Islamic Relief Bangladesh - HRM Policies and Procedures ... 01 2014-HR Manual-2014...HRM Policies and Procedures HRM Manual HRM-Manual-IRB-16.01.2014 “IRB has Zero tolerance to Bribery,

HRM Policies and Procedures HRM Manual

HRM-Manual-IRB-16.01.2014 “IRB has Zero tolerance to Bribery, Fraud and Child abuse” Page 1

SECTION A - General Terms and Condition of Employment

1. Classification of Employee: 1.1. Regular: An employee who has been confirmed as a regular staff after having satisfactorily

completed his or her probationary period.

1.2. Probationer: An employee who has been employed to fill a regular staff vacancy but who has not yet completed his or her probationary period.

1.3. Project Staff: An employee who has been engaged for work which is essentially of a Project nature or for a contractual service which is likely to be finished within a specific limited period of time. Normally the period will be for a period of maximum one year. However, contract period may be extended upon approval from Country Director. Project employees may be hired on need basis subject to the budget provision.

1.4. Part Time Staff: Part Time employees are appointed on contract for a specific length of service to perform a specific task, which falls outside of Islamic Relief’s normal job, or pay range or office timing. Such as individuals are entitled to receive benefits that are specially stipulated in their contract as well as specified in different sections of this manual.

All contract are subject to budget considerations and employees must have the prior approval of the Country Director. HR Department will prepare all new contracts in consultation with concerned Manager. See Attachment -1 (Form OCE) for sample Offer & Contract of Employment. Contract staff salaries will be decided with respect to the salary range, available budget and according to their skills and experiences.

1.5. Casual Staff : A daily wage employee without regular or fixed employment.

1.5.1.Casual employees may be hired on a daily basis subject to the budget provision. Casual employment should normally be for one month or less and may be handled by the respective project, Field-Office or Sections. The period may be extended for exceptional situation but the cumulative period will not exceed three months. However, in the event Project or Field Office, or Section needs a casual employee working normal expected office hours for more than one month, permission from CD must be obtained prior to such appointment.

1.5.2. At the end of the period of work, the casual employee will be paid their wages in total.

1.5.3.No written appointment letter is to be issued but a letter of understanding outlining the individuals’ responsibility and wage should be provided. HR Managers may issue casual employment letter in consultation with Country Director. A simple format for casual employment is shown in the Attachment -2.

1.5.4.The wage amount for casual employee should be equivalent to that of a new regular employee’s basic salary (no other benefits except transportation allowance) in the same job calculated on a daily basis.

1.5.5.Casual employees are not to be entrusted with position that requires them to deal with cash or cheque privileges. Some examples of appropriate assignments and wage calculation are: casual Guard Equivalent to daily rate of salary for a regular Guard plus transportation allowances.

1.6 Intern: IRB may encourage to engage Intern on the basis of project, program/section

need. IRB recruitment process will be followed to hire any Intern.



2. Grade Designations, Job Titles and Approval of New Positions: 2.1. Employees of Islamic Relief – Bangladesh will be assigned a Grade Designation and Job Title

based on their salary entry and specific job responsibilities, respectively.

2.2. All employees in the same grade will share the same Islamic Relief Country Office-Bangladesh Grade Designation. The Country Office expects that all employees who share the same grade will have roughly equal levels of responsibility within the organization.

2.3. Projects or HR Department may choose the most appropriate Job Title from among the list of approved titles for each position. A list of the approved titles is contained in the table shown in Anex-1. Job titles should serve as a quick means for internal and external counterparts to broadly understand the roles and responsibilities of individual employees.

2.4. If needed, new job titles may be proposed to the Country Director for final decision.

3. Appointment of Country Director and Expatriate Staff: 3.1. Definition of Overseas staff: Islamic Relief recognizes three categories of Overseas Staff:

3.1.1. Expatriate: A member of staff sent by Islamic Relief’s HQ to fill a position in one of its field

offices.

3.1.2. Third Country Placement/Secondment: A member of staff previously designated as national staff who fills a position in abroad in different field office.

3.1.3. National Staff: Staff employed as core and project staff (possibly including Country Director).

3.1.4. Appointment of Country Director will follow the policy mentioned IRHQ Manual.

3.1.5. Expatriate staff must be contracted on the letterhead paper of IRHQ and contract must be signed by the HR Department of HQ.

3.1.6. Contract of National Staff must be written on local office letterhead paper and signed by Country Director or his/her designated.

3.1.7. No manager of IRB will be appointed from the locality where the Field office located. ,4.

4. Job Approval Committee: Job Approval Committee members are:

• HR Manager

• Finance Manager

• Requesting Manager

This committee will be called Job Approval Committee. The committee will be chaired by Country Director.

The committee will work to make IR recruitment process more professional and time bounding to so that in time recruitment, selection and placement is done.

• Employees of Islamic Relief – Bangladesh will be assigned a Grade Designation and Job Title based on their salary entry and specific job responsibilities, respectively.

• All employees in the same grade will share the same Islamic Relief Country Office-Bangladesh enlisted Grade Designation. The Country Office expects that all employees who share the same grade will have roughly equal levels of responsibility within the organization.



4.1 Recruitment Procedure:

Islamic Relief Bangladesh Country Office is as strong as the diverse individuals who make up our staff. At all stages of recruitment, hiring and promotion Islamic Relief Bangladesh Country Office seeks individuals with the best match of skills to the need, the highest standard of personal integrity and a willingness to face challenges and to develop themselves within a changing organization. Requesting manager will submit the hiring requisition form. After verifying the budget by the FM and it will be submitted to the HRM. HR will facilitate the process of approval from the Job Approval Committee.

4.1.1 Approval of new positions in newly designed projects/departments: At the time of design of a new project, the concerned Department Manager or others responsible person will present the proposed organogram and job descriptions for each position for which approval is being sought. Review of the staffing plan by the Country Director will be one aspect of the Islamic Relief internal review of project proposal, and will occur prior to submitting the proposal to donors. If the potential donor has approved the positions during initial discussion, the concerned Sector Manager will still submit the staffing plan to Country Director for review and approval. In addition to the organogram and job descriptions, the Sector Manager/Program Manager should justify the need for the proposed staffing plan and explain how the position rank with positions of comparable responsibility in other project.

4.1.2 The following issues can be considered during designing a short term/emergency project:

a) Organogram b) Job Description c) Justification of the need for the proposed staffing plan.

4.1.3 During designing a long term project consideration can given to the following;

4.1.3.1 Projects or HR Department may choose the most appropriate Job Title from among the list

Of approved titles for each position. A list of the approved titles is contained in the table shown in the next page. Job titles should serve as a quick means for internal and external counterparts to broadly understand the roles and responsibilities of individual employees.

4.1.3.2 Positions that are inconsistent with IR existing grades cannot be approved. HR will review compliance of the grading of IR before starting any recruitment process. Existing positions cannot be upgraded, except as part of a mission-wide “Job Evaluation”.

4.1.3.3 Position that is inconsistent with IR existing grades can be considered as special case and will follow the same procedure and finally to be approved by the Country Director.

4.1.3.4 Recruiting staff for approved position:

In case there is a need for recruiting staff for approved positions in a new project, in an existing project, section or department, the concerned unit should justify it in writing the following manner to HRD:

a) Rationale for the position, including the number of incumbents will perform the same task. b) Job description, which will describe the proposed job title, responsibilities and tasks, authority,

supervisory relationships, special skills required and working conditions. c) Minimum job competencies, including required education, experience, training, skills, etc. d) Proposed organogram of new project showing staffing pattern. e) Recommended grade.

4.1.3.5 Changing Staffing Patterns in Existing Projects: In case there is a need for creating positions in an existing project, section or department, the

concerned unit should justify it in writing the following manner to HRD:

a. Rationale for creating the position, including the number of incumbents performing the same task.



b. Job description, which will describe the proposed job title, responsibilities and tasks, authority, supervisory relationships, special skills required and working conditions.

c. Minimum job competencies, including required education, experience, training, skills, etc

a) Revised organogram due to change in staffing pattern.

b) Recommended grade.

In its review of staff plans, HR-Manager in coordination with the JAC (Job Approval Committee) will seek to ensure equity throughout the mission and that positions of similar responsibility are placed in the same grade. HR -Manager is responsible for obtaining final approval from the Country Director of new positions following consultation with the Job Approval Committee.

4.1.3.6 Responsibilities of the Job Approval Committee:

HR -Manager: HR -Manager will act as a member secretary of the committee. Staff hiring requisition should be submitted to the HR -Manager minimum one month prior to the commencement or placement. HR -Manager will call on a meeting of the JAC at the earliest possible time. In the meeting the following issues should be addressed and decided:

a. Sources of advertisement.

b. Fixed the salary Grade and Step according to IR salary structure.

c. Obtain approval from the Country Director proposed positions.

d. Islamic Relief HR policy should be followed for recruitment.

4.2 Vacancies:

Vacancies may occur when new positions are created or when the incumbent of an existing position separates from IR or is transferred to another position. These openings may be temporarily filled by on an "acting" basis or deployment basis for a maximum of 12 months. Country Director will issue the letter for such acting assignment with a copy to HRD. On a case-by-case basis management might consider extensions to this.

Positions are generally filled through competitive processes. Education qualification may be relaxed in case of highly experienced candidates, both external and internal.

4.2.1 Vacancies may be filled either through exclusively internal recruitment or through both internal and external recruitment. Islamic Relief employees may apply for any position.

4.2.2 Vacancies will be advertised through a variety of ways, such as through newspapers, internet, notices placed on bulletin boards.

4.2.3 Job vacancies will be internally circulated for all Islamic Relief Staff and displayed in the notice boards in all field offices. Any employee with requisite qualifications and background can apply directly for the advertised position irrespective of his/her present grade.

4.2.4 Details of qualifications required, nature and location of appointment, salary scale, competencies and other relevant information should be included in the job vacancy advertisement.

4.2.5 In case of Grade 1-6 staff, the Country Director or his designated representative reserves the right to fill vacancies without open recruitment through lateral transfer. “Lateral Transfer” means that a current regular employee will be transferred to a position of the same grade. Line managers in collaboration may also accomplish lateral transfers with Country Director and other concerned department.



4.3 Selection:

4.3.1 IRCO HR Department is authorized to recruit and appoint employees for previously authorized (budgeted) positions, with Country Director Approval.

No one who is below eighteen (18) years of age may be hired as an Islamic Relief employee either on regular or contract basis. The minimum age limit for apprentice is eighteen (18) years.

4.3.2 Closing date for the submission of application will be at least 5-10 days from the date of circulation of advertisement, be it internally or externally.

4.3.3 Prior to interview, a short preliminary application form/Personnel history (attachment - 3) must be completed by all applicants. It will be responsibility of the interview board members to ascertain whether s/he has any relative in Islamic Relief. In most instances, having a relative will not disqualify the candidates.

4.3.4 Every applicant must provide at least two professional references; one must be as his supervisor from his immediate recent employment, with contact addresses. Referees may be directly requested by Islamic Relief to provide recommendations in writing, if deemed necessary.

4.3.5 During recruitment special attention will be given to gender balance. To ensure gender balance, if necessary, advertisement may be given exclusively for female or male candidates depending on the nature of the position.

4.3.6 Educational qualifications will be relaxed in case of highly experienced internal candidates.

4.3.7 The nature and necessity for any skill assessment tool in the screening process will be at the discretion of the line manager in consultation with the recruitment board. The screening process will be conducted in accordance with the benchmark (required skills, competencies, education and experiences) for each position. However, certain skills can only be assessed through observation, simulation, or practical tests.

4.3.8 HR Department can do the screening/ short listing either by them or through relevant project/department. The short listing will consider experience, education qualification, training, achievements and other technical skills etc.

After the short listing, HR department will prepare the shortlist and take signature from respective program head/Program Manager / HoP (only for Program Staff) and Departmental head/, HOFA (Support services staff) and take approval from the Country Director. In case of internal candidates, last three years APA (If applicable) should be checked as reference.

4.3.9 While screening candidates for tests, due consideration is to be given that gender balance is ensured.

4.3.10 Following the screening of the candidates as per section (4.3.8) candidates will be called for test and interview. As a general guideline, the number of candidates called for a written test should not exceed 5-20 per position. After the written test, candidate will be interviewed by an interview panel.

4.3.11 The recruiting project and department will bear legitimate costs related to recruitments e.g. advertising, per diem, lodging allowance, and travel expenses, food cost if needed as per policy of IRCO.

4.2.12 Internal candidates will be reimbursed the most economical transportation cost to the interview venue; however, they are encouraged to avail a pre-scheduled IR vehicle going for other official business.

4.3.13 Tests will be administered with respect to the requirements of the job, and they should enable the board to identify strengths and weaknesses directly relevant to job performance standards. For



example, typing speed tests may be administered for Administrative Assistants, who will be expected to type documents, but not for other employees who will not be held accountable for typing speed. Similarly, in case of managerial position, candidates’ may be asked to conduct presentations. Attachment - 4 (Interview Summary Sheet).

4.3.14 Test formats/questionnaire will be drafted by the relevant Manager and will be reviewed by the recruitment board for clarify, fairness and relevance. The formal test will be treated confidentially prior to administering the test.

4.3.15 The recruitment board will consist of at least 3 employees, representing diverse perspectives, including the line manager.

4.3.16 A relative of the applicant cannot be an interview board member.

4.3.17 Relevant scoring criteria will be determined before interview in order to ensure fair and consistent scoring by the board members.

4.3.18 In the event that a test is administered, all candidates-both internal or external will be expected to take the same test under the same conditions.

4.3.19 Rating of tests will be the responsibility of the recruitment board. Certain candidates demonstrating poor performance for two consecutive tests for the similar kind of positioning within the last six months will be excluded from further recruitment activities for six months.

4.3.20 Viva interviews will generally occur after written tests or exercises. The viva may occur on an individual basis (one-to-one with each member of the recruitment board) or as a panel (one interview before all members of the board). In either case, a set of questions will be developed by the line manager and reviewed by the interview board.

4.3.21 Interview questions should focus on areas relevant to the performance of the job including hypothetical scenarios and questions regarding required competencies. The same set of questions will be asked of all candidates, though the board may ask additional questions to probe for more information regarding answers to the general questions.

4.3.22 The recruitment board may ask candidate’s salary expectations and document the response, but the board may only discuss IR salary and benefits package in general terms. The recruitment board may not discuss or negotiate specific compensation package.

4.3.23 Any question, scenario or situation given to candidates during written or oral tests must bear a relevance to the required skills or competencies for the position. Questions must present a positive professional image of Islamic Relief and shall not cast doubt on the integrity or capacity of any person or unit within Islamic Relief or in another organization.

4.3.24 No question may be asked of a personal nature that does not relate to job requirements; nor shall ambiguous questions be asked which may be open to misinterpretation of a candidate’s capacities to perform the job. For example, the board may not ask if a candidate has young children and judge on the basis of the response as to whether the candidate can make field trips.

4.3.25 The type of questions in the written test will be determined by line manager. Obviously, the type of questions will depend on the level of position and it will also vary from position to position. As a general guideline, line managers should include questions on core business, and on management related issues. It is the responsibility of the line manager to standardize the questions as per the benchmark for each position.

4.3.26 No consideration shall be given to a candidate’s gender, religion, culture, physical handicap, age etc unless such aspect it directly related to requirements of the job. However, certain advantage may be given to women candidates if all other qualifications are equal.



4.3.27 Following the tests, the line manager will be responsible for ensuring that all members of the interview board meet to discuss their impressions and to make a recommendation. Recommendation should be consensual. The recommendations of the recruitment board will be co-signed by the members and forwarded to HR Department along with a tabulation sheet, written and viva scripts, and CVs for processing of the appointment. In the event of significant disagreement, the line manager may consult with his/her supervisor for input and / or arbitration. Signed memos from the line manager and his/her supervisor must adequately document any decision thus taken.

4.3.28 The Country Director will give approval on the result sheet. The Country Director reserves the right to interview any candidate, either internal or external, prior to making a final decision.

4.4 Hiring :

4.4.1 Negotiation of salary and benefits of external candidates will be handled by HR Manager with consultation with CD and respective Program Manager/Support Service Manager within the salary scale and budget.

4.4.2 Contracted staff hired for regular position will not be on probation if she/her has already completed six months or more in the same position and his/her performance during the contract period has been found satisfactory. Length of service will then be counted from the first joining date.

4.4.3 The panel of qualified candidates will remain valid up to six months from the date of interview took place.

4.4.4 Relatives of an Islamic Relief employee may be hired provided that:

i. The relative has the necessary requirement of the job.

ii. The hiring of incumbent will not be in the same project or department.

A relative is defined as being any one of the prospective employee’s parents, spouse, children, brother, sister, in-laws, cousins (1st), uncles, aunts (1st) and nieces, nephews.

A relative of an Islamic Relief employee shall not be hired without the prior written approval obtained from the Country Director with recommendation from HoP/HOFA.

4.4.5 Any Islamic Relief employee may become the relative of another Islamic Relief employee through marriage. However, neither may supervise the other at any time during their service with the organization. In such case, managers will ensure that no supervisory relationship is established between them.

