EMPLOYEE HANDBOOK
Created on : 27th May, 2022
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Welcome
About us
> What we are and what we do
> Our Values & Culture
Introduction
> The purpose of this handbook
> What you can expect from us
> What we expect from you
> Rights to revise
At will employment status
Employment
> Employment classifications
> Equal opportunity and Anti discrimination policy
> Non disclosure agreement
> Standards of Conduct
> References and verifications
> Employee Onboarding
> Probation & Confirmation
> Performance Evaluation
> KRA sign off
> Attendance
> Separation
> Bring your own device policy
Employee Conduct
> Alcohol & Drugs free workplace
> Provision of Sexual Harassment at workplace policy
> Work hours & Breaks
> Work from home guidelines
> Monthly All hands
> Personal data
Health & Safety
> Workplace safety
> Health issues
teammate Benefits
> Diversity
> Domain based tech team
> Budget for Upskilling
> Workplace with no/low code tools
> Referral Program
> Medical insurance
> Rewards & Recognition
> Internal job opportunities
> Tax declarations, if applicable
> Reimbursements
> Travel with OurBus
Employee Time Off
> Holidays
> Paid Leaves
> Compensatory Off
> Maternity Leave Benefit
Wages & Salary
> Paydays
> Overtimes & Incentives
> Wage or Salary increases
> Salary advance
> Timekeeping
Conflicts of interest
Employee grievances
> Open door policy
> Complaint resolution
Welcome to Rally OurBus
?. We're a marketplace (based out of the US) focusing on building solutions to improve regional mobility.
Historically buses have been a 'necessary evil'. We're not only changing that but also making buses more inclusive, accessible, fun, and reliable. And on top of that, we're not restricting ourselves to just buses - that's just the starting point! ? +? It's not easy to change the perception towards an entire industry, but we're doing just that. Ever wondered what it would take to make trains look cool in India? ??♀️
Oh, and between, our companies merged in 2020. We discovered how similar our mission & culture is, and it made so much more sense for us to work on this together!
If you’re reading this, we think you’re a good fit for helping us fulfill our mission and achieve our goals. We are glad to have you as a member of Rally OurBus. As a part of our team, we hope that you will find your position with us exciting, productive, and rewarding. We value the experience and ability you bring to this organization as each teammate is vital to the success of our organization.
This handbook has been prepared to acquaint you with the employment policies and practices of Rally OurBus. You can read it carefully and keep it for your future reference. You may connect with the members of the Human Resource team on [email protected] if you have any questions !
About us
What we are and what we do
Rally and OurBus entered into a merger through an acquisition transaction in 2021 creating the leading technology company for mass mobility in the United States. Until now, the aim was to evolve and disrupt a segment of the private bus industry, with Rally focusing on arranging event charters and OurBus on scheduled intercity travel. Each does so with the same ethos of improving the bus rider experience while increasing revenue to bus operators.
OurBus has improved regional travel for millions of riders by creating an experience that people actually like. Available in 100+ US locations, we have changed consumer expectations for intercity bus travel, as reflected in our 4.4/5-star rating with over 8,000 reviews.
Rally has created the platform and demand for thousands of bus trips across 40 states and provinces with its "bus rideshare". Our app aggregates like-minded individuals going to events both small and large, from weddings and corporate outings to arena sports and music festivals. The technology crowdsources bus stops and crowdfunds buses to create on-demand trips.
Our Values & Culture
We take immense pride in being a part of your growth & we think hard (and a lot) about enabling it. The process can sometimes be fast, it can be slow sometimes, but what matters the most is whether you're enjoying the journey. Our values speak for themselves:
- Love for Our Users
- Owners and Not teammates
- Sports team vs family
- Execution > Ideas > Experience
- Disagreeing Respectfully
- Having a Growth Mindset
- Focusing on the Input
- Sharing Credit
To read more about these, you can always visit here.
Introduction
The purpose of this handbook
We believe that teammates are happier if they know what they can expect out of their company and what the company expects out of them. In this handbook, we introduce you to the company's values, guidelines and culture that we expect you to incorporate in your day-to-day job performance so that you don't struggle to strive to meet your personal and company goals in everything you do.
