HR/ADMINISTRATION POLICY

FOR ATMASHAKTI
A. EMPLOYMENT

It is the employment policy of Atmashakti to select the best qualified person for the job to be
performed. Selection factors include, but are not limited to, educational background, previous
experience, proven skills, desirable character traits, and potential for growth and development.

Persons that have been hired and promoted in the past and those to be hired and promoted in the
future will be selected from all applicants, both internal and external, on the basis of qualifications
which are essential for the successful performance of the proposed job. Qualifications could
include, but not be limited to, such factors as ability, availability, capability, aptitude, experience,
education, health and a willingness to work. Employees of Atmashakti will be given primary
consideration within the selection factors noted above.

Since the objective of the employment policy is to select the best qualified person, this objective
must be administered through a positive and continuing commitment to provide equal opportunity
in employment for all qualified persons and to prohibit discrimination in employment because of
race, sex, age, ethnic origin, religion, political affiliation, or physical disability. Further, all
relations and decisions pertaining to employment, promotion, transfer, recruitment, termination,
training and rates of pay for Employees will be conducted without discriminatory practices

1. Recruitment
a) The Atmashakti Trustees will appoint the Programme Leader. The Programme Leader and the
Managing Trustee who actively participates in the organizational activities appoints all other
Employees.

b) When a new position is created or a vacancy occurs and a decision to fill that position has been
made, the vacancy announcement shall be posted in leading local newspapers/magazines. The
advertisement shall also be placed in Executive newspapers/magazines and, when appropriate,
in international publications. Additionally, all vacancies shall also be advertised through e-
networks, NGO/INGO networks and word of mouth for maximum exposure.

c) Each position shall have a detailed Job Description that shall, on request, be made available to
prospective applicants.

d) Terms and conditions for attending interviews – reimbursement of travel claims, etc – may
differ depending on the nature of the vacancy. Such terms shall be clearly specified in the
notification.

e) Vacant positions may be filled from both internal and external applicants. When making the
decision for the selection of an individual for a position, the selection is made in accordance
with the following policies:

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 i) Individuals for positions are selected on the basis of such factors as past performance,
education, salary compatibility, experience, interviews and validated tests, when
administered. When selecting an individual, decisions could be based on qualifications
held by the individual for the current position as well as for future advancement.

ii) The contents of the applicant’s job application and interviews will be considered
confidential and will only be seen by the group responsible for candidate selection.

iii) If an internal candidate has applied for a position but it is felt that they would not be
suitable for the position during any part of the recruitment process, a letter notifying
them of unsuitability will be sent to the internal candidates, under the signature of the
Programme Leader. For external candidates, only those short-listed will be notified in
the event they are not selected for the position. This must be stated in the
advertisement.

g) It is important that the organisation maintain good public relations throughout the recruitment,
selection and interview process. Many job applicants, whether they are hired or not, will form
opinions about Atmashakti based on the professionalism and integrity of our hiring system.
Therefore, it is important to avoid all practices that could create ill will. In general, those
involved in the hiring process should note the following:

 All job applicants will be looked upon as potential Employees and should be treated with
consideration.
 No favors from potential candidates will be solicited nor provided.
 Applicants under 18 years of age will not be considered for any paid position

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2. Pre Requisites of Employment
a) The Contract between a new Employee and Atmashakti shall be signed only after verification
of the following:
 Academic qualifications
 Citizenship
 References – two satisfactory references (one from the applicant’s previous employer)
(Copy of citizenship and educational certificates to be filed)

3. Appointment and Orientation

a) Once selection is made, the Employee and Atmashakti shall sign the standard contract
indicating the position, salary, reporting authority, effective date, contract duration and other
relevant terms and conditions of appointment. There may be an inclusion of a few other clauses
(besides the standard clauses) in each individual contract. The Personnel Policy together with
the Job Description shall form an integral part of an Employee’s contract.

