AG TRANSPORT - HR POLICY.docx

We would like to align our policy guidelines with employee needs as well as those of the organization. Therefore, AG TRANSPORT may change these policies at any time. This manual is therefore designed to allow updates (deletions and additions) as and when the management of AG TRANSPORT considers it necessary for the general benefit of the employees and the company.

As we move ahead, there will be changes that may need to be reflected in this manual. When such revisions occur, the Custodians will receive these updates along with directions to whether to replace a page in a particular policy or simply replace the entire policy within a section.

Hiring & Joining

Recruitment – Permanent Employees

• Objective

This policy is aimed at having a universal and scientific method to hire the best talent in the industry with optimum skills and aptitude required for the job. Scope All employees hired on rolls of the company.

• Process

Given below is the procedure that has to be followed while recruiting. Any deviation with this policy has to be approved by the CEO and Group Head HR. Their decision will be final.

• Eligibility: Basic criteria for candidates:
• age should be 18 years and above,
• should have completed 15 years of formal education,
• should hold a valid work permit if of foreign nationality.
• Hiring approvals: All hiring has to be in line with the pre-approved organization structure and plan by the CEO and Group Head HR. Replacement hiring within the approved manpower budget will also require approval from CEO. However, any hiring in excess of the approved manpower budget will require the approval from the CEO and Group HR Head.
• Sourcing of candidates: AG TRANSPORT HR can make use of any of the below mentioned sources:
• Job Portals – Job portals will be made available to the sourcing team. This is a very good and cost-effective source for hiring of middle level positions.
• Internal referral – All hiring requirements would be published for the information of all employees of the company (exceptions can be made if the KFSL HR decides not to share the requirements internally for confidential reasons). Internal referral should be made a strong source of recruitment. In order to encourage/reward internal referrals the company will pay the below mentioned amounts as incentive to employees who refer candidates which are selected.
• Campus recruitment: The Company pro-actively will recruit fresh talent from graduate / post graduate campus directly. AG TRANSPORT shall partner with local education institutes to offer young talents a perspective for future career.
• Recruitment advertisement: In case of a large/mass requirement of similar nature it is possible to publish recruitment advertisement in local / national newspapers.
• Job fairs: HR can also decide to visit job fairs in case of mass requirement.
• Selection of candidates

Company being an equal opportunity employer, ensures that there is no discrimination against any candidate on basis of gender, religion, ethnicity or age in the process of shirt listing.

Probation

Policy

The 3-month probationary period is a time for both the employee and the business to assess suitability, fit and competency within a role. During this period AG TRANSPORT commits to reviewing employee performance and at the end of this time an ongoing permanent employment will be confirmed.

Procedure

• Use a system to track and monitor probationary periods,
• managers shall give informal and formal appraisal during the probation period,
• give at least one formal appraisal four weeks before the end of probation,
• at the end of the probation period, a complete and final probation appraisal shall be made and the employee shall be advised on the result.

Occupational Health and Safety

Policy

AG TRANSPORT will, as far as practicable, provide a safe work environment for the health, safety and welfare of our employees, contractors, visitors and members of the public who may be affected by our work.

To do this, AG TRANSPORT will:

• develop and maintain safe systems of work, and a safe working environment,
• consult with employees and health and safety reps on safety,
• provide protective clothing and equipment, and enforce its use,
• provide information and training for employees,
• assess all risks before work starts on new areas of operation, for example, buying new equipment and setting up new work methods, and regularly review these risks,
• remove unacceptable risks to safety,
• provide employees and contractors with adequate facilities (such as clean toilets, cool and clean drinking water, and hygienic eating areas).

Ultimately, everyone at the workplace is responsible for ensuring health and safety at that workplace.

All persons responsible for the work activities of other employees are accountable for:

• identifying practices and conditions that could injure employees, clients, members of the public or the environment,
• controlling such situations or removing the risk to safety. If unable to control such practices and conditions, report these to their manager,
• making sure workers use personal protective equipment (PPE), training workers to use PPE correctly,
• making sure PPE is maintained and working properly.

AG TRANSPORT demands a positive, proactive attitude and performance with respect to protecting health, safety and the environment by all employees, irrespective of their position.

Workers’ Compensation Policy

All employees may be eligible for workers’ compensation benefits if injured while at work.

Injury procedure

If there is an injury:

• the first priority is medical attention. The injured worker or nearest colleague should contact one of AG TRANSPORT’s first aiders. For a serious injury also call an ambulance,
• any employee who is injured on the job, experiences a safety incident or a near miss, must report the incident to their manager,
• the manager must write a report in the Register of Injuries, Incidents and Near Misses.