The remainder of this handbook will familiarize you with the policies, responsibilities, benefits and privileges of being a teammate of Rally OurBus. Hope you understand that this handbook can only highlight and summarize the important information. For detailed understanding and information, please talk to Human Resources or your Reporting Manager.
What you can expect from us
Rally OurBus believes in a work environment that fosters innovation and involvement to meet the challenges of our growing business. We believe in providing quality service to our customers and a quality workplace for our teammates. Through this commitment, we will continue to ensure success and growth, for both you and the company.
What we expect from you
Service to our customers is everyone’s responsibility. You should always treat our customers and your fellow teammates with respect. Our teammates provide the services that our customers rely upon and expect, and enable us to grow and create new opportunities in the future. We expect and depend upon you to perform the tasks assigned to the best of your ability and to act in ways reflecting favorably on the Company, other teammates and yourself.
Rights to revise
For every growing organization, change is inevitable, as circumstances constantly change. As a result we may have to revise, rescind or supplement any policy based on the business requirements from time to time.. The company holds the rights to change these policies without any prior notice.
Any changes to this handbook will be communicated to all teammates so that everyone will be aware of the new policies or procedures. Changes will be effective on the dates determined by the Company. No oral statements or representations can in any way alter the provisions of this handbook.
At will Employment status
Your employment at Rally OurBus is at will. Employment at-will may be terminated with or without cause and with or without notice, at any time by the Employee or the Company. Nothing in this handbook or in any document or statement shall limit the right to terminate employment at-will. No Leader, Manager or teammate of the Company has any authority to enter into an agreement with another person for employment for any specified period of time or to make an agreement for employment other than at-will. Only the CEO/Founders of the Company has the authority to make any such agreement and, even then, only in writing.
Employment
Employment classifications
We enroll people based on our business requirements. Following are the employment classifications:
- Regular full-time teammates
- Regular part-time teammates
- Contractual teammates
Please note that benefits and allowances are applicable to Regular FTEs, unless stated otherwise.
Employee Levels
Every full time employee will grow as per the following hierarchy mentioned below, depending on the level at which they started with the company.
Level 1 - Associate/Specialist
Level 2 - Strategist
Level 3 - Lead
Level 4- Manager
Level 5- Senior Manager
Level 6 - Head
Level 7 - VP
Level 8- Sr. VP
Level 9 - CXO/CEO
Equal opportunity and Anti discrimination policy
We are proud of our diversity and our commitment to maintaining a diverse workforce. We at Rally OurBus, believe in equal opportunities and do not discriminate against teammates or applicants for employment on the basis of an individual’s race, color, religion, creed, sex, national origin, age, disability, marital status, veteran status or any other status protected by applicable law. We make employment decisions on the basis of merit and want to have the best available person in every job. This policy applies to all terms, conditions and privileges of employment, including recruitment, hiring, placement, compensation, promotion, discipline and termination.
Examples of such conduct which amounts to discrimination include, but are not limited to:
○ Offensive or degrading remarks, verbal abuse, or other hostile behavior such as insulting, teasing, mocking, degrading or ridiculing another person or group
○ Racial derogatory remarks about a person's accent, or display of racially offensive symbols
If you believe you have been subjected to any form of wrongdoing, or if you know of another teammate who has been the subject of discrimination, submit a written complaint to your Manager or fill in this grievance form that will notify the human resources to look into it.. Your complaint should be specific and should include the names of the individual(s) involved and the names of any witnesses. If you need assistance with your complaint, or if you prefer to make a complaint in person, please contact a Human Resources representative. The Company will immediately undertake an effective, thorough, and objective investigation and attempt to resolve the situation.
If the Company determines any wrongdoing, effective remedial action will be taken commensurate with the severity of the offense, up to and including termination. Appropriate action also will be taken to deter any future discrimination. The Company will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint and will not knowingly permit retaliation by Management, teammates, or co-workers, unless it is determined that the complaint is false.
Non Disclosure Agreement
Protecting trade secrets and confidential business information is essential to the success of Rally OurBus. Such confidential information includes (but is not limited to): pending projects and proposals, proprietary production processes, compensation data, personnel/payroll records, financial information, marketing strategies, customer information, and conversations with people associated with the company.
As a condition of employment, teammates must sign a non-disclosure agreement and Confidential Information and Invention Assignment Agreement. teammates improperly disclosing or using confidential customer information or trade secrets are subject to disciplinary action, including termination and legal action, even if the disclosure does not benefit them.