b) Job descriptions are flexible and may be altered or replaced by the Programme Leader as
operational requirements demand. This may be done after prior consultation with the affected
Employee or Employees. Where the job description is significantly altered, the Programme
Leader will review the affected Employee's salary to make it reflect the change in the job
description.

c) Job descriptions are reviewed annually and otherwise as necessary and are used as the basis of
staff assessments.

d) All Appointments / Grant Letters shall be signed by the Programme Leader on behalf of
Atmashakti.

e) The orientation package for new Employees will include the following:
 Introduction to all Employees and to the office
 Atmashakti history and work modality
 General office procedures and policies
 Information on Atmashakti offices and its group.

f) All new Employees shall be on a six months probation period. During probation period,
Employees may terminate a contract by giving seven days’ notice or payment of seven day’s
salary in lieu of notice.

g) Under special circumstances, for instance in the case of former Atmashakti Employees, the
probation period may be waived at the discretion of the Programme Leader.

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4. Performance Appraisal/Evaluation System
a) Every Employee’s performance shall be evaluated once a year using the standard evaluation
form (See Annex II). This is an opportunity to review past performance, but more important to
consider future personal development, training and development needs for the Employees and
to set objectives for the forthcoming year. The appraisal is a two-way process and both parties
concerned will have full opportunity to air their views.

5. Documentation of Employee Information

It is important that the organisation maintains documentation and information pertinent to an
individual’s employment with Atmashakti. Therefore, following the selection of a candidate,
the following tasks will need to be performed:

a) Prepare the standard appointment letter and get it duly signed.

b) Create a Personnel File (PF). The information that is contained in an Employee’s PF is

required for all Employees. The PF should be completed on the first working day and include
all documents related to the hiring process – application letter, updated resume and any other
relevant document.

c) Job Descriptions: A current job description must be kept in the PF.

d) Annual Appraisals: All performance appraisals and related correspondence must be maintained
in the PF.

e) Any other document that relates to the employment history of an Employee; commendations;
disciplinary action or warning letter, etc. must be included in the PF.

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B. WORKING DAYS AND HOURS

1. Working Hours
a) Atmashakti’s working hours are Monday to Saturday , 9.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m., with an hour’s
lunch break. Employees may, on rare occasions, be required to work beyond office hours or
during weekends.

b) All Employees are expected to put in the core working hours (between 09.00 to 17.00) with a
total of 35 working hours per week, i.e. 7 hours a day (exclusive of lunch).

2. Working during weekends and public holidays

a) If working in the field /office, one compensatory leave will be earned for each day of a weekend
and /or public holiday. But for taking a COMP OFF or working on a holiday in the field or in
office, approval will have to be obtained from the line manager.

b) No COMP OFF can be taken during the leave period.

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C. LEAVE

Leave calculations are done on the basis of the English calendar, i.e. from January to
December.

All leave requests shall be made in writing and must be duly approved by the supervisor. The
approved leave requests should be sent to the Admin department for record keeping.

1. Annual Leave
a) Employees shall be entitled to 24 working days annual leave, i.e. 2 days per month and will be
calculated accordingly from the date of appointment letter. Permission to avail of annual leave
must be requested in advance. Employees do not necessarily have to earn the annual leave to
take such leave. If an Employee resigns, the number of days of leave taken will be calculated
and if the number of days taken is more than the actual number of days earned, then it will be
settled against the last final payment.

b) Annual leave (entire balance) may be carried over during the contract period. However at the
end of the contract period only 10 days can be carried over. At the time of separation from
office, all leave will be forfeited.

c) Employees may not “borrow” annual leave from subsequent years. Therefore, once an
Employee has used all available Annual Leave for the current year, subsequent leave will be
leave without pay, based on approval.

d) An Employee who fails to return to duty on due date at the expiry of her/his leave without
good reasons, is deemed to be absent from duty without permission, and shall be subject to
disciplinary procedure.

