Struggling with HR Policies for a Growing IT Firm in Mumbai? Seeking Practical Advice and Ready-to-Use Guidelines

We are a 2-year-old organization, an IT services company based in Mumbai, Maharashtra. We are a growing company and now close to 13 employees, including sales and operations engineers. Both sales personnel (for site surveys) and engineers (for installations) have to travel locally and nationally for project-related work. We want to frame HR policies, especially regarding:

Leave, Attendance, and Travel Reimbursements

Currently, they are claiming heavy expenses related to food (including cold drinks, travel by Ola/Uber, pizza with extra cheese, etc., just to give you an example) and local travel (everyday petrol bills of a minimum of ₹500).

Advice on PF, Gratuity, and Applicable Laws

We need advice on PF, gratuity, and any other applicable laws/provisions.

Holiday Policy

How many holidays - CL/PL/National holidays are applicable - if Saturday is a half working day. We are not maintaining any attendance IN and OUT register because we believe in work completion, no matter when you come and go. However, some employees are taking advantage of this situation.

Reimbursement of Leave

Reimbursement of leave when they are on a project for a long duration (say 7 days or more).

Additional Suggestions

Any other suggestions you can provide.

Does anyone have a readymade rulebook to share with employees so that I can forward it to all of them? It would be a great help as setting processes can be tough for new companies like us with no previous experience in HR/Sales or Admin.

Location: Mumbai, India
Tags: HR policies, City-India-Mumbai, Country-India, national holidays, HR and admin

HR Policies Framework for an IT Services Company in Mumbai

🔔 Leave, Attendance, and Travel Reimbursements:
- Create a detailed policy outlining leave types (CL, PL) and procedures for requesting and approving leaves.
- Clearly define the process for submitting travel expenses, including allowable expenses and reimbursement limits.
- Consider setting up a standardized travel expense claim form to ensure consistency.

🔔 Legal Compliance:
- Ensure compliance with the Employees' Provident Fund (EPF) Act for PF contributions and Gratuity as per the Payment of Gratuity Act.
- Familiarize yourself with the Shops and Establishment Act of Maharashtra for additional compliance requirements specific to the state.

🔔 Holiday Entitlement:
- Define the number of Casual Leave (CL), Privilege Leave (PL), and National holidays applicable to employees.
- Address the scenario of a half working day on Saturdays to avoid confusion.
- Implement a clear policy on how holidays are calculated, especially for project-based employees.

🔔 Attendance Management:
- Consider implementing a system to track work hours and project completion milestones to prevent misuse of flexible working hours.
- Encourage accountability and performance-based assessment rather than strict clocking in and out.

🔔 Long Project Duration Reimbursement:
- Establish a policy for reimbursing leaves for employees on extended project assignments to maintain work-life balance and fairness.
- Specify the process for requesting and approving such reimbursements to ensure transparency.

🔔 Customized Rulebook:
- Develop a tailored rulebook incorporating the above policies and guidelines specific to your company's culture and requirements.
- Ensure clear communication and understanding among employees by conducting policy orientation sessions.

🔔 Continuous Review and Update:
- Regularly review and update HR policies to align with changing business needs, legal requirements, and employee feedback.
- Encourage feedback from employees to ensure policies remain relevant and effective.

Creating a comprehensive HR policy framework tailored to your company's needs will facilitate smooth operations, enhance employee satisfaction, and ensure legal compliance.