Standards of Conduct
We intend to have orderly operations and provide the best possible working environment to our teammates. We expect our teammates to follow rules of conduct that will protect the interests and safety of all our members and the organization. The motive to list down these guidelines is not to restrict your rights , but rather to be certain that you understand what conduct is expected and necessary.
Unauthorized access to company property outside of business hours.
Violation of any policy, practice and/or procedure;
Neglect of job responsibilities or unsatisfactory performance;
Using company equipment and/or company vehicles without authorization.
Theft.
Insubordination.
Vandalism or destruction of company property.
Using inappropriate language such as: profanity, cussing, swearing, vulgar, obscene, abusive or insulting language, including unwelcome name-calling and inappropriate jokes or racial slurs at any time or virtually or on Company premises
Displaying indifference or rudeness towards a customer or fellow teammate; or any disorderly/antagonistic conduct on company premises
Misrepresentations of Rally OurBus to a customer, a prospective customer, the general public, or a teammate.
Sharing company business practices, which are confidential or potential trade secrets
References & employment verifications
All requests for employment references or verification of employment must be directed to Human Resources. Managers or teammates are not authorized to release information for current or former teammates.
We do not respond to verbal requests for references or verification of employment; all such requests must be made in writing. By policy, we disclose only the dates of employment, the job title of the last position held and salary details of former teammates. Authorization to disclose this information must be in writing.
Similarly, for all new teammates, background verification and reference checks are conducted as a part of the recruitment process, to ensure a safe work environment and prevent incidents that may affect a company's credibility.
Employee Onboarding
We know that when a new teammate joins, s/he comes with enthusiasm and lots of curiosity. And to cater to that curiosity needs, the Human resources team provides an orientation about the organization and team required by the teammate. This includes an overview of the company history, structure, company vision, mission, values, goals, objectives and interaction with the founders. It includes pre-recorded sessions and details of, benefits, and help completing necessary joining documentation.
Some teammates are presented with codes, keys, procedures, and secret handshakes needed to access their workspace. Reporting Manager introduces new hires to the team, explains company evaluation procedures, reviews position scope and job description, and helps them getting started.
We also have a Buddy program for Leads and above for the initial few weeks post joining. This initiative is to help new joiners build an immediate informal connection within the organization. The buddy’s role is to make the new teammate feel welcome, answer questions and help the new person navigate through the organization’s culture.
Probation & Confirmation
A probationary period is a specified period during which a teammate’s overall suitability for a role is formally assessed. The probation period for all job families from Specialist upto Sr. VP is 90 days from the date of their joining the organization.
The eligibility and applicability for the confirmation of all teammates is as stated below:
Upon satisfactory completion of the said probation period, the teammate shall be confirmed in the
capacity of the respective job role. A confirmation letter will be issued by HR.
Teammates on probation are bound by the same set of rules, regulations and norms in matters of
conduct, business standards and responsibilities as the confirmed teammates
Teammates can apply only for 3 Earned leaves and 1.5 Medical Leaves during their probation period. More than the eligible number, will be taken as loss of pay
Teammates will be notified by HR for multiple check-ins during their first 90 days, to help you integrate better into the system.
On completion of the probation period, the Reporting Manager (Functional) of the teammate shall review the performance of the teammate and then have an in-person discussion with the teammate to review the first 90 days within the organization
The Confirmation Assessment Form shall be shared with the Reporting Manager (Functional) by the system 10 days prior to the date of confirmation
Post discussion with the teammate and taking inputs from the related team members, Manager will complete the Confirmation Assessment Form on the system and provide a decision on Confirmation for the respective teammate at least 2 days prior to the date of confirmation
In instances of non performance during the probation period, a decision for Extension of the probation period of the teammate shall be extended by aligning on a plan. During this period, the teammate will be put on a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP). The teammate and the Reporting Manager shall work together on the learning plan created and weekly meetings shall be held to track the progress
After completion of the PIP, the teammate shall undergo the process for Confirmation again (As stated above)
Performance evaluation
We communicate to empower, and in order to foster more dialogue between Team Members and Managers the Company will conduct periodic performance reviews. Performance evaluation dialogues will be conducted every 4-6 weeks. And a formal performance review would be conducted once every 6 months, typically in March & September. The performance evaluations may vary depending upon length of service, job position, past performance, changes in job duties, or recurring performance problems. Whoever has variable pay, it is linked to their formal performance review, unless agreed otherwise.