2. Sick Leave
a) All Employees are entitled to 12 working days paid medical leave per calendar year or 1 day
per month. Sick leave shall not be carried over or encashed.

b) Sick leave is granted when an Employee is unable to perform duties due to illness, injury or
needs medical treatment/examination. Sick leave can also be granted to Employees in the case
of having to take care of their immediate family member (spouse and children) who is sick or
hospitalized. When an Employee is too ill to attend the office every effort must be made to let
her/his Supervisor know the reason for the absence before 10 a.m. of that day.

c) In case of prolonged sickness or hospitalization, Atmashakti may grant an Employee upto three
months sick leave with pay. If the illness prolongs beyond three months, the Employee will be
entitled to receive 50% of his/her basic salary for the next three months. After six months,
Atmashakti may, at the discretion of the Mananging Trustee / Programme Leader, terminate
the contract.

d) Requests for sick leave exceeding three days and leave applications for prolonged illness must
be supported by medical certificates issued by a registered medical practitioner. In the case of
the former the relevant documents must be submitted within 5 days from the date the Employee

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 has returned to work. It is the responsibility of the Employee to submit documents to the
Admin department, as appropriate, for inclusion in the Employee’s personal file.

e) In the event that the Employee is absent for three consecutive days and a doctor’s statement
indicating the nature of the illness is not provided within 5 days, the leave will be treated as
leave without pay or deducted from the Employee’s annual leave. In these instances,
disciplinary action may be taken.

3. Maternity Leave
a) Atmashakti shall grant female Employees a maximum of 90-calendar days maternity leave
with full pay. This entitlement shall be applicable only to female Employees who have
completed at least one year of service. Unused annual leave may, with the Director’s approval,
be added on. Such leave is allowed for a maximum of two confinements during the period of
service with a gap of two years in between two deliveries.

b) Where the Employee does not meet the above eligibilities, leave without pay may be granted.
In cases of complications arising from the birth or pregnancy, additional leave can be
requested. Such additional leave would be considered as sick leave or annual leave, if available,
or leave without pay, with the approval of the Director.

4. Paternity Leave
a) All married male Employees shall be entitled to a maximum of five working days paternity
leave. In cases of complications arising from the birth or pregnancy, additional leave can be
requested. Such additional leave would be considered as sick leave or annual leave, if available,
or leave without pay, with the approval of the Director.

5. Compassionate Leave
a) In case of death of spouse, child, sibling, and parent or parent-in-law, an Employee is entitled
to take a maximum of 13 days (consecutive) compassionate leave.
b) In the case of family sickness or other emergencies, paid leave and/or rearrangement of
working hours (irrespective of holidays) may be offered at the discretion of the Managing
Trustee / Programme Leader.

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6. Leave without Pay
a) An Employee with no leave to his/her credit may be authorized leave without pay. The reason
why such leave is required must be submitted in writing and must be approved by the
Programme Leader.

7. Sabbatical
a) Special leave without pay for higher study may be granted to an Employee, who has completed
two years of service in Atmashakti, once during the entire period of his/her service period for
a maximum period of two years.

8. Public Holidays
a) The annual list of public holidays for Atmashakti shall not exceed 12 working days. The
holiday list shall be circulated at the beginning of the calendar year.

b) Each Atmashakti Office and its groups should submit their holiday list to the Regional Office.

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D. COMPENSATION

1. Salary
a) Employees will be paid a monthly-consolidated salary package, as specified in his/her contract,
after the 30th of each month.

2. Increment
a) An annual cost of living adjustment shall be made in April/October every year to reflect the
increase in cost of living.

b) Salary increment shall only be approved and paid as and when approved by the Managing
Trustee/Programme Leader and on completion of the personnel appraisal/evaluation.

c) Apart from the above, salary may also increase due to a revision in the salary scale or due to
promotion or due to change in Job Description. Salary will be reviewed every year during
March/September and change in salary will be effective from April/October.

d) All Employees who have completed their probation period and subject to cost of living
adjustment and performance evaluation shall be eligible for increments as mentioned above.

3. Taxes
a) Taxes at the prevailing rates notified by the governments shall be deducted at source on all
taxable income. A copy of the letter forwarding such deductions shall be provided to the
Employees.