Smoking policy

AG TRANSPORT has a non-smoking policy. Smoking is not permitted on AG TRANSPORT’s property or in offices at any time, except for places on AG TRANSPORT’s premises defined to serve this purpose.

Alcohol and drugs policy

AG TRANSPORT is concerned by factors affecting an employee’s ability to safely and effectively do their work to a satisfactory standard. The business recognizes alcohol or other drug abuse can impair short-term or long-term work performance and is an occupational health and safety risk.

AG TRANSPORT will do its utmost to create and maintain a safe, healthy and productive workplace for all employees. AG TRANSPORT has a zero-tolerance policy in regards to the use of illicit drugs on their premises or the attending of other business-related premises (e.g. clients) while under the influence of illicit drugs. Contravening either of these points may lead to instant dismissal.

AG TRANSPORT does not tolerate attending work under the influence of alcohol. This may result in performance improvement action or dismissal.

Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) and Anti Bullying

Policy

This policy applies to all staff including contractors and covers all work-related functions and activities including external training courses sponsored by AG TRANSPORT.

It also applies for all recruitment, selection and promotion decisions.

The objective of AG TRANSPORT’s Equal Opportunity Policy is to improve business success by:

• attracting and retaining the best possible employees,
• providing a safe, respectful and flexible work environment,
• delivering our services in a safe, respectful and reasonably flexible way.

Discrimination, Sexual Harassment and Bullying

AG TRANSPORT is committed to providing a workplace free from discrimination, sexual harassment and bullying. behavior that constitutes discrimination, sexual harassment or bullying will not be tolerated and will lead to action being taken, which may include dismissal.

For the purposes of this policy, the following definitions apply:

Direct discrimination occurs when someone is treated unfavorably because of a personal characteristic.

Indirect Discrimination occurs when a rule seems neutral, but has a discriminatory impact on certain people. For example, a minimum height requirement of 6 foot for a particular job might be applied equally to men and women, but would indirectly discriminate on the basis of sex, as women tend to be shorter than men.

Sexual harassment includes unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature in circumstances in which it could reasonably be expected to make a person feel offended, humiliated or intimidated a reasonable person, having regard to all the circumstances, would have anticipated that the person harassed would be offended, humiliated or intimidated.

Workplace bullying may include behavior that is directed toward an employee, or group of employees, that creates a risk to health and safety, e.g. physical and/or verbal abuse, excluding or isolating individuals; or giving impossible tasks.

AG TRANSPORT provides equal opportunity in employment to people without discrimination based on a personal characteristic protected under state and federal equal opportunity legislation.

Any employee found to have contravened this policy will be subject to disciplinary action, which may include dismissal as outlined in the complaint procedure below.

Employees must report any behavior that constitutes sexual harassment, bullying or discrimination to their manager.

Employees will not be victimized or treated unfairly for raising an issue or making a complaint.

Procedure: To make a complaint

If you believe you are being, or have been, discriminated against, sexually harassed or bullied, you should follow this procedure:

• tell the offender the behavior is offensive, unwelcome, and against business policy and should stop (only if you feel comfortable enough to approach them directly, otherwise speak to your manager). Keep a written record of the incident(s),
• if the unwelcome behavior continues, contact your supervisor or manager for support,
• if this is inappropriate, you feel uncomfortable, or the behavior persists, contact another relevant senior manager. Employees may also lodge a complaint to official region or state authorities.

Employees should feel confident that any complaint they make is to be treated as confidential as far as possible.

Possible outcomes

If after investigation management finds the complaint is justified, management will discuss with the complainant the appropriate outcomes which may include:

• disciplinary action to be taken against the perpetrator (counselling, warning or dismissal),
• staff training,
• additional training for the perpetrator or all staff, as appropriate,
• counselling for the complainant,
• an apology (the particulars of such an apology to be agreed between all involved).

Leave

General leave policy

Unless specified otherwise, employees referred to in this policy mean permanent full-time or part-time employees.

All employees are entitled to leave in accordance with the relevant awards or agreements and statutory provisions. Where the entitlements or practices in this document conflict, the applicable award, workplace agreement, employment contract or employment law takes precedence.

All planned leave has to be mutually agreed, and take into account workloads and the employee’s needs. Leave must be approved in advance, except when the employee can’t anticipate the absence. Any documents regarding leave will be kept in the employee’s personal file.

Annual leave policy

Each employee is entitled to a minimum of 20 days annual leave a year (pro-rata for part-time). Leave entitlements are calculated from the date they started work and accrue in accordance with workplace relations legislation or industrial instruments. Annual leave counts towards continuous service (used when calculating long service leave).