4.4.6 Appointment approval must be obtained from the Country Director.

4.4.7 After a candidate is hired, he/she must be given a Contract of Employment (as per sample Attachment -1).

4.4.8 All appointment letters must be prepared in IRCO by the HR Department.

4.4.9 All appointments, irrespective of grades, prepared by HR Department will be copied to: 1) Personnel Confidential File at IRCO, 2) Personnel Confidential File at Field Office (applicable for Field Office staff) and 3) IRCO Accounts.

4.4.10 The employer and the employee must sign on all pages of the contract letter.

4.4.11 Each employee should be provided with a job description, upon new employment, promotion , re-designation, or change of assignment by the supervisor.



4.4.12 Each employee will submit filled “Relative declaration form” and Anti terrorism form” at the time of joining. If any misrepresentation or misinformation in the declaration forms, could be the ground for dismissal.

4.4.13 After an employee is appointed; HRD of IRCO must maintain an up-to-date Personnel/Confidential File (PCF) in the employee’s name. The PCF should include the employee’s Application, Educational Certificates, Personal History Form, Offer & Contract Letter duly signed and dated, 4 copies recent passport size photo, evaluations, increment and promotion letter, Transfer letter warning letters, etc. Duplicate personnel confidential files are to be maintained by Field Office.

4.4.14 The HR Department shall issue a unique employee number for each new employee. In case of re-employment, employee’s previous number will be allotted.

4.4.15 One passport size and one stamp-size photo of Field Office employees are to be sent to IRCO, one for the employee’s Personnel/Confidential File and another for ID cards.

4.4.16 When hiring Drivers (prior to the appointment but after the interview/driving test) a valid eye test by a Registered Eye-Specialist is required. The cost of such test will be borne by IR. Applicants with non-correctable faulty vision will not be hired.

4.4.17 All employees of IR – Bangladesh are subject to a “Blood Group” test following his/her appointment if he/she has no previous record/information of his/her blood group. The test will be done by the employee and the cost of the test will be borne by IR upon submission of receipts. The test report will be kept in the concerned employee’s PCF and the blood group information must be incorporated in the ID card.

4.4.18 A person who is employed in another organization and seeking employment with IR must produce a clearance/release order from that organization prior to his/her joining IR. Under no circumstances can a person who is holding regular/contract employment in any other organization undertake employment (regular/contract) with IR- Bangladesh.

4.4.19 Islamic Relief Bangladesh employees are not authorized to work for other companies, organizations or Government bodies if they are employed full-time with IR. However, for special cases, (e.g. during the leave periods) an employee may work in other organization for a short duration providing prior written permission has been issued by Country Director.

4.3.20 Employee who accept the offer letter, must sign the offer and contract letter and submit it to HR Department with a joining letter. Respective supervisor/Program Manager will recommend and send to HR for acceptance by CD/Head of Finance and Admin (HOFA)/HoP.

4.5 Confirming/Promoting Acting Incumbents:

4.5.1 An employee may be assigned acting responsibilities in order to temporarily fill a vacancy. During the period in which acting responsibilities are assumed, the employee will benefit as per section 10.C. (Acting Allowance) of this manual.

4.5.2 Recruitment efforts will be organized to fill vacancies including positions temporarily filled on an acting basis, the acting incumbent may also apply for the position, however his/her candidacy will be considered on a competitive basis.

4.5.3 An acting incumbent selected after competitive recruitment will be confirmed in the positions and will benefit from a promotion as per section 10.A.1 (Promotion).

4.5.4 If, after the screening process, the recruitment board decides that no candidate entirely fulfils expectations for appointment to the position, the board may recommend that the acting incumbent is the strongest candidate for assuming the position permanently but needs more time



and support for personal or professional development. The board will act as review board for assessing performance and improvement. The same board will undertake a review after six months, and will make recommendations for continuing the acting period or confirming the acting incumbent.

4.5.5 The board may recommend at anytime that the acting incumbent not to be confirmed, thereby re-opening the recruitment process. If by twelve months the board cannot recommend confirmation, then recruitment will be re-opened and the acting incumbent’s application will not be considered this time.

4.6 Re-Employment:

4.6.1 The categories of separation that will not be considered for re-employment in IR- Bangladesh is: Termination, dismissal, forced resignation, protest resignation, retirement, loss of service lien, discharge, resigned during probationary period.

4.6.2 The categories of separation that will be considered for re-employment in IR Bangladesh are: retrenchment, resignation due to personal problem (e.g. further education, pregnancy, breast feeding, family hardship etc.) and resignation provided satisfactory performance is documented in PCF. If an unconfirmed staff has resigned due to these sorts of problems, she/he may be re-employed.

4.6.3 When an ex-IR employee requests re-employment his/her case may be considered under the following conditions: 1) a vacancy exists; 2) the ex-employee meets the qualifications and job requirements for the vacant position; and 3) the ex-employee’s previous performance record is favourable. Relevant Department will check performance record.

4.6.4 Staff who have rejoined IR after a break may include their previous service length in calculation of certain benefit entitlement if:

a. They have previously worked for Islamic Relief for a continuous period of at least 12 months, and

b. They have not broken their service with Islamic Relief by more than 12 months.

4.6.5 A data sheet on separation will be filled up by HR Department, IRCO and will kept in the employee’s PCF.

4.7 Probationary Period and Confirmation:

4.7.1 All new employees must satisfactorily complete at least three (3) /six-(6) months’ probationary period prior to confirmation. During this period the employee’s job performance and conduct will be observed. The supervisor should make a brief non-format evaluation for both IRCO and Field Office files.

4.7.2 If performance of a probationary employee fails to meet prescribed standards, he/she may be released from service with 24 hours notice, or otherwise, if stated in the contract letter.

4.7.3 A probationary period can be extended to a maximum of nine months for all staff. If the supervisor feels that the employee has potentialities, which she/he could not have demonstrated well, in that case his/her probationary period may be extended. The concerned Manager IRCO must be consulted first on all requests for extending probation. All such cases must be initiated at least two weeks before the completion of probation date.

4.7.4 After useful completion of the probationary period, a Confirmation Letter is to be issued by the HR Department to the employee as per attachment- 5.


HRM-Manual-IRB-16.01.2014 “IRB has Zero tolerance to Bribery, Fraud and Child abuse”Page 10

4.7.5 Prior to completion of the probationary period, the authorized Project Manager will intimate the performance appraisal of the concerned staff and after completion of the performance appraisal, with recommendation, will forward it to HR Department. All the cases of probation extension or termination will be handled by HR Department.

4.7.6 Project employee(s), if regularized, can be given credit for the contract period if it coincides with the duration of the probationary period. Length of service will then be considered from the date of the employee’s regularization.

4.7.7 After three/six months of the probationary period, performance feedback session will be arranged by supervisors for all probationers. The supervisor will highlight both strong and weak areas of the probationer during this feedback session. The supervisor will also provide assistance and suggestions with regard to addressing weak areas of the probationer. Appraisal format will be filled by supervisor and forward it to HR Department and this will be part of the PCF.

4.8 Application and updating of Personal details:

Staff should complete an authorized application form. Staff members are asked to notify the appropriate office in Islamic Relief of any change of name, address and telephone number, and any changes in details of next of kin or the person to be notified in cases of emergency. Staff should also give notification of the details of any changes in recognized partners or recognized dependants where such details are required for insurance or other purposes.

4.8.1 Birth Certificate/SSC Certificate:

Birth Certificate or S.S.C. Certificate or other proof of age and nationality certificate/National ID card is required before or after appointment. Such documentation may be photocopied and keep on each individual’s personnel file.

4.8.2 References:

Newly joining staff members should supply the names of at least two people, other than relatives, including, where available, that of their most recent employers.

4.8.3 Domicile:

Each member of staff has an operating base specified in their letter of appointment and is usually required to live within a given radius of that base. This may be changed by agreement with the Manager. Permission will only be given to live outside this radius where it does not affect the proper execution of work requirements and does not involve Islamic Relief in additional costs.

4.8.4 Job Description :

All staff member will have Job Description. JD will be drafted by respective Manager/supervisor/departmental head and submit it to HRD, to take approval from HoP (for Program/project staff) and HoFA (for support service staff)/HR Manager/CD.

SECTION-B Staff Benefits and Responsibilities

5. Financial Benefits: Statement of principle: Islamic Relief, is committed to maintaining salaries and benefits that are

fair to all employees and competitive in the local market place. The Head management will monitor changes in the economy and salary market to ensure that the overall compensation package is sufficient to attract, recruit and retain high quality staff within the financial capabilities of Islamic Relief in Bangladesh. At all times the head management will consider long term implications of changes in employee compensation as well as fairness to employees currently serving.



5.A Salaries:

5.A.1 IR salaries are consolidate monthly salary which is call Monthly Gross salary. Monthly gross salary will be divided between basic salary and other allowance as per following matrix. Allowances will normally be paid to the employee along with the salary payment.

5.A.2. Except for casual employees, every other employee, regular, probationary or project will be compensated for services rendered to Islamic Relief in Bangladesh in relation to the Grade and Step position they occupy.

5.A.3 Payments shall only be made in Bangladeshi Taka.

5.A.4 Salary payment shall be made not earlier than the 25th and not later than the 5th of next month unless or otherwise instructed by the organization.

5.A.5 The calculation of Salary is as follows:

The salary will be calculated as per the total number of days for that month and the last working day of the staff. For example, if the staff worked till 12th January, his salary calculation for the 12 days will be as follows:

Salary divided by 30/31 and multiply by 12 (last working day).

5.A.6 Islamic Relief – Bangladesh reserves the right to make deductions from employee’s salary for the following:

a. Unauthorized absence from duty.

b. Damage to, or loss of, goods expressly entrusted to the employee for custody, or for loss of money for which he/she is accountable for, where such damage or loss is directly attributable to his/her negligence or default.

c. Recovery of over payment of salary or benefits allowances.

d. Unadjusted advances and loans.

e. Income tax payable by the employees according to the existing income tax rules issued by the government.

f. Provident Fund contribution.

g. Any facility used by the employee official mobile (e.g over limit use of official mobile), official vehicle, kitchen expenses etc

h. Any other adjustment which the CD authorize for deduction.

5.B Cost of Living Adjustments (COLA):

5.B.1 Purpose of the COLA: COLA is intended to keep the value of our salaries roughly constant in terms of their ability to purchase goods and services. Annual cost of living adjustments will ensure timely adjustments to the basic salary and this keeps Islamic Relief’s levels of salaries more competitive. As a result, periodic comprehensive salary reviews should usually result in minor adjustments to ensure equity.

5.B.2 Timing: Each year on January 1st the basic salary scale of Islamic Relief in Bangladesh will be adjusted to account for inflation during the previous year. The Cost of Living (COLA) mechanism will be based on estimated inflation in the local economy and management review of financial impact and available resources.

5.B.3 Method of calculation: The Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) will be calculated using the average of the general consumer price index for middle income families in Bangladesh. Based



on the inflation rate which are published by Bangladesh Bank and Consumers Association of Bangladesh(CAB) , COLA will be calculated on average basis.

5.B.4 COLA calculation requires the approval of the Country Director following financial analysis and recommendation from HR & Finance Department.

5.C Increments:

5.C.1 Generally increments are awarded once each year (January) based on performance appraisals. Salary increments are intended to recognize superior performance and, therefore, are not automatic.

5.C.2 For increment percentage , please refer to Performance rating clause, in Annual Performance Appraisal (APA).

5.C.3 Other term and condition of Increments are as follows:

a. Increment will be effective from 1st, January of each year.

b. Only current staff who have not resigned or not terminated till approval of increment, will be allowed for the increment.

c. All staff will get COLA irrespective of permanent or probation/project.

d. If a staff has joined before or on 20th of a month, this month will be considered full and if a staff has joined on or after 21st of the month, that month will not be considered for calculation.

e. If an employee got the promotion or salary increase during the previous year, date of promotion in that year will be considered as date of joining for proportion calculation of COLA and increment.

f. If some mistakes are identified in the staff increment working, it will be corrected and the amount will be adjusted in afterward salary.

g. Increment also should be considered with the availability of the budget of the respective budget.

h. Promotion and salary adjustment will be through a separate working sheet and

The increment and COLA approval committee will compromise the following members:

(a) Country Director (Chairman)

(b) HoFA/HoP

(c) Respective Program Manager/Manager

(d) HR Manager

(e) Finance Manager

5.D Long Service Awards:

5.D.1 On completion of ten (10) years continues (uninterrupted) service an employee shall be entitled to an award equivalent to 3 month’s basic salary.

5.D.2 On completion of twenty (20) years continuous (uninterrupted) service an employee shall be entitled to an award equivalent to 6 months basic salary.

5.D.3 On completion of thirty (30) years continuous (uninterrupted) service an employee shall be entitled to award equivalent to 9 months basic salary.

5.D.4 The award, as stated in section 5.D.1, 5.D.2 and 5.D.3 shall be at the rate of an employees’ basic salary eligible to receive on or after the final date of his/her ten, twenty or thirty years completion of service.



5.E Festival Bonus: 5.E.1 All Islamic Relief Staff will be entitled to receive one month gross salary as Eid bonus and will be divided into two Eids (Eid Ul Fiter & Eid Ul- Azha) subject to budget availability of the respective project but those who joined less than 12 months before Eid ,will be entitled Eid bonus at pro rata basis. 5.E.2 If there is any Non-Muslim employee he/she will also receive Eid bonus annually the same as above.

5.E.3 Staff who’s separation date is before Eid day, will be not entitled Eid Bonus.

5.F Overtime:

5.F.1 Overtime may be paid to both regular and contract employees. Only Drivers and Support Staff are entitled to overtime payments for working in excess of established office hours, at the rate of 2 times Basic Salary at the discretion of Supervisor / Manager. Islamic Relief Guards working on Saturdays declared by the GOB as National holidays, but not listed as Islamic Relief holidays, will be entitled to overtime.

5.F.2 Overtime is related to work performed in excess of 45 hours per week (unless obviated by conditions of Employment, Job Description, etc.). Therefore, to calculate overtime the two factors are hours and salary only. Calculation are as follows:

Monthly Basic Salary Total Months/Year Total for 12 Months

7,541.00 12 90,492.00

Per/Week Total Week/Year Total Hours/Year Yearly Salary Per/Hour

Over Time/Hour

45 52 2340 90,492.00

38.67

77.00

5.F.3 Field Offices should maintain a hour/payment schedule for all employees eligible for overtime.

5.F.4 Use over time calculation format for keeping track of overtime payments by employee. This format need to be submitted to finance section after approval.

5.F.5 Note that while overtime is accrued weekly it is paid at the end of the month. Supervisors should submit a summary of overtime payments to IRCO/Field Offices Accounts section.

5.F.6 Overtime shall not be granted to employees such as field staff because of their irregular working hours. For any specified job the job description attached to the appointment letter at the time of hiring should note the eligibility for overtime.

5.F.7 For field trips on weekends and holidays payment of per diem and overtime will be applicable for drivers & support staff. The driver & support staff can claim CTO as like other staff or overtime maximum 8 hours in field visit.

5.F.8 On working days if any driver/support staff goes to field after lunch and returns on the same day he can claim overtime. But if he/she stays in the field overnight and returns on the next day or thereafter he will be entitled to claim per diem only at the applicable rate, but not overtime.

In case of working (airport duty, any emergency duty) within the operational city beyond working hours, the overtime payment will be for actual hours worked. Please note that overtime will not be considered if any one need to sleep in the office but can claim Per Diem.

5.F.9 Non-field staff (e.g. Messenger) deployed on Temporary Duty Assignment to another posting will also be eligible for overtime for extra hours.



5.F.10 Any Staff required to work on Eid day to secure the offices/field offices will get double of his/her gross salary per day and CTO. If hired from outside for temporary period will get Tk.

400/- per day. Staff who will work during Qurbani and Ramadan programs in the same district and other district will be entitled for actual conveyance, Per Diem & Accommodation (if needed) with supporting documents.

5. G Staff Provident Fund:

5.G.1 Each confirmed employee applying for and accepted, as a member of the Provident Fund will have 10% of their monthly Basic Salary deducted before Basic Salary is paid. Islamic Relief makes monthly contributions to the Provident Fund of an equal amount in the employee’s name. In case of retirement, resignation, retrenchment, termination, or discharge after a minimum of 1 year of continuous service with Islamic Relief, the employee will receive the total of their individual contributions and Islamic Relief’s contributions with profit. If a staff member leaves Islamic Relief employment before completion of 1 year of continuous service, the employee will receive their individual contribution only but short duration project staff will receive both contribution if project close before one year.

5.G.2 Provident Fund Loan: In some case of justified need members may apply to the Provident Fund Trustees for loan to pay for:

i) Medical expenses for self and family.

ii) Educational expense of children.

iii) Marriage, funeral or ceremonial expenses.

iv) Purchase of any assets, Flat and construction of house/ building, etc.