During your performance evaluations, your reporting manager would review factors such as the quality and quantity of the work you perform, your knowledge of the job, your initiative, your work attitude, and your attitude toward others.
The performance evaluations are intended to make you aware of your progress, areas for improvement, and objectives or goals for future work performance. Favorable performance evaluations do not guarantee an increase in salary or promotions. Salary increases and promotions are solely within the discretion of the management and depend upon many factors. However, everyone in the company is eligible for a pay raise every 6 months.
KRA Sign off
For everyone joining the organization, your manager needs to provide you your KRAs for the first 90 days within 2 weeks of joining in. And you need to sign off on that. These KRAs are the objectives that are vital to the performance of an individual's role in the organization/department. In case you do not receive these KRAs, please reach out to your manager regarding the same. If for some reason you don’t know your KRAs within three weeks of joining in, please discuss this with the Human Resources team.
Attendance
For those teammates who are expected to follow a shift roster they are expected to report/sign-in to work as per their shift roster, on time, and prepared to start work. Those teammates who are working as per a roster, should login to their greytHR ID at the beginning of their day. teammates are expected to remain at work for their entire work schedule, except for meal periods, or when required to leave on authorized Company business.
If you are unable to report to work or will arrive at work late, call and notify your reporting Manager as soon as possible in advance of the anticipated tardiness or absence. In the event of an emergency, a family member or friend should call on your behalf to your Manager or Human Resources. Excessive absences, lateness, or leaving early that is not approved by your manager may lead to disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment.
Separation
Our separation policy ensures that the practical matters arising from a teammate's exit are dealt with efficiently, but also gives individuals an opportunity to provide feedback on their perceptions of our organization as an employer and allows us to gather valuable information which may be used constructively to enhance employment and retention practices at Rally OurBus.
Teammate Separation can be classified under the following categories:
● Termination: Due to breach of code of conduct or performance related concerns the organization may initiate disciplinary process leading to a teammate separation.
● Resignation: Voluntary separation by the teammate.
● Retirement / Superannuation: teammate completes his/her tenure at the organization and retires from the organization
● Absconding: Teammates who are not attending office without intimation or prior approval
● Death: Death of a teammate
In case the teammate decides to resign from the organization or the company decides to terminate for performance related concerns, the teammate needs to serve a minimum period of the following number of days mentioned below as per the job family.
1. Level 1-3 (Specialists, Strategists, Leads): 30 days notice
2. Level 4-5 (Manager, Sr. Manager): 60 days notice
3. Level 6-9 (Heads, VP, SVP, CXO): 90 days notice
Note:
- If a teammate resigns during his/her probation period, there will be no notice period.
- In addition to serving the number of days, all the pending work shall be accomplished
- All teammates (Lead & above) shall prepare a handover document listing down their scope of work at the time of leaving, and how those responsibilities are being transitioned over
- Teammates who do not serve notice period, shall not be entitled to receive the relieving letter. In such a situation the teammate shall pay the organization an amount equivalent to the notice pay for the unserved notice period
Bring your own device policy
Our policy states that all teammates both full time & contracutual need to bring and use personally owned electronic devices for work-related purposes. However, in cases where a teammate requires financial aid in purchasing a device, the maximum eligible limit for sponsorship is 1.5x the monthly gross salary. Any amount in excess of 1.5x of the monthly salary will need to be sponsored by the teammate themselves. This device can be as per the teammates choice and the amount of the same will be recovered in installments from the teammate’s salary, upto 6 months by the organization from the time of purchase. No interest will be charged by the organization on these installments. To avail this benefit, write to [email protected].
Employee Conduct
Alcohol & Drugs free workplace
We strive to provide an alcohol and drug-free, healthy, and safe workplace for teammates and customers. Being under the influence of alcohol, illegal or controlled substances, at work, can detract a teammate's work performance, efficiency, safety, and health, and therefore seriously impair the teammate’s value to the Company. In addition, the use or possession of these substances on the job constitutes a potential danger to the welfare and safety of other teammates and exposes the Company to the risks of property loss or damage, or injury to others. teammates are required to report to work in appropriate mental and physical condition to perform their jobs in a satisfactory manner.