4. Salary Advances and Loans

a) The Programme Leader may authorize a salary advance to meet emergency needs of
Employees. Such needs include material losses due to fire & flood, home repair, serious illness,
and/or death in the immediate family (parents, spouse, children, brothers & sisters living in
the same house).

b) The need for salary advance shall be verified before authorizing the advance. Such advance
shall not exceed two month’s basic salary and shall not be granted to Employees with
outstanding dues. The salary advance shall be paid off in installments within twelve months.

c) Atmashakti has no stated policy on loans. In special circumstances, a loan may be considered
at the discretion of the Managing Trustee/Programme Leader. This is not to be taken as general
practice.

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E. BENEFITS AND PRIVILEGES

1. Medical Reimbursement
a) Employees along with their spouse and a maximum of three dependent children (below the age
of 20) are covered for medical reimbursement upto a limit of Rs 15,000/-. Employees will be
eligible for medical reimbursement only after completion of the probation period.

2. Group Personal Accidental Insurance

a) Employees shall be eligible for group personal accidental insurance at the cost of Atmashakti.
In case of accidental death, the insurance amount will be paid to the dependants. Employees
will be eligible for group personal accidental insurance, only after completion of the probation
period.

3. Travel Insurance
a) When Employees are required to travel overseas (for official purpose) Atmashakti shall ensure
travel medical insurance, the benefits for which will be as provided for by Atmashakti’s
insurance company.

5. Staff Development Policy

a) Learning opportunities shall be provided through workshops, trainings, exposure visits,
networking, collaborating with other INGOS, NGOs and Government line-agencies

b) After attending a workshop, training or exposure visit, Employees are required to submit a
report to the Programme Leader within two weeks.

c) Employees who attend overseas training (more than three months duration) are required to
serve a minimum of one year with Atmashakti, after completing the training.

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F. FACILITIES

1. Atmashakti Vehicles

a) Atmashakti vehicle to be used for official purpose only.

b) Employees who have a driver’s license may be authorised to drive Atmashakti vehicles.

c) If the vehicle is required for personal use, Employees should get the approval of the
Programme Leader. However, when vehicle is used for personal use, Employees will be
required to pay the mileage rate, which will be fixed by each individual.

d) In the event of an accident, it should be reported to Administration straight away.

e) Atmashakti vehicle should not be used for the purpose of teaching or learning to drive.

2. Equipment

a) Various equipment may be assigned to Employees. It is the Employee’s responsibility to

ensure that these items are treated and used with care.

3. Expatriate Staff Support

a) Atmashakti to provide appropriate administrative support to expatriate staff as and when they
are appointed to meet their relocation needs.

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G. TRAVEL

a) Employees required to travel must submit a travel request to the Admin department.

b) Employees traveling within and outside of the region for official purposes shall be provided
with reasonable travel advances, if required. Such advances should be requested at least seven
days prior to the travel date and should be settled within one month of returning from the trip.

c) For travel, economy airfare tickets will be purchased by the office. Other travel expenses like
accommodation, official taxi-fare, meals, non-alcoholic beverages may be claimed with actual
receipts. No reimbursement will be made for long distance telephone calls, alcoholic drinks
and other incidental expenses. Employees should also return their used tickets to the Admin
department after all official travels.

d) For official travel within the city area where the office is located, taxi fare reimbursement shall
be provided.

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H. OTHERS

1. Misuse of Information
a) Information known to the Employee by reason of an official position, and which has not been
made public, shall not be communicated to any person not connected to Atmashakti nor shall
such information at any time be used to the Employee’s private advantage. These obligations
do not cease upon termination of employment until and unless prior authorization is given by
Atmashakti.

2. Relatives
a) Any staff member who is ‘directly related’ to another Atmashakti staff member, must disclose
this relationship in writing to the Managing Trustee immediately. Failure to do so may result
in immediate dismissal.

3. Other Employment
a) Whilst employed at Atmashakti, employees will not be allowed to enter into any other service
contract with third party.