5.G.3 Provident Fund Trustee board may approve loan to members from said fund subject to fulfil following condition by the applicant:

i) Staff members who have completed two years continuous service with IRB.

ii) Total amount will not be exceeded 50% (fifty percent) of total amount accumulated for the applicant.

iii) Recovery period should be specified by the PFT and applicant and the maximum 24 monthly instalments.

iv) This loan will be repaid by maximum 24 instalments without any profit or service charge.

5.G.4 Staff Provident Fund will be calculated by Islamic Relief Country Office Finance Department.

5.G.5 Any Bank Profit of Staff Provident Fund account will be transferred to IRB staff provident fund.

5.G.6 Provident Fund Trustee- A trustee board will be formed by three member of IRCO approved by the CD.

Provident Fund Trustee Board members will be:

a. Country Director

b. Finance Manager

c. HR Manager

Authorized signatories will be:



1. Country Director

2. Head of Finance and Admin/Program Manager

3. HR Manager

,5.H Salary Loans:

5.H.1 Only staff who have completed minimum 2 full years they may apply for loans. Country Director may consider loans up to one month gross salary per complete year of service maximum 4 months gross salary. This is repayable within a maximum period of 12 months of the loan.

5.H.2 Salary Loan: In some cases of justified need any staff members can apply to the Country Director for Salary loan to pay for:

i. Medical expenses for self and family.

ii. Educational expenses of children.

iii. Marriage, funeral or ceremonial expenses.

iv. Purchase of any assets, Flat and construction of house/ building, etc.

5.H.2 A six months gap should be maintained two successive salary loans approved for the same staff.

5.I Gratuity:

5.I.1 Gratuity is due to an employee, who resigns or is terminated, retrenched or discharged after a minimum of Two years service with Islamic Relief Bangladesh. Only employees who have completed at least two years (uninterrupted) services after confirmation as regular staff/regular project staff are eligible for gratuity. Staff who separated before completion of 2 years, gratuity amounts deducted against him/her will be added to the common Gratuity fund to cover any shortfalls.

5.I.2 Staff who are dismissed for Gross Misconduct are not eligible for gratuity payments.

5.I.3 Gratuity is subject to the budget availability of respective project. Gratuity is calculated at the rate of 1 month’s salary based on the last Gross Salary received 6 months before resignation or end of the contract in IRB for every completed year of service, or for any part thereof.

5.I.4 Employee will be entitled for gratuity budgeted or amount transferred to gratuity accounts since establishment of the gratuity system (from 2001).

5.I.5 Staff who transfer as secondment to another country, will not be entitled gratuity during secondment period.

5.I.6 Gratuity will be calculated by Islamic Relief Accounts and remitted to the concerned persons after receipt of advice for separation, staff clearance Form and no other claim letter.

5.I.7 Finance will produce and present yearly Gratuity status report to the COMT annually.

5.I.8 If gratuity fund is invested as FDR /Mudaraba, collective profit of investment will be used to contribute towards meeting shortfalls to Gratuity fund. Profits will not be distributed to staff.

5.I.9 Organization reserve the rights to revise the Gratuity policy if needed due to budgetary constraints, benefits package revisions and / or in line with the laws at any time. Staff will be entitled gratuity payments in accordance to the revised policy at the time of separation.

5.J Daily Transportation Allowance:



5.J.1 Site based staff will not be eligible for a Daily Transportation Allowance; however in case of transportation expenses due to field travel, the field staff will claim for reimbursement of actual expenses through a Travel Expense Report.

5.J.2 The claim for transportation allowance for working in the weekend or holiday, if any, will be reimbursed once in a month. The respective departments or sections will prepare and submit a summary statement for each individual on 25th of each month to the Finance Department of respective office for such payment. The payment will be at actual for the all staff.

5.J.3 No Transportation Allowance shall be paid to anyone who is required to keep an assigned bicycle, motorcycle or any other vehicle at their place of residence.

5.K Per Diem and Lodging:

5.K.1 Per Diem:

All national staff irrespective of Country Office or field based will be eligible for per diem and lodging expenses for applicable travel (Approved travel for official assignment with an action plan and outside of working area/district). Employees in all grades shall be entitled to receive a per diem (food & incidental) without receipt, upon submission of a Travel Expenses Report (TER) for travel at the inclusive rate as per the following:

Per Diem rate would be BDT 1000/per day with irrespective of any districts or places.

a. Breakdown of the per diem: Breakfast–10%, Lunch–35%, Dinner–35%, Incidental cost–20%

b. Time for per diem are as follows, based on visit starts:

Breakfast – before 8 a.m., Lunch – before 2 p.m and Dinner – before 8 p.m.

c. For returning from the visit, the timing will be after the mentioned times. Incidental will be full even there is only one meal is entitled.

d. During field visit on holiday the drivers/support staff will be entitled for both the per diem and CTO /Over time maximum 8hrs per day.

5.K.2 Lodging/hotel rent rate per day will be as follows. Special permission can be taken from the CD as need basis, especially when staff visits in high cost area/visits with Donor.

5.K.3 Employee will be entitled to lodging allowance on presentation TER as per following table:

Lodging Allowance With Receipt Up to Without Receipt

Grade 1-9,0 Tk. 1500 Tk. 500

5.K.4 Approval authority for field travel by IR staff : The following level of authority was determined for field travel:

a. Field travel-Field staff-Programme Manager/RPM (for programme staff) and respective Manager for support service staff.

b. Field travel for Program Managers, RPM, MFE , staff under CD & other Managers-HoP/HoFA/Country Director.

5.K.5 Per Diem & Lodging for CD and Expatriate staff:

Considering Suitable Food & Suitable Accommodation and In view of security and dietary requirements CD and Expatriate staff may be reimbursed per diem and lodging at actual on submission of Voucher up to a maximum of 3 Stars Hotel where required.



5.K.6 In case of field visit, contract and casual staff will receive per diem and lodging allowances as per regular staff in accordance with respective grade/position entitlement.

5.K.7 During field visit or travelling of lactating mother (5 years after give birth) can take attendant for her child. Attendant will get actual conveyance, food & accommodation cost.

5.K.8 Any employee works with permission of his/her supervisor in his/her office/station after 8.00 p.m., he/she will be entitled for dinner and local conveyance and for holiday/week end ,CTO, Food within Tk. 300/-, local conveyance. 5.K.9 Support Staff will be entitled over time/CTO, Food within Tk. 300/- and local conveyance for holiday/week end in his/her office/station. 5.K.10 Staff who went outside IRCO to attend any meeting or any official works where lunch is not provided and returned after 3 pm, will be entitled lunch and drink within Tk. 300/- with actual bill.

5.L Travel Allowances:

5.L.1 Short Trip :

Staff who have to travel for work purposes travel allowances are paid for local transport through Rickshaws, Baby taxis/Auto Rickshaws/CNG. Allowances will be paid prior to travelling through I.O.U. slip/advance or by submitting a receipt afterwards.

5.L.2 Long Trip :

Islamic Relief’s Staff members are entitled to avail transport for official trips as outlined below: (Reimbursement will be on the basis of tickets actually purchased):

Staff Grade Entitlement

All Grade

(The most time Versus cost efficient option should be selected in consultation with one’s line manager)

Flights should be approved by CD.

Train (1st or 2nd class/sleeper – as appropriate) or AC/non AC Bus or Air ticket (for project areas having flight route – where time saving is justified by extra cost).

5.L.2.1 Before the Visit:

Before your travel you must ensure that you have been well briefed on the purpose, time and duration of your visit. You must ensure that your immediate supervisor is aware and agreeable to you travelling on such a mission. This permission must be obtained in writing and left with the HR Manager at IRCO or with your division Manager if you are an employee from a field or different fund-raising office.

If you were requested to bring any material have it organized well in advance of your travel. If you need any equipments prepared for your visit ask the host office if they can have it ready.

You will have ensured that all legal documentation has been completed to allow you unhindered entry to the country you are visiting.

You will send an itinerary of your travel dates, time and locations in advance to your supervisor.

5.L.2.2 After the Visit:

a. On your return, prepare a report that gives an assessment of what was achieved from the visit, write any recommendations you have and submit the report to your Division Manager.

b. Air Ticket/Train ticket/Bus ticket should be submitted on return.



5.L.2.3 Where urgency of the trip or other valid reasons indicate that one grade of staff travel at a level higher than their normal entitlement, this may be arranged with the prior approval of the concerned manager explaining the reason.

5.M Non-Practising Allowance:

5.M.1 Islamic Relief will pay Non-practicing Allowance to the Doctors, where position required Doctor or other professionals. NPA will be a certain percentage of their month basic salary not exceeding 40%.

5.M.2 NPA is payable to those professionals who are working under Health Projects.

5.M.3 This benefit is payable with the monthly salary.

5.N Income Tax Deduction:

Tax Deduction: All IR staff (only who draws taxable amount) will pay their Income Tax according to the NBR policy and submit a certificate for each financial year to HRD. IR Accounts Department will deduct a certain amount as tax and tax deduction policy will follow the procedure as stated in the financial part of this manual.

5. O Private use of Vehicle:

IR Vehicle can be used only in the case of emergency with prior approval from Operation Support Manager or CD with recommendation from the line manager.

5.P Mobile Phone to IR Staff:

This directive and guidelines covers and regulate the IRB Mobile Phone usage.

Issue and Usage Guidelines:

1) Mobile phones usage are authorized to IRB staff members who need to be contacted when away from IRB premises or require frequent interaction with external as well as IRB outside core working hours. They are intended for IRB business use solely.

2) Mobile phones will only be issued to staff members on authorization by their Program Manager/Managers and finally approval by the Country Director, with the following criteria:

a. The budget is available.

b. Mobile Set: It will be the general principle that the mobile set cost rate will be from Taka 1,500/- to Taka 10,000/-. If high configured mobile set is needed for the purpose of business, written permission should be taken from Country Director.

c. Internet Modem: i) Line Manager will assess the requirements of his/her subordinate for Internet modem usages

limit. With the consent of IT Personnel finally the usages limit will be fixed.

ii) Internet Usages limit will be between Tk. 375 to Tk.1000 per month. Internet modem will be procure or determine considering the network or user to be based.

iii) As per the business need, maximum limit could be exceed with the approval of Country Director.

iv) Selection/Procurement of any Internet modem IT personnel will finally recommend to Line Manager and Procurement unit based on the performance of different company network.

3) If any financial loss due to misuse, exceeding credit limits or theft etc. Finance department will calculate by checking the purchase value of the set, minus depreciation, in case of spare parts; by sending the set to the seller/mechanics for diagnosis and determine the repair cost.



4) Staff should familiarize themselves with the equipment by consulting its documentation or by consulting Operation Support Department and should exercise due care and responsibility in its use. Failure to exercise due care and responsibility could result in the withdrawal of the equipment, with financial responsibility from the user.

5) The mobile phones now available have features which are not required for business. Staff has to remember that mobile is for official purposes and paid by charity sources and use for any personal reason, browsing, tones and songs download should be avoided.

6) In case of loss or theft, staff should immediately contact the IRB Operation Support Department in IRCO – Dhaka in writing within 24 hours. IRB Operation Support Department will alert the service provider to de-activate the phone’s SIM-card. Failure to notify Operation Support Department would assist in the illegal use of mobile phones and the staff member may be held responsible for the cost of any illegal calls. Operation Support Department will be responsible for verification of information submitted by staff members in this regard. Concerned staff can also contact the service provider immediately in case of urgency.

7) In the case of loss or theft, staff member should also immediately report the incident to the Police Authorities in the area where the incident took place. The staff member should obtain a signed “Statement of Loss” and will submit the same to Operation Support Manager and Finance to charge and keep records of the loss. Assets Register should be updated immediately with supporting documents. Failure to submit a Statement of Loss will result in the staff member being charged the costs of the SIM card and phone.

As it is the policy to report the incident to the Police Authority concerned does not need to obtain approval from the local manager.

General Principles:

8) A basic concept is that all services and means of communication within IRB are primarily for official business. The extension of these facilities to the private use of staff is a privilege. All internal or external phones calls fall into the following main categories:

a. Official calls deal exclusively with the official business of IRB and are paid for IRB. Official calls are generally substantive, administrative and preparatory.

b. Unofficial calls are defined as those having an indirect, supportive relationship to IRB’s business. Such calls are paid also by IRB. Unofficial calls can be informational or informal. However, staff should limit the length and frequency of informal calls.

Billing:

9) Operation Support Department is responsible to assign a focal point for service providers that IRB deals with. This involve, but not limited to, documentation regarding proper addressing in the bills, user name, credit limit, and payments. The focal person is sole responsible IRB representative to maintain regular contract with service providers. The Head of Admin and Finance/CD should be kept informed regularly.

10) The service provider normally sends an invoice/itemized bill to the attention of the IRB Operation Support Department. Each invoice covers a one-month period and shows the total cost of all calls made during the period.

11) Operation Support Department to agree to have designated a focal person to receive the invoices and identify the finding codes by project. The focal point arranges for payments to service provider, calls payments, purchase of SIM cards, purchase of mobile sets etc. Focal Person is responsible for payments in such a timely manner as to ensure continuity of services



as well as will be responsible to keep records and reports on each mobile phone particulars, calls costs and payments effected in such a way that it serves as a reference.

Operation Support Manager will act as Focal Person to carry all the necessary activities related to mobile phones.

Updating the mobile phone inventory:

12) The Focal Point will update records every month with the information that changed during the month. This information should be shared with the Operation Support Department for Assets Register. Furthermore, the Focal Person should have latest updates with the service provider in regards to IRB mobile phones in general, and specifically credit limits for each connection.

13) Staff MUST NOT transfer mobile phones to other staff without authorization from Operation Support Manager. Should un-authorized transfers occur, the staff member to whom the phone was officially assigned will be held responsible for any subsequent traffic and will result in withdrawal of service from staff member.

14) Any phone which is untraceable because the above stipulations have not been observed will oblige the Focal Point to debit all costs to the last legitimate user.

Returning Mobile Phone:

15) Staff must return to the Operation Support Department the same complete kit as it was issued.

16) Returned kits will be inspected for damage (Physical as well as programmatic damage) and loss before a dated receipt is issued.

Responsibilities: 17) Requesting Unit and Staff:

a) Submit requests for authorization to use mobile phone.

b) Follow up, when approved with Focal Point.

c) Sign necessary documentation.

18) Focal Point:

a) Arrange for a purchase order.

b) Estimate and budget for costs from projects budgets, advise the requesting unit of the funding codes to be used (in coordination with FU).

c) Arrange for payment of the invoice by registering the Goods Receipt.

d) Issue mobile phone (asset register will be maintained but to keep the tract of the movement mobile set should be issued by the name of the user).

e) Inform the Operation Support Staff responsible for Assets of any changes or transfer.

f) Prepare detailed consumption reports.

g) Enable SIM Cards and co-ordinate repairs.

19) Operation Support Unit:

a) In coordination with Operation Support Department prepare detailed consumption reports.

b) Block the SIM cards of lost or stolen phones, when instructed by FP.

c) Receive requests for issue and return of mobile phones.

20) Finance Unit:



a) Finance Department would record the mobile phone bills in accordance with detailed consumption report submitted by Operation Support Department/Focal Point.

b) Recover cost of private calls from the salary of the staff in accordance with statement of personal calls and costs thereto prepared by Focal Point.

21) Mobile phone usage Ceiling:

Grade – 9,0 - Tk. 3000/-

Grade – 8 - Tk. 2,500/-

Grade – 7 - Tk. 2000/-

Grade – 6 - Tk. 1500/-

Grade – 5 - Tk. 1000/-

Grade –4 - Tk. 800/-

Grade –3 - Tk. 600/-

Grade –2 - Tk. 400/- Grade –1 - Tk. 300/-

a. All respective managers are responsible for ensuring the budget/fund availability in the respective project.

b. If the ceiling increases in any cases, approval should be obtained from the Country Director through Line Manager.

c. We shall use single service provider as a corporate customer, therefore staff are not allowed to request line from other service provider. If needed, permission should take from Country Director.

5.Q Eye Tests: 5.Q.1 Drivers, and field staff assigned motor vehicles will be required to undergo eye tests every

alternate year, or when deemed necessary by Managers. Islamic Relief will bear the expense of the eye test.

5.Q.2 Islamic Relief will reimburse each Driver up to Taka 1000/- for one pair of spectacles for the every year, upon the submission of eye test results from a registered Eye Specialist and a cash receipt.

5.Q.3 In the event of damage or breakage of the frame or the glass (lens), the cost shall be borne by the Driver, unless the spectacles were used by the employee for at least one year.

5.R Health Perquisites Policy: Health Perquisites Policy issue is a crucial item of any employee to provide the satisfactory services to the organization. To ensure better medical services, organization will be created a separate Bank accounts in HSBC/Islami Bank by the name of Staff Medical Services-IRB. Health Perquisites Policy issue is now being viewed as an employee attraction and retention tool. It will help employees and their families to take care of their essential medical needs. The happier an employee with an organization, the more productive they will be. Organization has noticed an increase self-worth and motivation of their employees with the introduction of Health Perquisites Policy. The objective of Health Perquisites Policy is to treat employees as part of an extended family and increase their sense of 'security'. Employees are able to secure their families against any unforeseen medical risks through their Health Perquisites Policy.

