout date to receive the Employee
Referral Bonus.
4. A candidate will not be considered as a referral, if HR dept. has received the resume of the
candidate through any other source prior to receiving it through the referrer.
5. Referrals of candidates who have worked with ESDS in the past will not be accepted.
6. The employee shall bear any income tax liability, which accrues or may accrue on the cash
received under this scheme.
7. The company reserves the right to alter/modify or withdraw the policy at any point of time.

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4.10. Team Get Together Policy

Objective: To encourage bonding within team and improve team relations

Eligibility: All full time employees, contractors and Trainees of ESDS

General Guidelines
All TLs/Managers/Supervisors can arrange a get together for their team once in 2 months
within office time.
TLs/Managers/Supervisors can claim upto INR 150 per employee by submitting the original bills
along with list of team members present to the Admin Team.
The claim should be submitted within 10 days of the get-together.
These get-togethers are to increase team bonding, hence managers should encourage team
conversations and utilize this time to understand the issues faced by the team.
Managers should not involve members of other teams in these get-togethers.
Business Unit heads can be present in all the team get-togethers of their BUs.
The get-together should not exceed 90 minutes.
Get-together should not disturb the rest of the teams.
Get-together should be arranged either in Cafeteria or Main Conference Room.
An Email should be sent to hrm@esds.co.in prior to the get-together to avoid multiple get-
togethers on the same day.
Its Managers responsibility to ensure that no mess is created during or after the get-together.
Cleanliness and discipline has to be maintained throughout the get together.
Managers can choose to take their team out for a picnic and claim the team fund. However if
the picnic is a day long one, it would be considered as a leave.
No alcohol based beverages are allowed.

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4.11. Relocation Policy

Policy Statement:

To provide financial assistance to newly appointed staff who, as a direct result of accepting the
appointment, necessarily incurs expenses in relocating to Nasik from different cities/states.

Objectives:
The objectives of this Policy are to enable staff to;
(i) begin a new job with the minimum cost and disruption to home life and,
(ii) assist towards reimbursement of expenses attributable to the move.

Eligibility
Staff will be eligible for reimbursement of relocation expenses either in full or in part, up to the
overall maximum for each section of expenditure; provided that:

i. Relocation assistance will not normally be offered unless specifically stated in the first
instance within the advert for the post.
ii. The section and/or sections of expenditure under which reimbursement will be made is
agreed with the staff member in principle either at interview or at the time the offer of
employment is made and the entitlement to financial assistance is confirmed in writing by the
Human Resources Department before any expenditure is incurred.
iii. The application of this policy and the decision to reimburse under one or more of the sections
is entirely at the discretion of the Management of ESDS as advised by the Human Resources.
iv. All the qualifying conditions are met.
v. The employee is the Full time Employee of ESDS

Where staff are in doubt about eligibility under the policy, reference should be made to the
Human Resources Department in the first instance, before incurring expenditure for which
reimbursement is to be claimed.

Qualifying Conditions
1. To receive financial assistance prospective staff must be living more than 40 Kms from their
new work base or one-hour travel to work time by public transport. Therefore, they will be
expected to move to a new home that is less than 40 km from their new work base or less
than one hour travel to work time by public transport.

2. For new staff who were previously resident outside the India, assistance with expenses as a
result of relocation will be considered from the port of arrival within the India.

3. Original and valid receipted VAT invoices must support all claims submitted.

4. The relocation must take place within 12 months of the date of commencement and claims
submitted within 1 month following the date of the actual move. Consideration will be given

52
 by the ESDS for late claims as long as an extension is applied for and agreed in writing before
the end of the initial 12 months.

5. Claimants should be aware that if their contract of employment ends for any reason, there is a
requirement for a full or partial repayment. Full details are given at paragraph 6.

6. Where more than one member of the household is appointed to the ESDS, only one claim for
reimbursement will be accepted.

Expenditure Sections, Limits and Categories

Section 1: Travel Expenses

Section 2: Movement of Household Goods
Section 3: Search for new accommodation / temporary accommodation

Section 1 - Travel Expenses

1. The company will bear the onetime cost of travel for the staff and his dependents (Parents,
Spouse and Children). ESDS will reimburse the tickets for 3rd AC Train or Volvo bus whichever
is the shortest route for the movement of the staff and his family.
2. If an employee chooses to drive down using his/her private vehicle the company would
reimburse petrol cost at Rs 10 /- per km or reimburse INR 3000 whichever is the lowest.
3. In case the employee is relocating from an outside India ESDS would bear the cost of Economy
Class Air Fare by the shortest route.