The following rules and standards of conduct apply to all teammates either on Company property or during the workday (including meals and rest periods). Behavior that violates Company policy includes:
• Possession or use of an illegal or controlled substance, or being under the influence of an illegal or controlled substance while on the job;
• teammates shall not consume alcoholic beverages at any time during working hours
• Any individual taking prescribed medication should consult with his/her physician(s) to determine whether the medication may have an adverse effect on job performance or workplace safety. teammates should report the use of physician-prescribed or over-the-counter medications which are likely to adversely affect job performance or workplace safety to Human Resources and their Manager.
• Driving for company business while under the influence of alcohol or other substances which may impair function or judgment; and
• Distribution, sale or purchase of illegal or controlled substances while on the job.
Violations of this policy may lead to disciplinary action and/or immediate termination of employment.
Provision of Sexual Harassment at workplace policy
We as an organization are committed to providing an environment that encourages mutual respect, promotes respectful and congenial relationships between teammates, and is free of any kind of harassment. Our policy prohibits sexual harassment and harassment based on related, race, religious creed, color, gender, national origin or ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, marital status, registered domestic partner status, age, sexual orientation or any other basis protected by federal, state or local law or ordinance or regulation. The scope of this policy applies to everyone involved in the operation of the Company and prohibits sexual harassment by any teammate of the Company, including temporary/permanent teammates, Managers, as well as vendors, customers and any other persons.
The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 was enacted to ensure safe working space for women and to build enabling work environments that respect women right to equality of status and opportunity. The emphasis is always on prevention rather than punitive action. Anti-Sexual Harassment Policy, procedure and Guidelines are framed as per the GOI Notification made on December 9, 2013, and the handbook of GOI Ministry of Women and Child Development, November 2015.
Types of Sexual Harassment
Quid pro quo: Quid pro quo means “something in return for something”. Quid pro quo harassment usually occurs when the respondent being a person in power, pressurizes a teammate for sexual favors in exchange for advancement in the workplace or threat of adverse employment action. This also occurs when a person in power says he/she will not fire or reprimand a teammate for some type of sexual favor. Few Examples of Quid Pro Quo Sexual Harassment but not limited to:
A manager informing or implying to the reportee that he/she would lose employment if denied to give sexual advances
A manager informing or implying to the reportee that he/she would get better rating/promotion/good increment etc. in return for giving sexual advances
A hiring manager implying or directly offering a job in return for sexual advances to an interviewee
Hostile Work Environment: Hostile work environment occurs when an individual or group of individuals creates an unsafe, intimidating and offensive work environment through verbal, non-verbal or physical conduct.
Few Examples of Hostile Work Environment:
Unwelcome comments about body type
Commenting on someone’s physical appearance
Intentionally touching someone’s part of clothing or body
Telling obscene jokes
Using sexual words and other sexual suggestive comments
Showing sexually suggestive pictures, cartoons, pamphlets or any material of similar sort
Using technology-based communication to follow, stalk, which includes unwelcome text messages, pictures etc.
Using sexually suggestive gestures
Staring
Stalking
Internal Complaints Committee: In accordance with Supreme Court Guidelines, to manage the process of enquiry and redressal of sexual harassment complaints, Rally OurBus has formed an Internal Complaints Committee. This Committee established in the Company’s office is for inquiring into complaints of sexual harassment and shall be deemed to be the Inquiring Authority appointed by the Management. The ICC shall hold the inquiry in accordance with the procedure laid down in the Rules formulated by the State Govt. Or as may be prescribed.
Whom to contact in case of an incident of sexual harassment?
A teammate (the Victim) may send a written complaint/email to [email protected] or fill in the POSH complaint form
The teammate (the Victim) may also contact his/her Manager, Heads or/and HR department. If the teammate (the Victim) is unable to contact or report the incident to any of the above, the teammate may contact any other teammate in the Company also in this regard.
The email complaint should include the contact details of the complainant/victim such as name, address, contact number, department etc. In all the cases above, the written complaint/email must provide the details of the incident together with the name/s of the alleged harasser/s and the victim/s, as available.