Health Perquisites Policy is a health care coverage plan in which individual employees are included under one 'master policy' owned by their employers. Because the Health Perquisites Policy has so many contributors, the policy often provides coverage for more services at a much lower cost per participant. It is in fact a very good investment for corporate these days. Further, it is good news for the employees too, as employees will get benefit from affordable Healthcare.



5.R.1 Eligibility of Employees: i. Self: All employees Part Time, Full time who is actively at work at least 10 hours per week.

ii. Spouse: Spouse is a person to whom you are legally married.

iii. Dependent Child: Dependent child of employee includes, a child under 21 years of age for whom employees are legally and financially responsible.

5.R.2 Employee Responsibilities:

a) Before consultation ( IPD) and admission into hospital staff needs to inform HRD by email/SMS and with telephone that he/she or his/her family member is going to be admitted for treatment advised by qualified registered medical doctor.

b) Immediate (within one month) Pre-hospitalised bill can also be accepted for same diseases within the entitlement limit.

c) Staff should provide mobile /telephone number of consulted doctor, money receipt from doctor /in prescription pad for consultation fees and all itemized bill.

d) Discharge certificate of hospital/clinic should be provided with full address and telephone number.

e) All original itemized bills like doctor’s consultancy fees, admission fees, Seat rent, investigation charges, medicines bill, operation charge and any other service charges related to treatment should be submitted to HRD after recommendation of his line manager, and Program Manager/ Departmental Manager.

5.R.3 Employer Responsibilities:

5.R.3.1 Provide medical benefits for every staff and his family members, if needed hospitalization.

5.R.3.2 Create a separate Bank accounts in HSBC/Islami Bank by the name of Staff Medical Services-IRB.

5.R.3.3 Charge Tk. 5,000/per year for every staff from respective project and would be deposited to the above mention account. This amount would be revised every year to adjust inflation.

5.R.4 Benefits of Health Perquisites Policy:

5.R.4.1 In Patients Department (IPD)- Per disability staff/family members can avail maximum Tk. 50,000 (Fifty thousand) only and maximum two cases/year/staff with his family member, with all types of expenditures like, Doctor’s Consultancy fees, admission fees, Seat rent, Investigations charges, medicines bill, operation charge and any other service charges related to treatment.

5.R.4.2 Maternity-Per event maximum Tk.30,000 will be entitled to Individual women staff/Wife of male staff.

5.R.5 Claim Process:

5.R.5.1 A written request of claim by any staff should be forwarded with recommendation of respective supervisor and Program Manager to Human Resources Department IRW-B.

5.R.5.2 In the event of any family member, declaration of spouse and dependent/copy of marriage certificate of spouse and birth certificate children will be required.

5.R.6 In-Eligibility of Health Perquisites Policy:

IR-B shall not be liable for any accident benefits including accidental dismemberment, if any employee:

a) Was under the influence of liquor or illegal drugs at the time of accidents.



b) Has wilful injury and suicide. c) Has wilfully disobeyed an order expressly given. d) Has wilfully disregarded government laws or currently acceptable safety regulations. e) Has wilfully assault. f) Has wilfully participated in competitions, races, contests and/or matches involving prize

money on land, air, sea or mountain climbing, pot holing, paragliding, bungee jumping, parachuting and scuba diving. However any event of disability during or as a consequence of participation in adventure sports, for sake of sports and/or physical and mental well-being, is covered in the policy.

5.R.7 An employee, be regular or contract, may be allowed excess “Sick Leave” days, in addition to normal accrued Sick Leave days, should the individual be unable to attend office/ field duties because of an official work related injury, subject to approval of the CD.

5.R.8 In case staffs suffer from trauma in the aftermath of an incident during official business (e.g. vehicle accident or experiences out of horrific scenes while working in a disaster hit area), IR will pay 100% costs for trauma counselling upon approval of CD.

5S Death Allowance: As per IRW-HQ updated HR Manual

5.S.1 If an employee, be regular or contract, died resulting from any injury/causality/Normal death while in duty ,IR will pay a death allowance to the proven legal death of the deceased (death certificate) according to the following :

General Description

One of Payment Continuous Example of Cause of Death

• IRB staff

• Die in line of duty

• No satisfactory state social benefit system

I. 2 years gross Salary.

II. Increased by 20% after each year service till doubled after 5 years service.

III. Pay for burial.

Orphans sponsorship rate per child per month up to the age of 18 unless due to some unforeseen circumstance IRB is unable to fulfill this commitment.

Natural causes, Heart attack etc, Traffic accident, Any kind of disasters, Wars, Lightening,

Cross border firing.

• IRB staff

• Die not on duty

• No satisfactory state social benefit system

I. 1 years gross salary

II. Increased by 20% after each year service till doubled after 5 years service.

III. Pay for burial.

Natural causes, Heart attack etc, Traffic accident, Any kind of disasters, Wars, Lightening,

Cross border firing.

5.S.3 This benefit will not be paid if the death is a result of the following:

i) Death by taking part in any subversive activities.

ii) Death by Criminal prosecution.

iii) Death by Suicide.



5.S.3 In case an employee, be regular or contract, dies by accident in the line of duty (i.e. during a disaster response operation) IR will pay his or her legal heir(s) forty eight months basic salary irrespective of length of service.

5.S.4 In order to calculate death benefit only uninterrupted length of service will be considered. In case a contract staff becomes a regular staff after certain period and the continuity of service is uninterrupted then the first joining date, as contract staff will be considered in this regard.

5.S.5 Death benefit beneficiaries must present death certificate to receive benefits.

5.S.6 Approval of the Country Director is necessary before the payment of any death benefit.

SECTION-C Office Management and IR Holidays

6. Office Hours: 6.1 All Islamic Relief employees are required to work a minimum of 40 hours a week, for support

staff 45 hours/week, unless their conditions of employment, job description or other statement of work responsibilities note otherwise.

6.2 IRCO-Dhaka: (08:30am-09:30am) to (04:30pm-05:30 pm) (Sunday -Thursday) 40 hours/week including 30 minutes break for lunch and prayer.

In field offices: Staff under HAERD & DRR will work 6 days/week a total of 44 hours/week including 30 minutes break for lunch and prayer (9-00 am to 5-00 pm) (Saturday – Wednesday) and (9-00am to 1-00 pm)-(Thursday).

Other field offices will work for 5 days/week a total of 42.5 hours/week including 30 minutes break for lunch and prayer (9-00 am to 5-30 pm) (Sunday -Thursday).

6.3 Habitual tardiness will not be permitted. Supervisors are responsible for taking an appropriate disciplinary action , including a warning email with a cc to HR Manager, with habitually tardy employees. This warning will be kept in employee personal file.

6.4 The Attendance Signature Sheet of a day must be submitted to the HR Department in IRCO or to Project Managers in field office for verification all signatures, within 30 minutes of the official opening day.

7. Holidays:

7.1 HR Department will prepare a yearly holiday list for all staff. Islamic Relief list of official holidays will not exceed 22 days and will be based on the list of officially designated holidays issued by the Government of Bangladesh. The Country Director will, after due consideration, issue the approved list on or before 31 December of the year.

7.2 IRCO shall treat Friday and Saturday and IRFO (HAER & DRR) only Friday as designated weekends.

7.3 If the Government declares any public holiday through announcement, then the field and country office will observe that day as a holiday providing prior notification to do so has been announced by IRCO. However, in case of an unanticipated announcement (announced after the close of business of the previous working day) of such a holiday, and the organization has not been able to notify all field offices, the organization’s offices will observe the same.

Staff should follow the lunch break timing and the supervisor is responsible that the staff don’t exploit this facility. If staff residence is far from office, S/he should avail the lunch in office premises.



7.4 If an unanticipated holiday exceeds the organization’s limited of 22 holidays per year the Country Director may require that an additional working day be scheduled to compensate for the extra holiday. The additional working day will normally be scheduled for a Saturday and will be announced at least two weeks prior to the scheduled date. The Country Director may also schedule days to compensate for working days lost due to unanticipated events.

7.5 Any employee working on any holiday on the written request of the employer or as per their usual work roster (applicable for Drivers, Office Helpers, Guards, etc.) shall be compensated either by overtime, at the rate of 2 times of the basic salary or by taking an equal amount of time-off as determined by the management. For example, a Guard working on a holiday would be compensated as above.

8. Leave Policies:

8.1 General Policy:

8.1.1 Employees of Islamic Relief shall be entitled to leave and holidays with full pay. HRD will prepare yearly leave plan for the Country Director’s approval. All leave shall be granted in the form of half or full days.

8.1.2 An employee who wishes to utilize leave credits shall apply to his or her supervisor or other designates, in writing, using the standard Leave Application Form (LAF, Attachment -6). The Supervisor or their designates, shall approve the request by signing the form. If the leave request is not approved or the leave is postponed, reasons for refusal of postponement shall be recorded on the form. The concerned employee shall submit the form in duplicate. The original copy is to be filed in the employee’s leave file and the duplicate will be returned to employee for his/her records.

8.1.3 If leave for emergency purpose is required within 3 days of the day that the leave request is made, then approval or denial must be given by the Supervisor or their designates on the same day that the leave request is received.

8.1.4 If the employee, after proceeding on leave, requires an extension, he/she shall apply to the employer before the expiry of 50% of the leave and, if possible, the Supervisor, Manager or their designates will send a written reply to the employee’s address as shown on the LAF, either granting or refusing the requested extension of leave. Accrued leave must be available for this purpose.

8.1.5 If the employee remains absent beyond the period of leave originally granted or subsequently extended (as per Section 8.1.4) he/she shall be asked to explain in writing to the employer the reasons for the unauthorized absence. In addition, the employee must inform the employer, immediately, by telegram, fax or telephone why the leave extension is necessary and the expected date of return. Permission for extended leave may not necessarily be granted.

8.1.6 If the employee fails to explain to the satisfaction of the employer the reason for unauthorized absence, the employer may suspend the employee as a measure of punishment, for a period not exceeding seven days. The employee shall not be entitled to any financial benefits for such period of unauthorized absence and suspension.

8.1.7 Lose of Service Lien: An employee who is absent without proper leave authorization for a period of more than ten consecutive calendar days shall lose the lien on his/her job with approval of the Country Director or his/her designate. This letter shall be issued by HR Department as per (Attachment-7).



8.1.8 If, after three days of unauthorized absence, an employee has not notified his/her office as required under Section 8.1.2, 8.1.3 the office concerned will immediately inform HR Department in writing.

If an official holiday falls within the approved leave period, that holiday will not be considered a leave day.

8.1.9 Field offices and IRCO must maintain individual leave records in personnel files of all employees, using the Leave Record form (Attachment – 8).

8.1.10 When an employee is unable to attend the office, for whatever reason, he/she must inform his/her supervisor within the next working day.

8.1.11 Any leave taken in conjunction with Earn Leave and /or other holidays will be treated as Earn Leave, Leave Without Pay (LWOP), or Sick Leave, depending on the discretion of the concerned Supervisor or Manager.

8.1.12 If an employee takes study leave for a period of one quarter or more, she/he will not be credited with any type of leave (annual or sick) for the period concerned.

8.1.13 In case of short duration project less than one year and staff is separated from IR-B, leave will be calculated as per project period and leave balance can be carried over thee succeeding year. As for example, if project start in September and finished in March of next year then calculation will be for 7 months.

8.2 Yearly Vacation Leave Statement:

8.2.1 Field-offices will submit a Monthly Leave Statement/Record (Attachment - 8) to the HR Department on or before 6th of the following month.

8.2.2 HRD will review and compile leave statements for IRCO. A consolidated summary of the accrued amount of annual leave, along with vacation leave statements will be recorded to HRD.

8.2.3 Field Office will send both soft and hard copy of leave statement/record to HRD- IRCO.

8.3 Earn Leave: 8.3.1 Earn Leave is calculated at 20 working days per year (1.67 days per month) for the first three

years of employment and 22 days (1.83 days per month) thereafter. Part Time Employee will entitle EL as pro rata basis as per their working (2-4 hours/per day) hours. Every effort must be made to ensure that all employees take earned leave each year. This is the responsibility of all supervisors.

8.3.2 Earn Leave may not be taken in excess of days earned.

8.3.3 A maximum of 05 (five) unused Earn Leave may be carried over by an employee to the succeeding year and added to the leave to be allowed in that year as sick leave or any special leave e.g. study leave if required.

8.3.4 Earn Leave may be deducted for excess sick leave/casual leave as per Section 8.4.6.

8.3.5 Earn Leave taken beyond the amount of accrued Earn Leave will not be charged to Sick Leave.

8.3.6 In case of retirement, resignation, retrenchment, termination, dismissal or discharge, remuneration for unused Earn leave shall be paid to the outgoing employee irrespective of his/her length of service using the following formula:

Annual Salary ÷ 365 days × days of accrued leave.



8.3.7 Any leave availed in conjunction with Earn Leave and/or other holidays will be treated as EL, LWOP, or SL, depending on the discretion of the concerned Section Manager.

8.3.8 Earn Leave for all confirmed employees will be credited in advance on the first of January of each year. There will be no advance leave for unconfirmed employees without CD’s approval.

8.3.9 Upon confirmation during the year, the employee will be credited in advance for Earn leave for the remaining calendar year.

Any decimalization of days would be rounded up as follows:

.75 days and over round up to full day.

Over 0.50 but under .75 round down to 0.50 days (half day).

Over 0.25 but under .50 round up to 0 .50 day (half day).

0.25 day and under round down to zero.

8.3.10 On January 1st of each calendar year all confirmed employee would be credited in advance for earn leave in addition to that carried over (not more than 5 days which can be used only for sick leave/any other special leave) from the previous year.

8.3.11 Employees completing 3 years of service will be eligible for Earn Leave at the rate of 1.83 days per month as per Section 8.3.1.

8.4 Sick Leave:

8.4.1 Each employee shall be entitled to 10 (ten) working days of sick leave per year, at full pay, accrued at the rate 0.83 day per month.

8.4.2 Any decimalization of accrued Sick Leave days would be rounded up/down as follows:

.75 days and over round up to full day

Over .50 but under .75 round down to .50 days (half day)

Over .25 but under .50 round up to .50 day (half day)

Under .25 day round down to zero

8.4.4 Sick Leave may be granted to both probationary and confirmed employees.

8.4.5 Sick Leave taken for 3 (three) days or more must be supported by a Medical Certificate signed by a legitimate practitioner which should be submitted to the person granting Sick Leave after joining.

8.4.6 Leave taken for sickness lasting beyond that which is accrued shall be charged to Earn Leave. If no Earn Leave remains then it will be charged to Section 8.3.3, if no balance in section 8.3.3 then it will be charged to Leave Without Pay (LWOP). The fractional adjustment shall be in the form of half or full day.

8.5 Leave Without Pay (LWOP):

8.5.1 Leave Without Pay may be granted if an employee requests such leave and all of his/her Earn leave has been used.

8.5.2 Such leave cannot be availed without prior permission of the Country Director.

8.5.3 An employee shall not be entitled to any allowances or benefits during the period of leave without pay.



8.5.4 Unauthorized absence from duty shall be treated as Leave without Pay for both confirmed and unconfirmed employees.

8.5.5 An absence may be treated as Leave Without Pay when Manager are not satisfied with the explanation of the employee concerned.

8.5.6 For special cases, an employee may request Leave Without Pay for more than one month, and such leave may be granted by the Country Director only.

8.6 Maternity & Paternity Leave :

8.6.1 Maternity Leave

8.6.1.1 Female staff are entitled to Maternity Leave (ML) before and after childbirth, i.e., Twelve (12) weeks ML before delivery and fourteen (14) weeks ML after delivery. Contract staff hired for a period of less than one year will not be entitled to ML. Whether child birth takes place before or after expected date of delivery, there will be no change in total twenty six (26) weeks / (182 days) ML days.

8.6.1.2 Islamic Relief will not knowingly employ a female during the six weeks immediately preceding delivery; neither shall a woman employee be allowed to work at her own will during this period. This provision is in strict adherence with Bangladesh law and no exceptions will be permitted.

8.6.1.3 Any female who is pregnant may, on any day, give notice in writing to her supervisor that she expects to be confined within the next six weeks, together with a medical certificate confirming the expected delivery date and period of confinement. Or if she has not given notice, and has given birth to a child, she shall within seven days give similar notice. Supervisors are to provide a copy of this notice to the Concerned Manager in the filed office and for IRCO staff a copy of this notice is to be sent to HR Department.

8.6.1.4 When a notice is received within seven days of child birth, the supervisor shall permit the women to absent herself from work the day following the date of notice until 10 weeks after the day of delivery.

8.6.1.5 A female shall not be entitled to ML unless Islamic Relief for a period of not less than 9 months has employed her immediately prior the day of delivery.

8.6.1.6 A female worker can not be dismissed or terminated during the period mentioned herein, unless fraud or other offence of moral turpitude or misconduct is instituted as per Section 13.3.

