Employee Attendance Policy

INTRODUCTION

With an intention to bring about a uniform and disciplined approach in managing employee attendance commonly at all our locations, we have decided to reiterate the rules to be observed for attendance and the process to be followed for the same by all employees (M-01 to M-11 and trainees) uniformly at all Essar locations.

The amended guidelines given below come into effective from December 19, 2008

OFFICE TIMINGS

All our offices in India will observe an 8 hours and 15 minutes work schedule generally between 9:15 A.M and 5:30 P.M. Factory locations and other location offices will continue to observe the current location specific timings that they have been observing till now. The head of the local HR department is expected (within 1 week from the date of this circular) to intimate all their location specific employees respectively, the daily work timings that they will be expected to follow at their locations.

LUNCH BREAK

All office locations will observe a 30 minute lunch break at a fixed time between 12.30 P.M - 2.00 P.M

ATTENDANCE RECORDING

All employees have been given a company identity card which also will double as an entry and exit swipe card to mark their daily attendance. Effective December 15, 2008, these swipe cards will be effectively linked to the payroll system via the attendance recording system. At any location where such swipe cards are not operational, specific manual attendance registers will be maintained; such employees will be expected to mark their attendance by signing in such registers.

Employees who may not have been issued an identity card/or have lost or forgotten their card, are expected to immediately inform the BMS/HR department respectively and collect a temporary card. Until such time that the temporary card is issued, all such employees should mark their attendance using the ‘clock in /clock out’ functionality available in “My Equations” portal.

Employees coming later than 9.45 A.M to office will be expected to apply for half day’s leave to cover his/her absence from duty for the first half of the day.

For employees leaving early for the day i.e. before 1.30 P.M, their absence will be treated as full day leave

Employees leaving earlier than one hour of the stipulated closing time of office for the day will be expected to take half days leave to cover absence for the second half of that day.

EMOPLOYEES ON OFFICIAL TOUR OR OUTDOOR DUTY

When an employee is on outdoor duty i.e. visit to customers or other parties for official work or has to work at an office location other than the one where he/she is normally scheduled to be present for his regular duty, he is expected to log on to “My Equations” and seek approval from his/her manager for the same under the absence type called: “Outdoor Duty”. Once the Manager approves the “Outdoor Duty” for that day, the employee’s attendance will accordingly be automatically updated by SAP and no leave for that day will be deducted.

If the employee does not regularize his absence with a suitable leave form or “Outdoor Duty” information, at the end of the month, automatic deduction from his leave balance will be made.

Effective December 15, 2008 sufficient numbers of swipe card readers will be installed on the ground floor of Mahalaxmi Office (Main entrance, employee entrance & podium entrance). Like wise in BKC office swipe card readers have been installed on all the floors. At all other operating locations business HR heads are directed to ensure along with the Business/location IT heads that similar systems are put into operation and are executed and observed.

We request your cooperation to operationalise the same.

SWIPE IN " AND SWIPE OUT"

All employees, on arriving at the office locations, are expected to mark their attendance by swiping their identity cards at the designated reader placed at the locations. Similarly a “swipe out” at the time of formally leaving the office at the end of the day, is necessary. Their attendance for the day will be marked on this basis. Employees not swiping the card (IN and/or OUT) will be marked as absent for the day.

Employees may “swipe in” between 9.15 AM to 9.30 AM without being marked late. However they are expected to work for 8 Hours & 15 minutes from the time of first “swipe in” registered.

If an employee “swipes in” between 9.30 AM to 9.45 AM, he/she will be marked as late for the day

If such late coming in a given month exceeds 2 occasions, then for every two such occasions, one day CL will automatically stand deducted from the CL balance of the employee.

The sequence for deduction of leave will begin with deduction of CL. In the event of the CL balance being exhausted, the deduction will then be made from the accumulated PL balance of the employee. In case of inadequate PL balance, the same will be treated as loss of equivalent pay.

LATE ARRIVAL

Management expects all employees to report to duty on time A maximum grace of 15 minutes per day will be given for late

attendance on a maximum of 2 occasions in a calendar month. If such late attendance in a given month exceeds 2 occasions, then for every such occasion of late coming in a month, half a day CL will automatically stand deducted from the CL balance a/c of the employee beginning from the first day of such late coming in that month. In the event of the CL balance being exhausted, the deduction will then be made from the accumulated PL balance of the employee. In case of inadequate PL balance, the same will be treated as loss of equivalent pay.

EARLY DEPARTURE

Employees may, under very pressing circumstances, be allowed to leave office upto an hour before the stipulated time for a maximum of 2 occasions in a calendar month with the express permission of their managers. If such early leaving in a given month exceeds 2 occasions then for every such occasion of early leaving, half a day CL will automatically get deducted from the CL balance of the employee from the first day of such early going. In the event of the CL balance being exhausted, the deduction will then be made from the accumulated PL balance of the employee. In case of inadequate PL balance, the same will be treated as loss of equivalent pay.