4. Proprietory Rights
a) Proprietary assets are defined as data created for Atmashakti by employees or consultants
relative to Atmashakti activites. Research papers, books, photos, manuals, documentaries or
other works generated shall become and remain the exclusive property of Atmashakti unless
written release of such copyright is granted by the Employer.

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I. MISCONDUCT AND DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS

Actions which are impinging on Atmashakti’s image, credibility, and reputation shall be
considered misconduct. Misconduct of Employees shall lead to disciplinary actions including
immediate dismissal.

1. Disciplinary Actions for Minor Offence

a) Examples of minor offence include but are not limited to the following:
- The Employee knowingly fails or refuses to obey a lawful and proper request, which is
within the Employee’s scope of work, issued by her/his supervisor.
- The Employee absents herself/himself from her/his duty station without leave or lawful
cause.
- Sexual harassment such as jokes, touch, double meaning words, comments, abuse which
is considered undesirable behavior.
- Excessive tardiness.

b) On a first minor offence, the Employee will receive a verbal warning. A memo will be issued
to the effect mentioning that a verbal warning has been given to the Employee. This will only
be after the Employee has had sufficient opportunity to make representations.

c) Upon a second offence the Employee will receive a written warning, which he/she will be
required to sign. A copy of the warning will go the Employee’s personnel file. This will only
be after the Employee has had sufficient opportunity to make representations

d) Upon the third offence, the Employee will get a final written letter required to be signed by the
Employee. This will be forwarded to the Director who may dismiss the Employee in question
or take alternative action.

2. Immediate Dismissal

a) The Employer reserves the right to dismiss an Employee without notice in any of the following
events:

 If the Employee is guilty of dishonesty or misconduct or commits any act which in the
opinion of Atmashakti is likely to bring Atmashakti or any official associates of
Atmashakti into disrepute whether or not such dishonesty, misconduct or act is directly
related to the affairs of the Employer.

 If the Employee commits any material breach of her/his duties or obligations under the
contract.

 If the Employee is discovered to have made or given false statements or document

testifying to her/his ability or competence or relating to her/his state of health knowing
such a statement is false.

 If the Employee is convicted of any criminal offence under local law.

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 If Employee is found guilty of theft, fraud or deliberate falsification of records.

 If the Employee exercises any act of discrimination or harassment based on race, tribe,
religion, nationality, caste, creed, sex or age.

 Willful violation of Atmashakti rules and regulation including damage or loss to Atmashakti
goods and property (an Employee may be required to reimburse Atmashakti for any financial
loss suffered by Atmashakti as a result of his/her negligence or violence of any
rules/regulations.).

b) In case of immediate dismissal, the Employee is not entitled to any benefits.

c) The Employee will be provided, as soon as is reasonably practicable, with written reasons for
dismissal, the date on which employment will terminate, and will be informed of the right to
appeal.

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J. SEPARATION

1. Resignation
a) An Employee who wishes to leave the services of Atmashakti is required to give a month/s
written notice as follows or forfeit her/his salary as follows.
Programme Leader - 3 months notice or forfeit three months salary
Others - 1 months notice or forfeit one months salary

2. Retirement
Policy on retirement - to be developed.

3. Termination
Termination occurs when Atmashakti decides that an Employee may no longer continue to
work for Atmashakti. All termination must be approved by the Managing Trustee/Programme
Leader. It is the responsibility of Atmashakti to provide written notification of redundancy to
the Employee.

a) If termination is for reasons of Immediate Dismissal due to a serious disciplinary problem, the
Employee will not be eligible for any notification and will be paid only for the days worked.

b) In case of termination for other reasons like restructuring, Atmashakti will provide one
month’s notice or salary thereof.

c) In the event of the contract being terminated due to circumstances beyond Atmashakti’s control
(flood, war etc.) the Employee will be paid the equivalent of upto three months salary.