8.6.1.7 Female confirmed employees should be eligible for two maternity leaves during their employment with Islamic Relief.

8.6.1.8 Female confirmed staff might request the use of accumulated annual leave and sick leave in conjunction with their maternity leave to extend the leave period either prior to delivery or after their delivery. If earn leave and sick leave balances (as noted see section 8.3.3) have been exhausted, the employee may request Leave Without Pay (LWOP) for the period of time not covered by maternity leave, annual leave or sick leave. The request for LWOP should be submitted to the employee’s supervisor in writing. In general, reasonable request for LWOP in these circumstances will be approved. In case the request for LWOP is for more than 2 weeks, the supervisor will forward the same to HR Department for final approval.

8.6.1.8 Female Staff will declare in written about the pregnancy during joining for married female candidate.



8.6.2 Paternity Leave (PL)

8.6.2.1 Male staff will avail paternity leave for five (5) consecutive working days at the time of when their wives are giving birth.

8.6.2.2 This leave can only be availed twice during the employee’s service with Islamic Relief.

8.7 Study Leave

8.7.1 An employee, working for three years continuous permanent employment for IR. May be granted a study leave with full pay up to a maximum period of 26 weeks for studying abroad in a course initiated and approved by Islamic Relief as a part of its staff development program, under following terms and conditions:

The employee concerned shall furnish a surety bond or undertaking to serve Islamic Relief after completion of his/her studies abroad at least for 3 (three) years or such period as may be fixed by the competent authority.

8.7.2 In the event of staff requesting for study leave with his/her own initiative following rules shall apply:

An employee, with five years permanent employment with Islamic Relief, may be granted a study leave up to a maximum period of 12 weeks for studying abroad at employee’s own cost, if the course is beneficial for Islamic Relief. Admissibility of such leave will be as under:

a. Leave with full pay to the extent covered by earned leave at credit.

b. Leave without pay for the remaining period not covered by clause (a) above.

c. While submitting proposals for allowing study leave to an employee it should clearly be set forth by the employee concerned how far the study in the relevant field would be useful for Islamic Relief.

d. The employee concerned shall furnish a security bond or undertaking to serve Islamic Relief after completion of his/her studies abroad at least for 3 (three) years or such period as the competent authority may deem fit.

8.8 Compensatory Time Off (CTO):

While IR policies do not approve CTO, however in special cases a Compensatory Time Off (CTO) will be allowed to staff working or field visiting on holidays or weekends, upon request from their supervisor.

8.8.1 Staff are allowed to work more hours on his own interest to complete his /her assigned tasks. No CTO will be allowed for extra hours/days worked by the staff to complete his/her assigned tasks/jobs.

8.8.2 Support Staff will be allowed CTO or compensated by Overtime.

8.8.3 A maximum of ten (10) days CTO can be allowed at any time. Unused CTO can be carried over from one calendar year to the next and have to enjoy within 3 months.

8.8.4 Employees who have worked five (5) hours or more will be entitled to 1 full day CTO and ½ day CTO for minimum three hours at work.

8.8.5 Concerned Managers shall approve the CTO using the form of Compensatory Time Off (CTO, Attachment-9) which is to be kept in the individual employees leave file for recording and necessary updating of CTO accruals. Individual employees will avail CTO by using the standard Leave Application Form (LAF) within 3 months after accrual.



8.8.6 CTO can only be earned by work performed on weekends or holidays that has been approved by the supervisor. Unauthorized and unofficial work on weekends or holidays will not be compensated by CTO.

8.8.7 CTO are not considered paid days.

8.9 Examination Leave:

8.9.1 IR staff members are entitled to have Examination Leave for sitting in the government recognised academy/professional examination. The examination leave days are limited with the actual days of examination. This leave entitlement is for one time per year. Days of this leave can be adjusted from see section 8.3.3. CD is the competent authority to approve the examination leave.

8.9.2 Only unpaid examination leave will be granted to probationary staff.

8.9.3 Examination leave will not be granted to staff at a time when IR organize training course for that particular staff. However, the CD may approve justified case.

8.10 Incidental Off :

8.10.1 All employees are expected to use their judgment and not to take unnecessary risks to come to work during Hartal /any kind of incidental off. If it is unsafe to travel employees should avoid travelling.

8.10.2 Any employee who is unable to travel to work during the hartal/any kind of incidental off should make up/compensate the working time at a later stage with the agreement of their supervisor or the employee may take Earn leave for that period.

Example: If Mr. Karim can not come to the work due to Hartal /any kind of incidence till 2 p.m. on Sunday. He has to ask his supervisor when he will be allowed for work for that off time within that week or following weekend. Or Mr. Karim can ask HRD to deduct same amount of time from his annual leave. In this case 3 hours = ½ and 5 hours =1day.

8.10.3 Employee can work in home during hartal/incidental event, subject to approval from his/her line manger with specific assignment for half day and he /she should take leave for remaining half day.

8.11 Casual Leave:

All employees shall be entitled to casual leave with full pay for 5 days in a year. This leave will not be granted for more than two consecutive days at a time. Casual leave admissible shall not be carried forward to succeeding year.



SECTION-D Staff Appraisals

9. Performance Appraisals: 9.1 Purpose of the Performance Appraisal Process:

The Annual Performance Appraisal (APA) covers 12-months cycles consistent with Islamic Relief’s financial year. The appraisal serves two main purposes:

i) Salary review: The APA serves as the basis for the annual salary review. For contract staff the APA serves as the basis for consideration for confirmations of their employment with Islamic Relief.

ii) Staff development: The APA is an essential tool for staff development. The APA process should serve to clarify performance expectations between supervisors and subordinate staff. Employees should clearly understand areas where they excel and areas which need to be improved. Supervisors also should clearly describe the support they may offer to help employees strengthen their performance. The APA is the most important record of these understandings. Staff development includes:

a. Setting objectives and expectations: Supervisors and employees should understand their objectives from the beginning of the performance year.

b. Regular feedback, coaching and monitoring: Supervisors should regularly review and discuss performance with the employee. These discussions need not to be documented, but frequent feedback helps an employee recognizes and maintains areas of good performance and improve any weak areas.

c. Training: Training describes any activity, which encourages professional growth and development among employees. As such, it includes, but is not limited to, formal sessions organized in a classroom or field setting. Training can also consist of giving an employee special assignments or temporary duties which challenge them to use and develop new skills. Supervisors should be careful to provide the necessary support through feedback and coaching to ensure that the employee receives the maximum benefits from these experiences.

d. Appraisal of performance: Every employee requires a fair, objective assessment of his or her performance in order to continually improve.

9.2 Annual Performance Appraisal (APA):

9.2.1 Frequency and Format: The job performance of all confirmed staff must be evaluated at least once annually using the performance appraisal format specified in Attachment – 10 (SAPAF-Section-1) and Attachment – 11 (SAPAF-Section-2). In special circumstances an employee may be evaluated more than once a year, however the APA should be normally conducted once a year.

9.2.2 Responsibilities of Primary Evaluator: The responsibility for preparing the annual performance appraisal lies with the primary evaluator indicated on each employee’s job description. However, an accurate, fair and objective performance appraisal requires inputs from a number of sources. Before preparing this first draft the supervisor should discuss with the employee any special accomplishments, which should be included in the evaluation. If desired by either party, the employee may prepare a written summary of chief performance benchmark (i.e. both achievements and problems encountered) for the supervisor’s consideration when preparing the draft appraisal.

The appraiser will provide a summary of the employee’s performance and recommendations. Recommendations should focus on the year’s achievement areas for improvement and activities



suggested (such as training, on the job training etc.) which should be mentioned in detail. It is also the responsibility of the appraiser to ensure that individual performance ratings in the job description, and competencies sections are summarized in distinct manner with illustrations wherever it is applicable.

Supervisor may send the list of job responsibilities or individual performance competencies for comment. This feedback will be treated confidentially and never be quoted in the employee’s APA-Section-2, however, comments may be used to highlight any strength or weak areas of performance. Typically, peer/subordinate review should be used to identify trends, and unique grievances that do not represent a performance trend should not be cited. However, the supervisor may follow up with peer/subordinate reviewers if questions or concerns arise from the peer/subordinate feedback in SAPAF-Section-1.

Appraiser’s supervisor: The primary evaluator should seek input from his/her supervisor to complete appraisee’s SAPAF-Section-2 format. Appraiser supervisor’s input will be very helpful to complete SAPAF- Section-2 format.

9.2.3 Responsibilities of Employee: Each employee must share the responsibility of contributing to and learning from the annual performance appraisal process. Employees must try to understand the expectations of their supervisors and the types of performance, which merit positive recognition. Employees must also be sure to clearly communicate their expectations to their supervisors and to ask questions if there is any misunderstanding. When requested by supervisors, employees should be prepared to offer specific examples of achievements during the past year. All staff are also encouraged to share with supervisors any special concerns or areas of weakness that the employee would like to develop in the future. Such self-awareness is a great strength and can contribute to the rapid growth of individual staff within IR. The employee will write his/her comments in the SAPAF- Section-2 .

9.2.4 Responsibility of Evaluator’s Supervisor: Evaluator’s Supervisor will finally review the contents of the APAF- Section-2 and provide with necessary inputs to appraiser. Evaluator’s supervisor will make additional comments before the employee has signed the SAPAF- Section-2.

9.2.5 Performance rating: IR – Bangladesh uses four rating for performance; as follows:

i) Out standing/Ecellent: The employee consistently demonstrates superior performance. Initiative and outputs are above the stated requirements. The employee is extremely competent and knowledgeable individual who consistently exceeds requirements. The rating should be reserved for truly outstanding performance.

ii) Good : The employee consistently demonstrates good performance. Initiative and outputs are dependable and high quality as per the stated requirements. The employee is very competent, knowledgeable individual who consistently meets all the requirements of the position.

iii) Improvement Needed: The employee demonstrates good performance in most areas, but needs improvement in one or more aspects relevant to the job’s responsibilities. Initiative and outputs are generally good as per the stated requirements. The employee is competent and knowledgeable in most aspects of his/her work but needs to improve in one or more critical areas of the job.

iv) Significant Improvement Needed: This employees needs to improvement in several critical areas to satisfactorily achieve his/her job. Initiative, outputs and quality are below stated requirement. The employee has demonstrated the necessary competence on knowledge but still needs to further developing critical skills to perform adequately.



9.2.6 PCF Copies: Three copies of appraisals of Field Office employees are required for: 1) PCF- Field Office; 2) PCF- IRCO and 3) Employee. For Manager/Office Manager and employees of IRCO a Field Office copy is not applicable.

9.2.7 Designated supervisors: All annual performance appraisals will be completed by the person listed as primary evaluations on the employee’s job description.

9.2.8 Employee Comments: Following a review the employee should be given 24 hours to read the evaluation and comment. After the employee’s review both the employee and supervisor will discuss the evaluation. If necessary, the supervisor may choose to make additions and / or corrections to the form. Once the appraisal is finalized including the comments of the employee, the Managers will complete recommendation on APAF-Section-2 after the employee has commented and signed. The APAF will be finalized when all concerned have reviewed, discussed and signed the form. No comments will be added after the employee signed his/her APAF.

9.2.9 Timing : IRCO & Field Offices employee should begin evaluations in October, November.

9.2.10 Forwarding completed APAs: Field offices will submit completed Project Staff evaluation to their respective Manager and share staff evaluations with appraisal committee to be assigned by CD from 3 senior staff (HRM, FM & respective Program/Dept. Manager) for further review and approval. All annual evaluation should be sent under General/Confidential cover to HR Department.

9.3 IRCO Review and Approval of Annual Performance Appraisals:

9.3.1 For IRCO Project Staff : The Field Office Manager will prepare the APAF-2 and submit it, with rating forms to Program Manager before submitting the same to the Country Director for review and final approval. Program Manager should prepare the IRCO APAF-2 at the same time that they review Field Office APAF-2 to ensure consistency between the Field-Office and IRCO. While the Field Office APA packet will be forwarded to HR Department after approval from Program / Project Manager, the IRCO packet will be submitted to the HR Department. Thereafter the same will be submitted to the Country Director for review and final approval before sending APA packet to HR Department for action.

9.3.2 For IRCO shared staff: The Section Managers will prepare the APAF-2 and submit it with rating forms to their respective Managers for review and approval. The Country Director will make final approval before sending the APA packet to HR Department for action.

9.3.3 HR Department Notifications: HR Department will send increment letters by within 30th January of each year. Increments will be effective 1st January.

9.3.4 Appraisal of probationary Staff: Probationary staff will be evaluated by using probationary appraisal format.

SECTION-E Staff Transitions

10. Staff Transitions:

All change causes a degree of stress. Even a good change, such as a promotion, will cause an individual to experience some anxiety. IR in Bangladesh will be a dynamic organization, which will regularly undergo change. Individual employees are central to this dynamic process and many change jobs several items throughout their careers with IR. In all instances IR-Bangladesh will try to make transitions as easy as possible and to treat all employees fairly. All supervisors are encouraged to pay special attention to employees who are in a period of transition to give them the support they need throughout their adjustment.



10.1 Promotion:

10.A.1 Promotions are only given for staff who will undertake significantly increased responsibilities (additional tasks do not necessarily increase one’s responsibility level) not included in their previous job description. Promotions will normally not exceed one Grade at a time. However, in exceptional cases more than one Grade promotion can be considered by CD subject to performance appraisal.

10.A.2 All promotions will generally occur following a competitive process applies to all qualified applicants.

10.A.3 All promotions will be recommended by Selection Board ((HRM, & respective Program/Dept. Manager) and will be approved by CD.

10.A.4 It is policy to promote from within the organization when a vacancy occurs, providing there are qualified candidates available. However, competitive test will be arranged to judge the employee’s competencies. In some instances, external candidates may compete at the same time as inter candidates.

10.A.5 Before selecting an internal candidate for an interview for any higher grade position, his/her last year Annual Performance Appraisal must be consulted first. A candidate rated “below requirement” in the last APA will not be called for an interview for any whatsoever position.

10.A.6 Similar selection criteria will apply for short listing candidates for promotion tests as stated in section 4.3.9 of this manual.

10.A.7 For a step promotion, an employee will be placed in the step that ensures a minimum of 8% salary increase.

10.A.8 Probationary promotion or promotion on trial will not be considered.

10.B Transfer:

10.B.1 IR reserves the right to locate staff to project areas as required by projects or other management objectives. Staff recognizes that IR working areas are often remote and difficult.

However, factors that may be considered at the time of transfer decision include:

i) Spouse working station.

ii) For pregnancy and breastfeeding cases, female staff should not be transferred.

iii) Before finalizing a transfer decision, 30 days notice will be provided.

iv) Due to children’s schooling Calendar Year basis transfer may be considered.

10.B.2 IRCO will handle all procedures of staff transfers.

10.B.3 The amount of relocation allowance will be based on the last salary drawn on the effective date of transfer. Relocation allowance will be paid by incoming offices.

10.B.4 The Personnel Confidential File of the transferred employee must be sent to the employee’s new office. The file must be transferred under confidential cover.

10.B.5 The employee should be paid for the month by the office to which he/she is still assigned on pay day. If the employee is in transit on pay day, he/she will be paid by the new office. Travel advances and other forms of indebtedness should be adjusted before transfer.

10.B.6 When an employee is transferred to a new field – office, she/he will be entitled to a Lodging Allowance and Per Diem as per policy.



10.B.7 Employee’s spouse and any children (unmarried) will be entitled to a Lodging Allowance and Per Diem as per policy during the time of transfer.

10.B.8 When transferred, an employee shall be reimbursed for transportation expenses for his/her immediate dependents only (immediate dependents include the following persons; spouse, dependent children.

10.B.9 Travel claims will only be paid to cover the most direct available route between the old and new place of posting.

10.B.10 When the transfer of an employee results in relocating (the physical need to move residence) from one town to another town, the employee shall be entitled to one month’s Basic Salary as “Relocation Allowance” based on his/her previous month’s paid salary. No Relocation Allowance and 14 days Lodging Allowance will be paid to the employee when a transfer is made between offices located in the same town or city.

10.B.11 An employee may request a transfer and the request will be reviewed as per Section 10.B.4. When a transfer is in direct response to such a request the concerned employee will be entitled to all transfer benefits except the 14 days Lodging and Relocation Allowance.

10.B.12 Field offices should provide transport to assist employees for shifting of personal effects and family members who are relocating within the field-office’s operational area. However public transport (Truck, Pick-up, Van etc) will be hired coordinating with Logistics unit following country office existing policy and procedure.

10.C Acting Allowance:

10.C.1 For any vacant position, any staff may be reasonably selected to act in a position one or more grades above their own for a period of up to two month without additional payment.

10.C.2 To assume an acting assignment staff must have necessary competencies to act in the acting capacity. However, acting assignment may be provided on staff development opportunities.

10.C.3 All staff who are assigned to act in a higher capacity beyond two month will have their monthly basic salary temporarily adjusted to an appropriate level to their temporary assignment. His/her basic salary would be adjusted to the 1st step of the grade of the acting position. If the 1st step of the grade of the acting position is equal to his/her the current salary of that staff or he/she are in the same grade, 10% of his/her basic salary will be paid as Acting Allowance.