An employee is expected to take accrued annual leave for business close down periods. If insufficient leave is accrued, AG TRANSPORT may direct an employee to take unpaid leave.

Grievance complaints

Policy

AG TRANSPORT supports the right of every employee to lodge a grievance with their manager if they believe a decision, behavior or action affecting their employment is unfair. An employee may raise a grievance about any performance improvement action taken against them.

We aim to resolve problems and grievances promptly and as close to the source as possible. When necessary, AG TRANSPORT will escalate a grievance to the next higher level of authority for more discussion and resolution, and continue escalating it to the level above until it is resolved.

Managers will do their utmost to action grievances objectively, discreetly and promptly. Be aware that grievances that are misconceived, vexatious, and lacking substance may result in disciplinary action being taken against the employee lodging the grievance.

Conflict of Interest

Policy

Conflict of interest arises whenever the personal, professional or business interests of an employee are potentially at odds with the best interests of AG TRANSPORT.

All employees are required to act in good faith towards AG TRANSPORT Employees need to be aware of the potential for a conflict of interest to arise and should always act in the best interests of AG TRANSPORT.

As individuals, employees may have private interests that from time-to-time conflict, or appear to conflict, with their employment with AG TRANSPORT. Employees should aim to avoid being put in a situation where there may be a conflict between the interests of AG TRANSPORT and their own personal or professional interests, or those of relatives or friends. Where such a conflict occurs (or is perceived to occur), the interests of AG TRANSPORT will be balanced against the interests of the staff member and, unless exceptional circumstances exist, resolved in favor of AG TRANSPORT.

It is impossible to define all potential areas of conflict of interest. If an employee is in doubt if a conflict exists, they should raise the matter with their manager.

Procedure

Employees must:

• declare any potential, actual or perceived conflicts of interest that exist on becoming employed by AG TRANSPORT to management,
• declare any potential, actual or perceived conflicts of interest that arise or are likely to arise during employment by AG TRANSPORT to management,
• avoid being placed in a situation where there is potential, actual or perceived conflict of interest if at all possible.

If an employee declares such an interest, AG TRANSPORT will review the potential areas of conflict with the employee and mutually agree on practical arrangements to resolve the situation.

Employees must disclose any other employment that might cause a conflict of interest with AG TRANSPORT to their manager. Where there are external involvements that do not represent a conflict of interest, these must not affect performance or attendance whilst working at AG TRANSPORT. If such involvement does affect performance or attendance, it will be considered a conflict of interest.

Employees must not set up or engage in private business or undertake other employment in direct or indirect competition with AG TRANSPORT using knowledge and/or materials gained during the course of employment with AG TRANSPORT.

Engaging in other business interests during work hours will result in strong performance improvement action.

Failure to declare a potential, actual or perceived conflict of interest or to take remedial action agreed with AG TRANSPORT in a timely manner, may result in performance improvement proceedings including dismissal.

Intellectual Property and Security

All intellectual property developed by employees during their employment with AG TRANSPORT including discoveries or inventions made in the performance of their duties related in any way to the business of AG TRANSPORT will remain the property of AG TRANSPORT

Employees may be given access to confidential information, data, business property, keys to premises or any other business-related property/information in the performance of their duties. This must be protected and used only in the interests of AG TRANSPORT.

Employees must not:

• disclose or use any part of any confidential information outside of the performance of their duties and in the interests of AG TRANSPORT,
• authorize or be involved in the improper use or disclosure of confidential information during or after their employment without the Employer's written consent, other than as required by law.

Confidential information includes any information in any form relating to AG TRANSPORT and related bodies, clients or businesses, which is not in the public domain.

Employees must act in good faith towards AG TRANSPORT and must prevent (or if impractical, report) the unauthorized disclosure of any confidential information. Failure to comply with this policy may result in performance improvement proceedings including dismissal, and AG TRANSPORT may also pursue monetary damages or other remedies.

Environmental Best Practice

Policy

AG TRANSPORT will comply with all local, state and federal laws and regulations on:

• disposing of hazardous waste (including EPA’s list of prescribed industrial waste), trade waste (i.e. waste added to the sewer) and waste water,
• safe handling, storage and transport of hazardous waste and dangerous goods,
• noise,
• land use,
• air pollution and carbon emissions.

Working Hours and Compensation

The AG TRANSPORT complies with applicable laws and agreements on working and resting hours and compensation and benefits.

• The terms and conditions of the employment contract, including employee’s rights and obligations, should be made clear to the employee,
• working time should not extend beyond the allowed maximum, and the employee should receive time off for proper rest and paid holidays or vacations,
• the terms of employment and compensation should meet applicable minimum wages and other legal requirements, including collective bargaining agreements.