Section 2 - Movement of Household Goods-

1. The company would pay either INR 10000/- or at the actuals whichever is less as the settling
allowance for the movement of goods for an employee moving from within India.
2. In case of relocation from outside India company would pay a settling allowance of INR
20000/-
3. The above amount would be paid along with the first months salary.

Section 3 - Search for new accommodation / temporary accommodation

1. ESDS would arrange the accommodation for the employee for the first 1 week.
2. Employee has to arrange an accommodation for himself/herself after 1 week.
3. Company would pay the Deposit subject to a maximum of INR 15000/- required for the lease
of an apartment/house, which would be subsequently deducted from the employees salary in
equal installments over the period of one year.
4. Incase an employee leaves the company within one year he is liable to repay the pending
amount back to ESDS.

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Conditions Relating to the Payment / Allowances under this Policy

The allowances referred to within the Relocation Policy are payable within a period of 2
months from the date of commencement in the new post. Extensions beyond this period are
granted in exceptional circumstances by the Management Team. An application for extension
of the 2 month period must be submitted to the Management. Full details must be provided
in support of the application.

The claimant must complete the appropriate claim form, undertaking to repay to the ESDS
either the whole or a proportion of the total payment / allowances paid under this Policy if
his/her employment ends for any reason within the periods specified in paragraph 6.3 below.
The claimant will also authorize the ESDS to deduct, from any amount that may be due from
the ESDS (e.g. salary, travel expenses) money undertaken to be repaid. If the amount of any
due is insufficient to clear the outstanding debt, the Finance Department will raise an
account for the balance.

If the claimants employment with the ESDS ends for any reason, there is a requirement
under this Policy to repay the total amount paid if the last day of employment is within 12
months of the date of relocation, reducing by 25% per annum if the last day of employment is
between 12 and 48 months of the date of relocation. Repayment will not be required if the
member of staff is dismissed through reason of compulsory redundancy or ill health. The
Management has the discretion to vary these repayment provisions in special cases which
warrant particular consideration.

The claimant will undertake in writing to confirm that no other member of his/her household
is claiming or will claim relocation expenses in connection with the move, either from the
ESDS or any other source.

Supplies of claim forms are available from the Human Resources Department.

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4.12. KRA Policy

KRA refers to the general areas of outcomes or outputs for which departments role is
responsible. They are the important strategic areas in an employees job profile that needs to be
quantified and measured so that the organization can ascertain that the individual performance is
directed towards the achievement of the business objectives.

Objective:
At first Business Unit Head devise the objective of the team and sets a specific period target. This
target gets divided till bottom level personnel. This KRA is linked to some percentage of employees
monthly CTC and fulfillment of KRA will lead to fulfillment of objective set by Business Unit Head.

Importance of KRA:
Identifying KRAs helps individuals:

Clarify their roles

Align their roles to the organizations business or strategic plan
Focus on results rather than activities
Communicate their roles purposes to others
Set goals and objectives
Prioritize their activities, and therefore improve their time/work management
Make value-added decisions.

Eligibility:

Sr.No Criteria KRA % Periodicity Approved by

1 CTC<= Rs. 25000/- 0 NA NA

CTC >= Rs. 25000/-
2 (for all depts. except Domestic & Online 15 Monthly TL/Manager
Sales)
3 TL's and Managers (Except Sales) 15 Quarterly Business Unit Head

Manager/ Business Unit

4 Domestic & Online Sales 30 Quarterly
Head
5 ESDS Management 40 Quarterly CEO

Note:

c) The HR Department has sole authority to approve exceptions to provisions of this policy.
Approved exceptions must be explicitly justified as beneficial to both the company and the
individual and generally require the recommendation of the individual's supervisor.
c) No accelerators above 100% will be given to KRA except for Sales team members.

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4.13. Exit Policy

ESDS recognizes the contribution made by an employee throughout its lifecycle in the company. We
would like to build and sustain Brand ESDS not only during an employees tenure with us but also
when an employee decides to leave the company. ESDSs Exit Policy aims to support an employee
during his/her separation from the company. It also aims on using the feedback constructively for
improving its employee practices and work environment by understanding trends in employee
attrition.