10.C.4 This salary adjustment will be for basic salary only and will not include housing or other benefits.

10.C.5 An acting assignment will not exceed twelve (12) months.

10.C.6 Employee during their acting assignment will be receiving per diem and lodging allowances. Transportation allowances in accordance with their acting grade entitlement provided they are issued acting assignment letter.

10.C.7 The enhancement of basic salary will automatically affect provident fund. Other service benefits to be paid on the principle of last drawn basic salary in the case of separation during acting period.



SECTION-F Staff Training and Development

11. Staff Training and Development: Islamic Relief has crafted its strategies for Bangladesh office and according to these strategies

the office will run its programs. The strategies are Professionalism, Program Proficiency and Growth.

IR encourages and supports training activities, which develop and strengthen technical and program skills of IR employee. It is IR policy to support training which meets the objectives of developing and strengthening technical skills specific to the concerned program; as well as developing and strengthening managerial skills and responding to IR’s long-term organizational needs. Staff must also recognize that IR investments in staff development and training are made with limited resources and IR expects that staff who receives such benefits should use them for the betterment of the organization. Finally, it is recognized that training and staff development are shared responsibilities. While IR will endeavour to create training opportunities, it is up to individual staff to seek such opportunities inside or outside IR, consistent with a mutually agreed upon development plan.

11.1 Staff Development Training:

Staff Development Training refers to training which is identified and arranged by projects / department of IRB. This training could be long-term or short-term in nature, and take place either in-house, in-country or overseas. All substantive training will need to be approved first by the HR Department. The initiative for training may come from either the unit head or from the individual.

11.2 Training needs: IRB Training Department will assess training needs and submit nominations to the concerned Supervisor for approval. Training Department will prepare list and recommend finally.

Training Activities : Training Department is responsible for maintaining an updating training manual, training guides and a training curriculum. Training Department will arrange all in-door training activities for all IRB staff and out-door training activities for community members, volunteers and counterparts.

11.3 Terms of Reference (ToR) -Includes:

Name of the training, time frame, time schedule, target participant, venue, trainer’s rules & responsibility, trainer profile or Curriculum Vitae, appointment letter for trainer, weather food is given or not, honorarium is provided or not, payment will be provided by cheque or cash.

11.4 Obligation of Training

Job related training for staff development is encouraged. All employees are eligible for training. The cost of approved training will be borne by IR though staff is encouraged to seek outside opportunities and funding. It is mandatory that staff being nominated for undertaking overseas training or in-country training of long-term duration signs a contractual agreement addressing the following:

a) The duration of overseas training course and period to spend in IR service after return from

training is stated as follows:



Course Duration Period to spend in IR

4-10days Minimum of 1 year

11-20 days Minimum of 1.5 yrs

More than 4 weeks up to 2 months Minimum of 2 years

More than 2 months Minimum of 3 years

Up to 6 months Minimum of 4 years

More than 6 months (No salary should resign) Minimum of 5 years

b) Generally, for all in-country short-term training for duration of less than three months, contract of indemnity is not required. However, for IR or non-IR organized in-country training for three months or more, indemnity will be required. The period of indemnity is one year in such case. Similar, indemnity period will also apply in case of season long training for a period of three months or more.

c) In case of higher study, within or outside, study leave may be approved for duration of maximum 12 months, and in such case the period of indemnity will be 5 years.

d) The period of indemnity may be higher or lower depending on the amount of costs involved with the training or study leave. The final decision rests on the Country Director.

e) If an employee fails to continue to work with IR after return from overseas training as per contractual agreement, she/he will compensate training costs, salary benefits per diem and travel expenses, spent by IR during the progression of training on pro-rata basis and it would be applicable for outsource local training.

11.5. Payment for Training: IR will consider paying for all part of the training institution or other outside source. In general, IR prefers more cost-effective “package” training courses, which include tuition, food and lodging.

11.6 Per Diem and Transport: IR will consider paying for these costs, if they are not already covered by the training institution or other outside source. In cases where all training costs are covered, but no additional money is provided for out of – pocket or incidental expenses, IR may provide funds for these expenses. For training outside Bangladesh, IRW per diem policy will be applied or special per diem will be given. Advance authorization is required for all IRB related costs and expenses.

11.7 Salary and Benefits: In general, once the training requests have been approved, all staff will continue to receive their full salary and benefits during the training.

11.8 Process of approval Training

a) Either employee or employer may propose training course. b) Identify a course or certification programs. c) Complete the training application form. d) Submit to application to Human Resources Department-Training & Development. e) HR Department will review and decide if the course and applicant are eligible according to

the training guidelines. f) Once the application is approved, by the Country Director/his designate the applicant may

attend the course.



g) Upon course completion, the applicant must submit invoice, training materials and one copy certificate to the HRD.

11.9 Applicant Eligibilities:

a) Permanent employee for outsource and overseas training. b) All employees may attend in-house training. c) At least 6 month service with IRB for outsource and overseas training. d) Training must be job related. e) For overseas training must be signed bond or agreement. f) After completion of training program, staff must submit training report with other documents. g) After returning from the overseas training, employee should give one presentation to related

program/departmental staff.

11.10 Responsibilities of Training Unit :

a) Identify training goals and objectives. b) TNA analysis. c) Annual training plan. d) Budgeting. e) Selection of participants list. f) Selection of trainer. g) Complete agreement with applicants. h) Develop learning activities. i) Training report. j) Update training manual. k) Compile training materials. l) Training delivery. m) Training evaluation. n) Follow-up field training. o) Linkage with training institutes.

SECTION-G DISCIPLINARY ACTION

12. Disciplinary Action:

The objective of disciplinary action should be to motivate the employee to the extent possible to improve performance. Disciplinary actions should address behaviour within the control of the employee and whenever possible provide guidance towards improved behaviour. Disciplinary actions are not intended and should not be used to alienate the employee from the organization.

Whenever disciplinary action is required, it is important that the penalty fit the offence (after assuring that there was in fact an offence) and that the Labour Code be followed precisely with regard to all disciplinary actions.

It is not practical to list all the specific offences, which are likely to result in disciplinary action. The following are examples of misconduct.

12.1 Examples of Unsatisfactory Conduct:

i) Unsatisfactory attendance record.

ii) Unauthorized absence from work-station.



iii) Output falling below minimum required level.

iv) Unsatisfactory workmanship.

12.2 Examples of Serious Misconduct: i) Serious neglect of work;

ii) Unacceptable attendance record;

iii) Incapacity at work;

iv) Failure or refusal to carry out reasonable and proper instructions of Management. v) Wilful neglect of lay down or accepted safety precautions.

vi) Sleeping on duty;

vii) Giving false evidence of incapacity for work;

viii) Making false statements or promise – that may cause financial or moral damage to IR in Bangladesh to clients or well wisher regarding IR’s products or capacities;

ix) Smoking in unauthorized areas.

x) Disclose Salary adjustment ( Salary, Grade & Step) to anyone else within the organization & others.

12.3 Examples of Gross Misconduct:

i. Striking;

ii. Signing-in (or out) for someone else;

iii. Persistent bad time keeping or absence from work; iv. Malicious attack on a fellow employee, or other person on IR premises;

v. Giving or accepting or any bribes from or to any vendors, beneficiaries, staff or any stakeholders.

vi. Unauthorized removal or possession of IR’s or fellow employee’s property,

vii. Indecent or immoral behaviour;

viii. Wilful destruction of the IR’s property;

ix. Extreme cases of insulting behaviour on IR premises;

x. Assault or threatening behaviour whilst on IR premises;

xi. Gross personal misbehaviour endangering the safety of any employee or IR property or likely to damage the good name of IR.

xii. Unauthorized disclosure of sensitive information or information confidential to IR and its employees;

xiii. Making a false statement to IR, including statements made at time of engagement or falsifying entries in IR documents, records, accounts etc.

xiv. Drunkenness on IR premises;

xv. Objectionable and/or insulting behaviour (including discriminatory behaviour on grounds of sex or race);

xvi. Operating in capacities beyond your authority without permission.

xvii. Making false statements or promises – that cause financial or moral damage to IR – to clients or well wishers regarding IR’s services or capacities;

xviii. Serious neglect of work by an employee in managerial position or higher.

xix. Child abuse-Physically, sexually.

xx. Sexual harassment.



xxi. Any act deemed by the Country Director of IR-Bangladesh to be seriously detrimental to its interests.

12.4. Disciplinary Procedure:

If an employee breaks IR – Bangladesh rules, disciplinary action will be taken in accordance with this general procedure. However, senior management will have the discretionary power over all disciplinary proceedings depend upon special circumstances and the gravity of offence.

Misconduct Heading

First Occasion Second Third Fourth

Unsatisfactory Conduct

Verbal Warning Written Warning Final Written Warning

Dismissal

Serious Misconduct

Final Written Warning

Dismissal

Gross Misconduct

Dismissal

On being found culpable of an infraction the employee may be subject to the following actions:

i) Verbal or Written Advice: A conference between the employee and his/her immediate supervisor or designate to informally resolve the problem as soon as possible after it occurs. The supervisor may wish to issue a staff development performance indicator letter or advice letter as deemed appropriate. The employee must acknowledge receipt by signing. This will be a part of the PCF and issued as a numbered confidential letter.

ii) Written Warning: A warning letter may be issued to an employee for an offence (misconduct) which is considered serious but does not justify dismissal.

12.4.1 On a first major offence or after repeated minor offences, the employee will be issued a numbered confidential warning letter marked “First Warning Letter”. This letter will describe the offence and prescribe that the offence not be repeated and /or that performance should improve over a specified time period.

12.4.2 On a continuous major offence, the employee will be issued a numbered confidential warning letter marked “Final Warning Letter”. The format will be as Section 13.A.1.

12.4.3 On a fourth offence, the employee may be terminated or processed for a show cause as deemed necessary by his/her supervisor in consultation with Admin & Finance Department.

12.4.4 Failure to heed a warning letter or issuance of a series of warning letter to the same employee for either related or unrelated offences may result in disciplinary action as laid down under Section 19 and Section 20 If a series of warning letters are issued to an employee over a period of many years, the time-spread may be a mitigating factor in favour of the employee.

12.4.5 The employee acknowledges receipt of a warning letter by signing his/her name at the end of the letter. The last sentence of the warning letters should state. “Kindly acknowledge receipt of this letter in the space provided below”. In the space ‘provided below’ should be typed the employee’s name and word ‘date’ which the employee should fill in when receiving the letter. The letter should be captioned: “First Warning Letter,” “Final,” etc. as appropriate.

12.4.6 Under no circumstances should the word ‘Termination’ be incorporated or written in the warning letter.



12.4.7 When an employee refuses to accept his or her warning letter, refer to Section 227.

12.4.8 Copies of all warning letters should be completed as per Section 22.7.

12.5 Employees Places Under Observation:

12.5.1 An employee may be placed under observation for a period of six moths or more if his/her evaluation indicates poor performance at any time.

12.5.2 When recommending an employee to be placed under observation the supervisor must prepare a brief performance appraisal or APA-1 during APA time and obtain a signature form the employee concerned on the appraisal and forward the same to Admin & Finance Department under a confidential numbered letter.

12.5.3 A “Placed under Observation” letter will be issued only by HR Department subject to approval by the Country Director.

12.5.4 The supervisor must prepare another evaluation one month before the observation period ends and again obtain the signature of the employee concerned on the brief performance appraisal. The evaluation must be sent with the supervisor’s recommendation to HR Department at least 10 days before the end of the Observation period.

12.5.5 If an employee is not able to perform the tasks required in his/her assigned position, and fails to improve performance during the observation period, he/she may be placed in another position, or terminated from service.

12.5.6 In no way, there will be an extension of “placed under observation” period .

12.5.7 Two times placed under observation during two consecutive calendar years will not be allowed. In such case an employee will be separated.

12.6 Termination :

12.6.1 Termination is used when removal of a staff member by other means is not appropriate.

12.6.2 When terminating a permanent employee the employer will provide the following:

i) 30 days notice or one (1) month gross salary in lieu of notice.

ii) Remuneration for unused Earn Leave as per Section 8.3.7.

iii) Gratuity calculated as per Section 7.J.

iv) Reimbursement of the employee’s Provident Fund contribution and payment of IR’s contribution.

v) Reimbursement of the employee’s Provident Fund contribution only (i.e. without IR’s contribution) if employed less than one year.

12.6.3 In the case of unconfirmed employees, services may be terminated by either party with 24 hour’s notice, in which case the employee receives only his/her salary up through the last working day plus any unused leave.

12.6.4 The reason for termination must not be given in any termination letter.

12.6.5 Every terminated employee shall be entitled to a Service Certificate, i.e. a statement giving the beginning and terminating dates of employment. See Attachment - 12 for a sample of a Service Certificate.

12.6.6 If an employee refuses to accept a termination letter necessary action may be taken as per Section 22.7.



12.6.7 See Attachment-7 for a sample of a Termination Letter.

12.6.8 The CD or his/her designate must authorise all terminations.

12.6.9 IRCO accounts will pay the employee for Salary, any unused Earn Leave and Gratuity. Provident Fund. Accounts will pay any refund due to the employee from the Staff Provident Fund.

12.7 Discharge:

12.7.1 An employee may be discharged he or she is so mentally physically incapacitated that he or she is not able to continue working.

12.7.2 An employee may be discharged from service for reason of physical or mental incapacity or continued ill health, or other reasons not amounting to misconduct. A medical board comprising of three doctors (one IR and two outside) must be formed to examine and make a recommendation.

12.7.3 On being discharged the employee, having completed not less than one year of service, shall receive Gratuity Pay calculated at the rate of one month’s basic pay for every year of service completed plus a pro rated portion of the incomplete year. His/her pay includes Basis Salary and related benefits up to the effective date of discharge.

12.7.4 The discharged employee will also receive remuneration for unused Earn Leave as per Section 9.3.7.

12.7.5 The discharged employee will also receive the employee’s contribution to Provident Fund

12.7.6 The discharged employee should be given one month’s notice before their discharge, or must be paid one month’s salary in lieu of notice.

12.7.7 If an employee refuses to accept a Discharge Letter, necessary action may be taken as per Section 22.7

12.7.8 For a specimen copy of a Discharge Letter see for Attachment –12.

12.7.9 Probationary employee can be terminated, can not be discharged.

12.7.10 The Country Director or a designated person must authorise all discharges.

12.7.11 IRCO accounts will pay the employee for Salary, any unused Earn Leave and Gratuity. Provident Fund. Accounts will pay any refund due to the employee from the Staff Provident Fund.

12.7.12 Every discharged employee shall be entitled to a Service Certificate (Attachment – 13).

12.8 Dismissal:

12.8.1 Dismissal is used when an employee is convicted of an offence or is found guilty of misconduct. In the absence of any agreement between the employer and the employee, no order for “Dismissal” of an employee shall be made unless:

i) The allegations against the employee are recorded in writing and he/she is given a copy thereof in the form of a Show Cause/Explanation as per Attachment – 14.

ii) The employee has been given not less than five day’s time to respond to the written allegations.

iii) The employee is given the opportunity for a personal hearing.



iv) After providing the employee with an explanation in writing of the Show Cause/Explanation and subject to an unsatisfactory reply after four days, a Notice of Enquiry as per Attachment - 15 has been served upon the employee ; and

v) An enquiry Board has been formed, comprised of at least three Senior IR staff members preferably consisting of National and International Staff, to adequately consider the explanation given by the employee against whom the charges are brought in the Show Cause Notice;

vi) No supervisor who issues or signs a Show Cause /Explanation, Notice of Enquiry, Suspension Order or Dismissal letter, can be a member of the Enquiry Board.

vii) The Discharge, Dismissal or Suspension Order can not be issued retroactively

12.8.2 An employee may be dismissed without prior notice and receive no “pay-in-lieu” of notice or receive any other compensation if, after going through the formalities of “Procedure of Show Cause” and the employee is convicted for an offence or if the employee is found guilty of misconduct.

12.8.3 Any employee found guilty of misconduct, but not dismissed in consideration of any extenuating circumstances may be terminated, discharged or suspended as a measure of punishment without wages as well as subsistence allowance, for a period not exceeding seven days and such period may be within or in addition to any period of suspension of the employee initiated as part of a “Show Cause” for enquiry or he/she may be otherwise punished less severely.

12.8.4 When an employee is dismissed he/she shall be entitled to the following benefits:

i) Salary and related benefits up to the last day of work. No additional salary other than the 50% basic salary already paid for suspension .

ii) Remuneration for unused Earn Leave as per Section 9.3.7.

iii) Reimbursement of the employee’s Provident Fund contribution and payment of IR’s contribution.

iv) No gratuity.