4. Settlement at the time of Separation

At the time of the final settlement, due to resignation, the following clauses apply:

a) Unsettled advances & excess leave taken will be deducted from the Employee’s final payment.

b) Tax adjustments shall be made accordingly as of the last day of employment.

c) Accident insurance shall be cancelled immediately.

d) All documents attesting to the Employee’s association with Atmashakti, inclusive of

Identification Card, Insurance Card(s) and any Atmashakti furniture, fixtures and equipment
in the Employee’s possession are to be returned to Atmashakti. Failure to provide such
documents or items will result in non-payment until such time as documents or items are
returned.

e) In the event of a Death of an Employee, her/his immediate family member shall be paid the
final salary as of the last working day. Sufficient documentation must be presented in order for
the final payments to be provided to the heir or beneficiary.

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K. GRIEVANCES

Atmashakti encourages its Employees to work as a team and to resolve grievances (if any)
within the team in an environment of mutual respect and trust. It is the policy of Atmashakti
that all Employees have the right to voice issues of complaint. It is recognized that there is
meaningful value and importance in a full discussion to resolve misunderstandings and
preserving good relations between Employees. Accordingly, the following procedure will
ensure that all issues of complaint receive full consideration.

a) Initially, the Employee meets with the Programme Leader to voice a complaint and attempts
to resolve any conflict or problem. It is the responsibility of the Programme Leader to ensure
that the issue receives prompt attention.

b) In the event the Employee feels the complaint has not been addressed or the issue is unresolved
and/or has not been addressed by the Programme Leader, the Employee may bring the issue to
the attention of the Managing trustee. It is the responsibility of management, noted above, to
ensure any such issue receives prompt attention.

c) In the event the Employee feels the complaint has not been addressed or the issue continues to
be unresolved and/or has not been addressed by senior management, the Employee may bring
the issue to the attention of the Board. Further, in the event an Employee disputes a disciplinary
action or dismissal, the Employee may provide a grievance letter within five working days of
the incident. The Managing Trustees will hear the appeal and make a decision in consultation
with other Trustees of the Trust. Such decision will be communicated to the aggrieved party
and will be final. It is the responsibility of the appointed Board representative to ensure such
letters receive prompt attention.

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L. AMENDMENT

a) This Personnel Policy may be amended in whole or in part by Atmashakti, the Regional Office
based in Delhi. Such amendments/changes shall be approved by Managing Trustee and notified
to the Employees.

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_________________________________________________________________________Page 19
ANNEX II

Atmashakti STANDARD EVALUATION FORM

SELF ASSESSMENT FORM

1. Does your current job description reflect the work you are currently doing?

If no please itemise the responsibilities that are not listed (provide an indication of the
percentage of working time spent on each one)

RESPONSIBILITIES %

2. What do you feel have been your major achievements in the past six months?

3. What other skills do you have that you can contribute to Atmashakti?

Types of work

a)

b)

c)

d)

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4. What are the areas you found problematic, or least satisfying? In your view, how could
these relative problems be overcome?

5. Please consider all aspects of your job. In your view, what additional training and/or
work experience do you require in order to improve your capabilities?

6. Are there any organisational/procedural changes that would enhance your capabilities.
If so, please describe what you think is necessary.

7. Looking ahead , how do you think your job should develop?

8. Appraisee’s assessment of the appraisor?

(- was adequate support provided, - have regular meetings been arranged? - have promised
been kept? - is communication good?)

Signed:........................................................ Date: ...........................................

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 Summary of Review Discussions

Please give a summary of the discussions which took place during the review process:

Appraisal

Signatures

Staff Comments

Signature................................................. Date ...........................

Programme Leader’s Comments

Signature................................................. Date ............................

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REPORT FORM

Name of Appraisee:
Job Title:
Grade:
Date of appraisal:
Date of appointment to present post:
Appraisal conducted by:

1. What are the appraisee’s main strengths and achievements?

2. What are the areas that need more attention?

3. List specific actions taken since the last performance appraisal to improve the
appraisee’s capabilities.

4. Action points/objectives for the next 12 months

Additional action points:

5. Training and development recommendations

Signed……………………………………………… Dated:………………………………

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