Notice Period-
1. Every employee must work for the stipulated notice period, or pay in lieu of the notice
period. This period of notice will be 1 month (30 days) across all job levels.
2. The decision to waive the notice period or accept payment in lieu thereof rests with the
management and the CPO.
3. In cases where the termination is initiated by the Company, the employee will be paid the
stipulated notice pay. However if the termination is due to indiscipline or misconduct,
notice pay will not be applicable.
4. The Management may withhold the settlement of accounts and issue of relieving letter to an
employee who does not comply with the relevant clause pertaining to notice period.
5. Pay for the purpose of notice period means Gross Pay as per the compensation structure.
6. When an employee is in his notice period, employee can claim a maximum of 2 leaves only,
provided employee has balance leaves.
7. An employee who is serving notice period is not eligible for any Incentives/Bonuses other
than the ones mentioned in his salary structure.

Cessation of Employment-
Resignation and Separation will be in accordance with the terms and conditions of employment.
Separation from the company can occur in the following events:
On resignation from the services of the company
On retirement
On being removed from the services or on being dismissed by the company
On the expiry of any fixed contract period
On being found medically unfit to continue working in her/his present responsibility
On death of the employee.

Resignation-
1. An employee, who wishes to leave the services of the company, has to submit a resignation
letter giving notice as mentioned above, to the immediate Manager/BU Head and a copy of
the same to Human Resource Department.
2. On receiving resignation acceptance email from Immediate Manager OR BU Head, the
Human Resources Team will initiate the exit process.
3. HR Team shall notify employee about his/her last date of employment, balance leaves, full &
final settlement details, and other exit formalities.

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Official Handover-
Employee must perform a successful handover of his duties and responsibilities to ensure that work
is not hampered after he/she has left the organization. An employee must document the following
in the official handover email and submit it To Immediate Manager, Business Unit Head and cc
HRM
1. Duties and Responsibilities Employee must list the tasks which were carried out by him/her
individually.
2. Credentials- Employee must submit all account logins along with passwords, provided to
them during their course of employment.
Deadline to submit above mentioned is 2 days prior to last date of employment. Immediate
Manager must provide an approval to the handover document provided by employee.

Return of Office Property-

On cessation of employment with the company, the employee must surrender all company assets
(laptop, mobile, SIM etc.), business related documents, confidential company data or the like which
may have been entrusted to the employee. The employee should get a No-Dues certificate signed
by his/her Immediate Manager, Human Resource Department, Finance & Accounts, Stores and
other departments as required.

Exit Interview-
1. Exiting Employee will be asked to attend a brief exit interview to discuss about reasons for
leaving, problem areas, employment practices, work environment, other concerns that may
have come across while taking the decision to resign.
2. On completion of exit interview, HR Team shall handover exit documents which must be
duly filled by employee and returned to the HR Team on the last date of employment.
Following are the documents
a. Exit Interview Form
b. Exit Checklist
c. EIPIA (Employee Innovation and Proprietary Information Agreement)
d. PF Form (Withdrawal/ Transfer as per employees request)
e. Gratuity Form (if any)
f. NDA (as required)

Full and Final Settlement-

The full and final settlement details will be shared with the concerned employee on his last day of
service. The salary payable will be disbursed by 7th of next month from the last date of employment.
Statutory payments will be done as per the time lines mentioned in the applicable laws.

Exit Certificates-
Employee needs to furnish all signed and authorized exit documents on the final day, verifying
which HR Team shall issue the Experience & Relieving Letters to the employee on the last day of
employment.

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Termination of Employee Accounts & Logins-
1. Employees Portal Account will be deactivated once F&F is complete.
2. Email Accounts/ All other accounts will be deactivated and will be removed from distribution
lists on the immediate next day of employees exit.
3. Biometrics of employee will be deactivated from all locations within 24 hours of employees
exit.
4. Employees makemysalary account will be deactivated within 30 days from employees exit.
(It is recommended that employee takes printed salary slips, Form -16 & other documents
before account closure)
5. Forwarders of emails will be applied on request of BUH. These forwarders shall be removed
exactly after 1 month.
6. BUH must check the existing accesses assigned to employee, notify HR and then proceed for
deletion of logins.

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 Version Control

Version Date Author Reviewer Approver Notes

0.1 01.06.2015 Rakhi Pardeshi Komal Somani Management

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