12.8.5 For a specimen copy of a dismissal letter see Attachment - 16.

12.8.6 If any employee refuses to accept a Dismissal Letter necessary action may be taken as per Section 22.7.

12.8.7 The Country Director or his/her designate must authorize a dismissal.

12.8.8 A dismissed employee will receive only a Service Certificate but no reference.

12.9 Suspension:

12.9.1 An employee charged with misconduct may be suspended pending an enquiry into the charges against him/her, but the period of such suspension shall not exceed sixty (60) days unless the matter is pending before any court recognizable under the laws of Bangladesh.

12.9.2 The suspended employee must be paid 50% of his/her basic salary during the period of suspension. This payment is not reimbursable to IR, even if dismissal occurs.

12.9.3 The employee should be issued a Suspension Order as per Attachment 20 (For SUSOR), in writing, which shall take effect immediately on delivery.

12.9.4 An employee while on suspension is not to leave his station of posting without authorization.



12.9.5 If the employee is not found guilty, he/she shall be deemed to have been on duty for the period of suspension for enquiry, and shall be entitled to his/her unpaid balance of basic salary and other benefits (if applicable) for the period of suspension.

12.9.6 Suspension as a measure of punishment for grave offences, may be invoked for a period not to exceed 7 calendar days during which the employee is not entitled to any financial benefits whatsoever. This type of suspension is not to be confused with procedures for suspension that listed in Section 12.10.3.

12.9.7 A suspended employee cannot attend to the office or sign any official documents unless authorized to do so.

12.10 Procedures for a Show Cause:

12.10.1 A “Show Cause” Explanation Letter is a request to an employee for a written explanation concerning his/her alleged act(s) or offence(s). It is asking the employee to explain why disciplinary action should not be taken.

12.10.2 A show cause/board of enquiry is initiated for the following reasons:

i) To discourage others from the same activity.

ii) To give the accused a chance to support/defend him/herself.

iii) To clarify an issue, making it easier to determine appropriate disciplinary action (if any).

iv) To punish the right person(s).

v) To reveal others involved in an offence.

vi) To follow and satisfy legal requirements.

vii) To examine the adequacy of regulations and procedures.

viii) To provide a foundation for initiating severe punishment (dismissal vs. termination).

ix) To provide adequate documentation should there be later legal action against IR.

x) To ensure IR follows the law so as to avoid later legal problems; and,

xi) To protect both the employee’s and employer’s rights.

12.10.3 IR follows the Bangladesh Labour Code in determining what constitutes misconduct subject to a “Show Cause” procedure. For IR’s purpose, the following types of misconduct might result is show cause:

i) Wilful insubordination or disobedience. ii) Theft, fraud or dishonesty in connection with the organization’s or counterpart’s business or

property.

iii) Taking or giving bribes or any illegal gratification in connection with his/her work. iv) Habitual “Absence without Leave” or absence without authorized leave.

v) Habitual late attendance.

vi) Habitual breach of any government law or office rule or regulation.

vii) Riotous or disorderly behaviour.

viii) Habitual negligence or neglect of work; or

ix) Falsifying, tampering with, damaging or causing loss of the organization’s or a counterpart’s official records.

x) Sexual harassment.



12.10.4 A part from the above listed examples of misconduct or offences, other situations may merit a “Show Cause” procedure, which rests on the decision of CD.

12.10.5 When an employee, supervisor or any other staff commits a serious case of misconduct. HR Department will review alleged misconduct and decide whether the alleged misconduct should qualify for a “Show Cause”. HR Department should also do the following:

i) Consults the relevant Personnel Manual Section to help determine whether the issue merits a “Show Cause”.

ii) Collects evidence as far as possible;

iii) Collects as many original documents as possible that pertain to the case;

iv) Visits the field or place of occurrence if required, and write a full report immediately.

v) Interviews witness(es) and obtain a written statement, with a signature and address for each witnesses outside of IR.

vi) Identifies in-house (i.e. IR staff) witness(es) and obtain written statement(s).

vii) Prepare a “Show Cause” letter, specifying the offence, place, date and time of occurrence

viii) Decide whether or not to suspend the accused depending on the job the employee performs and severity of the offence.

ix) In case of sexual harassment, to consult with Country Director to determine whether the issue merits a “Show Cause”

12.10.6 CD/HRD will seek legal advice, if necessary. In case of sexual harassment, CD will decide whether the offences warrant a show cause or not.

12.10.7 If HRD agrees that IR can legally and confidently hold a board of enquiry with the evidence provided, HRD will issue the “Show Cause” letter. However, HRD may request further information or recommend action other than a “Show Cause” procedure depending on the case.

12.10.8 The Supervisor or designate, after receiving the Show Cause letter, shall hand over and obtain the signature from the accused employee on all copies of the letter. If the accused is not available or refuses to accept the “Show Cause” letter the Supervisor or designate shall mail the letter under registered A/D to his/her present and permanent address. Further, a copy of the letter must be posted on the office notice board. At the time the letter is posted on the notice board it should be signed by two witnesses on the letter itself. The witnesses must be IR staff who is present when the letter is posted on the notice board. After three days the posted letter should be removed from the notice board, the signatures of the two witnesses must testify to this fact and the letter kept on file. (22.7)

12.10.9 The accused employee, after receiving the “Show Cause” letter, has a minimum of five (5) working days in which to respond to CD. The accused employee must write the response without the assistance of any of his or her supervisors.

12.10.10 The employee’s response is to be sent directly to CD without consulting with anybody. The employee will not give a copy of his/her show-cause response to anyone except CD. CD will review whether the response is acceptable or not and finally give decision by responding to the employee within a week.

12.10.11 To help CD assess the gravity of any offence, and to initiate the Board of Enquiry the Supervisor should collect for and make available the following documents as applicable and send them to CD.



i) Reply of the accused.

ii) TER.

iii) Trip Ticket, v-1, v-2, v-3.

iv) Pro-forma or trip/visit report (if any).

v) Senior staff trip/visit report (if any).

vi) Police report (if any).

vii) Tampered vouchers with clarification.

viii) All witnesses’ statements.

ix) Statement of the accused.

x) PCF documents.

xi) Attendance sheet(s).

xii) Stock Inventory report (FF&E, M&E).

xiii) Petty cash book or audit report.

xiv) Leave files.

xv) Credit Union pass book/ledger.

xvi) Project files/report.

xvii) Anonymous letters on written third party complaints.

xviii) Tour schedule(s).

xix) Vehicle requisition forms.

xx) Visitor’s Slip(s).

xxi) Gate log(s).

xxii) Fuel slip(s).

xxiii) Cheque counter foils.

xxiv) Store requisition form(s).

xxv) Delivery Challan(s).

xxvi) Mail register.

xxvii) Re-monitoring/Survey report(s).

xxviii) Letter to project counterparts.

xxix) Any other documents related to the office (AODRTTO).

12.10.12 If the “Show Cause” explanation of the accused is found unsatisfactory, a Board of Enquiry will be called.

12.10.13 A “Letter of Enquiry” stating the names of board members, date, place and time will be issued by CD to the concerned employee to appear before the board of enquiry. If the employee has any genuine reservations in regard to the Board of Enquiry he/she must provide CD a written justification in advance.

12.10.14 When a Board of Enquiry is called, the employee accused of misconduct may be suspended as per Section 12.9 or restricted to office work only (if project staff) depending upon the nature of the offence. However, witnesses should continue their regular duties.

12.10.15 While constituting a board for an enquiry HR Department must ensure the following:

i) A board must consist of a minimum of three members.

ii) A board may consist of both national and international staff. No more than one international staff member may be on a given board.

iii) At least one national female member must be on the board if the accused is female.

iv) At least one member must have previous board experience.

v) Generally it is expected that the board will comprise Grade 4-9 & 0 employees. However, for exceptional cases Grade 2-3 staff may be allowed. Further, members selected for a board must be in a higher Grade than the accused.

vi) Members must be regular IR employees.

vii) Members should come from a different field office or sections than the accused and, if possible, from different workplace.

viii) Members must have not direct working relationship with the accused.



ix) At least one member must have sufficient understanding or working knowledge of the accuser’s type of work.

x) Members must have sufficient knowledge of IR policies.

12.10.16 The board cannot have the following:

i) All members of the same department.

ii) Presence of the Country Director and Assistant Country Director only in one case, if the accused is one of the most senior staff.

iii) After the board is constituted and the requested members have agreed to convene for the enquiry, HRD will dispatch copies of the show cause letter along with all documents/evidences to each board member, well ahead, of the date of the enquiry for their review.

12.10.17 The accused employee is entitled to provide witnesses for his/her defence. Further, during the five days response period, he/she may request leave to collect evidence. Approving such leave is permissible.

12.10.18 When a Board of Enquiry has been called, HRD will inform the Supervisor of the date and time of the enquiry, and whether any special arrangements such as lodging or transport are needed, and if any additional information is needed for the proceedings.

12.10.19 The enquiry should normally be held in the accused’s office or workplace.

12.10.20 All witnesses must be available throughout the proceedings unless otherwise instructed by the board.

12.10.21 The board may require access to records as per section 12.10.11 The supervisor should be sure to have ready the necessary keys for the file cabinets, store rooms, etc.

12.10.22 The board will require a quiet, private and large room, big enough for witnesses, board members and the accused to sit without discomfort. The room should be well lit and ventilated. Seating for everyone is essential, as well as a desk or table for the board.

12.10.23 The Field Office should make arrangements for tea, water and perhaps snacks as enquiry board investigations can last several hours, and the members should not leave once they have started the proceedings.

12.10.24 It is essential that witnesses be kept isolated form one another. Arrangements should be made for them to sit in separate rooms, or opposite ends of a large room, with a staff member in attendance at all times. The difficulties of this are appreciated, so at minimum witnesses should be discouraged from talking to each other.

12.10.25 The attendant staff member must be senior in grade to the witnesses.

12.10.26 Members of the Board should keep in mind that the accused has the following rights:

i) To be present during all parts of the proceedings.

ii) To read any part of the recorded proceedings.

iii) To cross examine the witness(es).

iv) To receive verbal translations.

v) To refuse to attend.

vi) To bring forth his/her own witnesses and documentation.

vii) To object to any board member on the ground of bias.



12.10.27 Witnesses have the following rights:

i) To change or deny any statement.

ii) To refuse to continue to attend the enquiry.

12.10.28 The board has the following obligations:

i) To notify HRD of any potential “Conflict of Interests” between a member and the accused.

ii) To be neutral and as objective as possible.

iii) To provide a comprehensive yet concise recording of the proceeding, providing as many quotations as possible.

iv) To be non-threatening.

v) To minimize any conflict between the accused and the witnesses.

vi) To make recommendations based upon what they really believe; contradictions of original statements can be dismissed if the board believes strongly that the original statement was true, and vice-versa.

12.10.29 The final decision on the Board’s recommendation rests with the Country Director or designate. In case of sexual harassment cases, female Gender Advisor will review the recommendations of board members and provide her comments to the Country Director.

12.10.30 The board, before commencing the enquiry, should ensure the following:

i) As soon as possible, all members should review the case jointly and in depth to determine if any additional information is needed to begin the proceedings;

ii) Witnesses should be identified and any additional relevant documentation solicited at least one week before the enquiry;

iii) The board should determine who will handle the tasks of (a) translation (b) proceeding recording and (c) drafting final recommendations;

iv) The board should determine the strategy for questioning. This will avoid any confusion during the actual enquiry. It is recommended that there be a lead questioner or speaker. Other board members can also ask questions, but only after the speaker is finished;

v) The board must ensure that all witnesses are available throughout the proceedings, if necessary;

vi) Upon arriving at the enquiry location, the board should be sure that all witnesses and the accused are present, and that an appropriate room is available for the proceedings. The room should have the following features:

a) Sufficient space for all witnesses, the accused and the board members to sit or stand comfortably.

b) Good lighting and ventilation.

c) Water jug and glasses.

d) A table or desk for the recorder.

e) For privacy windows & doors must be closed.

12.10.31 At the beginning of enquiry and before the questioning starts, the speaker must ensure that the accused have seen, read and /or had translated, and understood all relevant and pertinent literature/documentation related to the charges. The proceeding records must reflect this.



12.10.32 The Speaker should explain the board’s neutrality and its role; to collect evidence and present its recommendations to the management. The accused has the opportunity to object to any member of the Board. Any such objection must be noted in the proceedings records along with the reason why.

12.10.33 The board will then proceed with its questioning, following the strategy determined during their pre-enquiry meeting. However, the actual proceedings of the enquiry will largely depend upon the evidence available, and the attitudes of the accused and witnesses.

12.10.34 While recording the proceedings, it is essential that the report be as concise yet comprehensive as possible.

12.10.35 Whenever possible, direct quotations should be included. For example, the following question/answer type of format might be used:

Question: “The Speaker asked where the accused was on 10/12/94”?

ANSWER: “I was in the bungalow”

Question: “Were you alone?”

ANSWER: “Yes.”

Question: “The Speaker then asked when the accused arrived at the bungalow.”

ANSWER: “10:00 p.m.”

At this point the Speaker asked to see the trip ticket for the accused’s motorcycle, for 10/12/94 etc.

12.10.36 If the proceedings are being held in Bangla, the note taking should also be in Bangla; if English is used in questioning, then the report should be in English. Therefore, the two languages might appear in the proceeding. Also if something has been translated, that should be indicated. Otherwise, it is assumed that the notes are written in the same language as the question/answer was spoken. Bangla should only be used if the individual being questioned does not understand English.

12.10.37 It might be useful to number the evidence (letters, statements, documents, etc.) received in advance, to facilitate note keeping. Any additional or new evidence brought forward during the inquiry should be numbered at that time. When the evidence is used during the inquiry, it is referred to by its identification number in the notes.

12.10.38 Testimonies/records of individual’s statements and answer must be signed and dated by the individuals being questioned in the presence of the board to verify their accuracy. The report of the proceeding will consist of 8 self-explanatory sections as follows: (see attachment for formats):

i) List of board members.

ii) List of accused and witnesses present at proceeding.

iii) List of accused and witnesses absent from proceeding.

iv) Brief summary of charge(s).

v) Summary of evidence and documents.

vi) Summary of findings.

vii) Final recommendations of the board.

viii) Answers, Proceedings notes, documents, evidence.



12.10.39 At the end of the inquiry, the following signatures are required:

i) WITNESSES : All pages of their own testimony.

ii) ACCUSED : All pages of all recordings.

iii) BOARD : All pages of all recordings.

12.10.40 After the inquiry has finally ended, the board has to prepare a report of findings and recommendations, with a rational summary explaining their conclusions and recommendations.

12.10.41 The report should be addressed and presented to the Country Director no later than ten (10) days after the inquiry. Efforts should be made to complete the report on the same day as later it might be difficult for all board member to act together again. If the Country Director requires additional information or clarification, he/she will contact the speaker directly.

12.10.42 All members should agree with the recommended action(s) and all members must sign the report. However, if any member disagrees with the recommended action(s), this should be mentioned in the report with his/her rationale.

12.10.43 The final recommendations are not to be shared with anyone other than the Country Director or his/her designate.

12.10.44 HRD will review all documents from the legal side.

12.10.45 If any employee refuses to receive a show cause letter or notice of enquiry letter issued by HRD, necessary action may be taken as per section 22.7.

12.11 Resignation:

12.11.1 A confirmed employee must give one month’s notice of his/her resignation. Failing to do so, a proportionate deduction in gross Salary in lieu of notice, will be made. For contract staff whose contract period is for less than six months must give 7 days notice; for contract period of six months or more the notice period will be 15 days and for one year and above the same will be one month.

12.11.2 The concerned office will pay Gross Salary and related benefits. IR Accounts will pay unused Earn Leave and Severance Pay, if any. Provident Fund trustees will pay a refund, if any.

12.11.3 Staff members who resign from IR’s service must fill up an “Exit Questionnaire” (Attachment – 17) and send it directly to HRD. Supervisors are advised to ensure that the resigned staff fill in the questionnaire prior to his/her release form the organization. The questionnaire will be treated as a strictly confidential document and will be shared only between CD and Senior Management. This submission will not change the employee’s status and management does not promise the employee that a special case will be made should she/he decide to withdraw the resignation letter.

12.11.4 Exit questionnaires will not form part of an employee PCF.

12.11.5 An employee who has resigned from IR services is entitled to a Service Certificate.

12.12 Retirement:

12.12.1 Normal retirement is mandatory upon the employee’s 60th birthday or upon completion of 35 years continuous service, whichever occurs first. However, the Country Director reserves the right to defer the retirement of any individual.



12.12.2 A letter of retirement must be issued to every retiring employee at least three months in advance of his/her retirement date. In the absence of such notice, three months basic salary should be paid to the employee in lieu of notice.

12.12.3 Field Offices are responsible for taking action on the retirement of their employees. The HR Department will monitor the status of all employees in IRCO.

12.12.4 An employee may have option for early retirement between an age bracket of 56-59 years or in a situation of 20 years continuous service in IR.

12.12.5 Retired employees will be eligible for Retirement benefit shown as follows:

Normal Retirement: 12 months Gross salary.

Early Retirement: 9 months Gross salary.

SECTION- H GRIEVANCES

13. Grievance: 13.1 Grievance Procedures:

Any employee who has a grievance in respect to any matter and wished to seek redress thereof must observe the following procedures:

i) A written complaint should be given to their immediate supervisor.

ii) If the employee is not satisfied with the response from their supervisors, he/she should write to the next level of supervision.

iii) If the employee is still not satisfied, he/she should write directly to the CD. If the concerned staff-member is employed at a Field Office, copies of such letters must be sent to both the concerned Managers/Supervisors

iv) Employees must bring their grievance to the notice of their supervisor within thirty (30) days of the occurrence of the cause of such grievance, and the employer must within 30 days of receipt of such grievance, inquire into the matter and give the concerned employee an opportunity of being heard and communicate the decision, in writing, to the employee.

v) All complaints must be in writing, signed and dated by the employee(s), if they are to receive consideration. No anonymous grievance or allegations will be considered under any circumstances. Writing, disseminating or assisting in the spreading of anonymous allegations will result in serve disciplinary action for all employees involved.

vi) For any form of sexual harassment grievance, please refer to clause 16.

14. Sexual Harassment Grievance:

14.1 IR in Bangladesh provides extensive policies with regard to misconduct by staff members. However, to enable proper handling of specific cases of sexual harassment the guidelines below are suggested.

14.2 It is the policy of IR to promote a gender sensitive working environment in which all forms of sexually harassing conduct, whether committed by supervisors, managers, non-supervisory employees or non-employees, is prohibited.

14.3 Definition: Sexual harassment is defined as any form of conduct or behaviour of the following types:



Type I:

(a) Unwanted physical contact or conduct of any kind, including sexual flirtations, touching, advances or propositions.

(b) Verbal abuse of a sexual nature.

(c) Threatening or insinuating either explicitly, or implicitly, by any supervisor or manager that an employee’s refusal or unwillingness to submit to sexual advances will affect the employee’s terms or conditions of employment.

(d) Demeaning, insulting, intimidating or sexually aggressive comments about an individual’s dress or body.

(e) The display or storage in the workplace of demeaning, insulting, intimidating or sexually suggestive objects or pictures, including nude photographs.

(f) Demeaning, insulting, intimidating or sexually suggestive written, recorded or electronically transmitted messages, including pornographic video programs.

Type II:

(a) All forms of non-sexual verbal abuse used with opposite sex.

(b) Demeaning comments, psychological or mental pressure, and/or actions which are a form of punishment for refusing sexual advances, or other discriminatory behaviour because of gender.

15. Grievance Submission:

Each supervisor and manager has a responsibility to keep the workplace free from any form of sexual harassment. Female staff are especially vulnerable to sexual harassment and are to be given full support and ensured maximum confidentiality, to seek and receive help and redress without fear of being criticized or judged.

15.1 A staff member who is concerned about the appropriateness of the attitudes or behaviour of a colleague or supervisor, can consult confidentially with the Field-Office based Gender Focal Point or IRCO before deciding whether the case should be defined as sexual harassment and whether she/he wants to bring it forward officially or not. The gender focal points have the following responsibilities.

i) To act as a representative of the Gender Committee at the field office level and disseminate all gender related information from and to the field office.

ii) To assist the Gender Committee to solve any gender related problem at the field office level.

15.2 A staff member who falls a victim of any form of harassment as defined in Section 15.3 can consider the following options before bringing the case forward.

i) Inform the supervisor or manager, or the Gender Focal Point on the case. If the staff member agrees, the person taken into confidence will assist in putting the complaint into writing and forwarding it.

ii) Submit a written complaint directly to the HRD. In case the complaint is not addressed to the HRD, a copy of the written complaint should be given to the HRD.

15.3 A sexual harassment complaint should be made as early as possible, preferably within one month of the incident or behaviour or attitude which has given rise to the complaint. In case the staff member is unsure whether the incident or behaviour or attitude constitutes sexual harassment, she/he should consult with the supervisor or manager, or the Gender Focal Point,



as soon as possible, preferably within one month of the incident or behaviour or attitude which has given rise to the grievance.

16. Grievance Handling:

16.1 When the HRD receives a written complaint of a case of serious sexual harassment, IR can decide to initiate a preliminary investigation with the help of the Gender Focal Point before officially processing the complaint. All information obtained during this preliminary investigation will form part of the official findings.

16.2 The HRD will consult with CD and will decide for further disciplinary actions such as show cause.

16.3 After a verbal and /or written complaint has been made, immediate action should be taken to ensure that the accuser and accused staff members are separated till the matter is resolved. Possible measures include suspension of the accused or special leave provision for the accuser (if leave is so desired).

16.4 By no means, should the accused and the accuser be talking to each other, nor should there be any attempt by anybody else to mitigate or negotiate, before proper investigation is conducted.

16.5 The HRM will ensure that an investigation is undertaken as early as possible. The investigation aims at data collection which, depending on the nature of the complaint, can be done through either collection of evidence materials (such as documents), or interviews and spot visit.

In case of interviews, HRM must ensure the neutrality, and gender sensitivity of the investigation team members. The team will report to the HRM immediately after finalizing the interviews.

16.6 The HRM will review the investigation report and recommendations made by the board members, and forward HRM’s recommendations to the Country Director of designate for final review and approval of any action. In case the investigation report is ambiguous, the HRM may initiate a second investigation.

16.7 Special counselling and other support services, as deemed appropriate by the Gender Advisor to any victim of sexual harassment, following official disciplinary measures against the offender, to ensure that they do not fall victim to any further retaliatory harassment or insecurity.

17. Sexual Harassment by project participants or counterparts :

17.1 Harassment by IR employee: Any staff member who receives information or a complaint about sexual harassment of a project participant or counterpart by an IR staff member, should report this to the supervisor or manager.

The grievances handling procedures as described above will be followed.

17.2 Harassment of IR employees: In the case that IR staff members are harassed by counterparts, the same grievance submission process as described in section-16 should be followed. The Grievance Handling procedures will be the same except that upon review of the investigation report, the HRM will, in consultation with the concerned Project Manager, make recommendations on the next course of action.



18. Criminal Action in Case of Rape:

Rape, or attempt to rape, is an extreme form of sexual harassment. It is a serious criminal offence that should also be dealt with in accordance with the criminal justice code. The following guidelines are suggested for handling such cases. As females are exclusively vulnerable to this form of harassment, the following guidelines apply to females only:

18.1 Although the responsibility and choice for initiating criminal action rests on the concerned staff/project participant/counterpart, IR will play a supportive role, especially if the incident has happened in the line of duty. Necessary logistic and management support will be provided to the concerned person (victim) to ensure proper procedural steps are taken to deal with the case in accordance with the legal system.

18.2 In case of rape, the concerned person (victim) should be advised to undergo appropriate medical check-up with twenty four hours of the incident, make a General Diary (GD) entry at the local Police Station, and seek legal advice. The matter should be brought to the notice of the CD immediately.

18.3 If the rape has occurred in the line of duty, and the concerned IR staff (victim) decides to pursue the case in court, IR will give advice about the best lawyer available locally and may provide financial support of the actual legal costs involved.

19. Employee Standards of Conduct:

19.1 IR in Bangladesh expects all employee to adhere to the highest standards of professional behaviour in their dealings with colleagues, counterparts and community members. Each individual employee represents IR in his or her personal and professional lives.

19.2 All supervisors are strictly prohibited from asking or allowing subordinate staff to perform personal household tasks at any time. These tasks include, but are not limited to: cooking, cleaning, washing, ironing, household repair (other than IR issued equipment), and taking care of the supervisor’s children during or after office hours.

19.3 All supervisors are strictly prohibited from engaging themselves in any romantic relationship with a subordinate staff member. Should a supervisor suspect that such a relationship might develop with subordinate staff, the supervisor is responsible to immediately inform their own supervisor of the situation. After due consideration among project management and AFD appropriate action will be taken to ensure that no supervisory relationship can continue between the two concerned staff.

19.4 All responsible allegations of supervisory or sexual impropriety will be fully investigated, but only if these allegations are not anonymous. Sexual impropriety may be defined as an affair or romantic relationship that damages, and it is likely to interfere with project operations or IR reputation in the community.

19.5 All IR staff are responsible for maintaining professional standards of conduct within IR Bangladesh. Any reposts of impropriety must be delivered in person or via written correspondence which has been signed with a full name.

20. Consultancy Services: As part of program needs, IRB may seek services of consultants to perform specific

assignments to fulfil specific terms of reference. IRB will hire those individuals as consultants who will have relevant background and expertise to perform the scope of work. It is important that consultants render their services for IRB solely, and the organization will have full access (if not ownership) of the output provided.



20.A Agreement of Consultant

20.A.1 IRB will initiate consultancy works based on objective necessity of the assignments. A Terms of Reference (ToR) must be drafted, articulating the objective and tasks of the consultancy. The Terms of Reference (ToR) will be reviewed by at least two persons, including the authors.

20.A.2 The ToR will be submitted to the CD along with Consultant’s Profile Sheet, evidence of consultant’s selection process and budget approval, Consultant selection should preferably occur though a competitive bid. If the process is not competitive, sufficient justification for the choice must be documented.

20.A.3 At the time of selection of a consultant respective project / section will judge qualification and professional experience.

20.A.4 HRD will review administrative and other aspects of the ToR in consultation with the Section before finalization. Once the ToR is finalized, HRD will prepare the Work Contract.

20.A.5 The Work Contract for any amount will be signed by by Country Director and countersigned by the HRM, FM and Respective program Manager/PDMER Manager.

21. Quit Claim Forms:

Any Employee released from duty with IR, either through resignation or action initiated by IR, must receive, sign, and date a “statement of final payment” of IRCO Accounts, i.e. a Quit Claim Form (QCF) as per Attachment 18. The Form should clearly illustrate how the final payment was determined.

21.1 The QCF letter should clearly state that the employee relieves IR from any further financial claims.

21.2 The IRB Country Office Accounts is responsible for paying Salary and other related benefits through Cheque/TT within one month after separation of the employee.

21.3 IRCO Accounts is responsible for calculation and payment of salary and other benefits. To facilitate this, Field-Offices are requested to fill up the clearance form before forwarding the same to the HR Department.

21.4 IRCO Accounts will then calculate benefits and issue a Demand Draft/Cheque/TT in favour of the separated employee.

21.5 The employee must report to either IRCO or the Field-Offices to receive the Demand Draft/Cheque/TT, at which time he/she must sign to acknowledge receipt of final payment.

22. Confidential Numbered Inter-Office Correspondence:

22.1 Confidential Numbered Correspondence with or about National Employees

22.2 Inter-office correspondence concerning National Employees’ personnel related matters such as personal status, performance, conduct etc. within IR is to be done by a CONFIDENTIAL numbered letter. This also applies to the IRCO.

Field offices will maintain a Register for all Incoming and Outgoing Confidential letters. this maintenance will be numbered sequentially to ensure easy identification/reference of the letters. To effect the system, the number of the Confidential letter should begin as follows 01, 02, 03 etc. starting from 1st January.



Outgoing Confidential Number Register

(Name of the Field Office) - IRCO

CFN # Issuing Date Subject: Name and /or Employee #

of concerned Employee Remarks

Incoming Confidential Number Register

(Name of the Field Office) - IRCO

CFN # Issuing Date Subject: Name and /or Employee #

of concerned Employee Remarks

22.3 The Office Manager will maintain the Field – Office PCFs and the Manager for Admin and

Finance Department will maintain the IRCO PCFs. 22.4 Copies of the PCF should contain all relevant attachments.

22.5 The following subjects are to be treated as Confidential:

i) Appointment, Confirmation, Promotion or Transfer. ii) Termination, Discharge, Dismissal, or Retrenchment. iii) Extension of Probationary period. iv) Suspension Order. v) Letter of Advice/Letter of Warning. vi) Show Cause/Explanation. vii) Notice of Enquiry. viii) Other private matters. ix) Acceptance of Resignation. x) Recommendation/Reference. xi) No other claim letter.

22.6 Each copy of a letters noted in Section 22.5 should be signed and dated by the concerned employee.

22.7 If any employee refuses to accept any notice, letter, show cause, suspension order or other document addressed to him/her by the IRB it shall be deemed that such notice, letter or other documents have been delivered and received if copies of the same have been sent to the address of the employee as available from the records of the employer, by registered post with A/D (Acknowledgement Due) and a copy of the same is posted on the office bulletin board. The date on which the letter, document etc. is posted on the office Bulletin Board, should be noted/signed by two witnesses (IR staff) on the letter itself.

23. Miscellaneous Regulations:

23.1 Visitors: Visitors for official business are always welcome. Personal visits are discouraged.

23.2 Staff Conduct and Appearance: Employees are required to conduct and dress themselves appropriately in and about the office, consistent with performance of their duties. For



example, office workers should not be wearing dirty or greasy clothing, while a mechanic cannot avoid these conditions.

23.3 Loans: The practice of giving or taking loans from senior to junior staff, or junior to senior staff, or counterparts is strictly forbidden.

23.4 Gifts: Taking or giving gifts from individuals is prohibited in an official capacity.

23.5 Articles: IRB related articles written for publication during or within three years after IRB employment must have prior approval of the Country Director or designate.

23.6 Assets: Any IRB property entrusted to the employee remains the property of IRB. The employee will be held responsible for the loss, damage of misuse.

23.7 Employment for household works: Personal employment for the reason of household type of activities of the relative of IRB staff or project beneficiaries or participants or their children, spouse etc. are strictly prohibited.

23.8 Uniforms and other Special Duty Equipment: One set uniform a year may be provided to the following staff members, in all offices.

i) Driver ii) Messenger iii) Cleaner/Cook iv) Guard

23.8.1 One set of uniform consists of one shirt, one pant, one pair of shoes for men and one full set full set of Shallower Kames and one pairs of shoes for women.

23.8.2 The employees who receive uniforms are themselves responsible for keeping them clean and pressed.

23.8.3 An employee may be assigned equipment or granted a cash reimbursement for the actual purchase of items which are deemed to be highly important for the performance of the employee’s duties. Additional items may not be purchased without the prior approval of the CD. All Special Duty Equipment should be inventoried, using a separate Inventory Ledger. Equipment assigned to an employee must, if requested, be returned, failure to do so will result in the employee’s salary being adjusted to recover the cost.

23.8.4 OSD will revise the list of items classified as Special Duty Equipment, annually, if required.

23.9 Identity Card :

i) The Identity Card (I.D. Card) is IR property, and is not transferable to any other person, including another IR employee. The HRD shall issue an Identity Card to all employees.

ii) An I.D. Card Control Register is maintained in IRCO. Every IRB I.D Card shall invariably have a Card Control Number. Any card without a control number must be treated as void. The ID card must also reflect an individual’s Blood group.

iii) Field-Offices must send their requests for I.D Cards to the HRD. HRD will transfer ID Cards request to OSD to another office.

iv) When an employee resigns from service or when his/her service is Terminated, Dismissed, Retrenched or Discharged, he/she must return the ID Card to his/her office who in turn will forward the Card to the HRD writing the word ‘VOID’ across the ID Card, failing which the final benefits of the employee will be held up. The quit Claim form should be noted ID Card Returned.



v) Loss of an ID Card must immediately be reported to a Police Station in writing, a copy of which with all necessary signatures and stamp of the Police Station must be sent to the HRD.

vi) The employee will be responsible for paying for the new photo required for the replacement of ID Card.

23.10 Drug-Free Workplace:

23.10.1 IR Bangladesh ensures to the best of the organization’s ability, that all employees working on or off premises, directly or indirectly, will work in a drug free environment.

23.10.2 Employees found unlawfully manufacturing, distributing, dispensing, in possession or under the influence of illegal drugs (controlled substances) will be subject to severe disciplinary action resulting in Dismissal.

23.11 Conflict of Interest:

Employees are not permitted to solicit, obtain, accept or retain any personal benefit from any supplier, vendor, or any individual or organization doing or seeking business with IRB. No employee of IRB shall maintain an outside business or financial interest, or engage in any outside business or financial activities, which conflicts with the interests of IRB or which interferes with the employee’s ability to perform job responsibilities fully. No employee shall share any benefit directly or indirectly from a third party that furnishes products, materials, or services to IRB.

23.12 Attachment :

SL. ITEM SUBJECT 1. ATTACHMENT Contract of Employment 2. ATTACHMENT Contract of Casual Employment 3. ATTACHMENT Personal History 4. ATTACHMENT Interview Summary Sheet Format 5. ATTACHMENT Confirmation Format 6. ATTACHMENT Leave Application Format 7. ATTACHMENT Termination Letter 8. ATTACHMENT Leave Record Format 9. ATTACHMENT CT O Format 10. ATTACHMENT Annual Performance Appraisal Format (APAF-Section-1) 11. ATTACHMENT Annual Performance Appraisal Format(APAF- Section-2) 12. ATTACHMENT Discharge letter 13. ATTACHMENT Service certificate/Experience Certificate 14. ATTACHMENT Show cause/Explanation Letter 15. ATTACHMENT Notice of Enquiry 16. ATTACHMENT Dismissal 17. ATTACHMENT Exit Questionnaire 18. ATTACHMENT Quit Claim Format

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