The ICC will conduct the necessary investigation and initiate necessary disciplinary action on the harasser. The power to make rules about sexual harassment at the workplace vests with the Management Committee of OURBUS INDIA PRIVATE LIMITED. Any changes to these rules shall be suitably communicated to all the teammates.
Work hours & Breaks
Rally OurBus operates 24 hours 7 Days of a Week. The standard workweek is 40 hours excluding lunch or break time. For calculating teammate benefits, the workweek begins on Sunday (starting at 12:01 a.m.) Through Saturday ending at 12:00 a.m., unless a Manager makes other arrangements with the teammate.
All teammates receive a 60 minute break for lunch/dinner/. Lunch/dinner breaks generally are taken as per the convenience of the teammate.
We allow breaks during the day. If teammates have unexpected personal business to take care of, they must notify their reporting manager to discuss time away from work and make provisions as necessary.
Work from home guidelines
The wfh guidelines have been designed for all our teammates working remotely. We aim to uniquely position our teammates to get work done successfully during any situation at any location. Since the pandemic, championing a flexible work environment has been a key component of our company’s culture. However, we have designed our work from home policy to make sure that working from home is beneficial to our teammates and company.
teammates are allowed to work from home only if their job duties permit it and with manager approval. For example, people who are obliged to come in direct physical contact with customers/team mates are not eligible for WFH without approval. But, teammates who carry out most of their work on a computer can occasionally work off-site whenever permitted to do so.
Ideal work from home space we encourage for better productivity:
Teammates to set up an appropriate workspace that is separate and distinct from their “home space” and conducive to working effectively without interruptions.
Make sure you design your workspace for efficiency, with all the documents and materials you need.
Create a healthy workspace – good light, comfortable temperature, standing desk, ergonomic adjustable chair, computer/laptop keyboard and mouse suited to your needs etc.
Establish ground rules for work hours, interruptions, noise, etc.
Have a wifi supporting more than 20 mbps of speed
Whenever joining meetings, attempt to do so over video
Requesting Work from Home Procedure
When teammates plan to work from home on a non-wfh day, for unforeseen reasons (e.g. illness or temporary difficult commute) then they should drop their request as soon as possible, so managers can consider and approve it.
Monthly All hands
We strongly believe in transparency and alignment, which is why we meet every month to talk about our strategic initiatives across the company. We use the OKR system to keep us aligned and moving towards our north stars. At all points, we try to keep everyone in the loop on why we're doing what we're doing and how we are doing it. Having said that, our commitment towards being a high performing team is constant as we grow and to nurture this vision we believe co-creation is most important. One of the best ways of fostering co-creation is being a part of the All-hands meet, organized every month for all Rally OurBus teammates.
The purpose of having this meet is to provide you all the opportunity to closely interact with our leaders and understand their vision as we move forward to achieve milestones. It also aims to boost our trust and confidence as a team and to collectively develop a sense of community. And therefore, having each one of us present is important. Hence we've made it compulsory for everyone to attend these meetings. If for some reason you are not able to attend the meeting, please let your manager know and seek their approval.
These meetings are typically organized every 30 days for all full time teammates across the Rally Ourbus. You will receive the link in advance to RSVP the same.
Personal data
Like every organization the HR department maintains employee’s personnel files that include necessary information of a teammate: [job application, government identification documents, address, contact numbers, job description, résumé, records of training, salary history, records of disciplinary action and documents related to teammate performance reviews, coaching, and mentoring.] These personnel files/documents, once submitted are Rally OurBus property. Access to any of these information is restricted. Management personnel of OurBus who have a legitimate reason to review the file are allowed to. To review their own file, teammates should contact their Human Resources team.
Teammates are responsible for notifying the Human Resources Department of changes such as: mailing address, telephone number, name, number of dependents, and emergency contacts if any. teammate’s personnel data should be accurate and current at all times, so that necessary actions when required for the organization or the teammate can be made.
Health & Safety
Workplace Safety
teammates must be cautious and obey safety rules of the workspace. Unsafe conditions should be reported to Manager or HR on duty. Disciplinary action, including termination of employment, may result from violating the set safety standards, creating dangerous situations. Kindly notify Manager or HR immediately in case of accident-related injuries, no matter how insignificant, so that necessary decisions and timely action can be taken.
Health Issues
When you're at the office premises and you feel unwell you may Inform HR representative on duty immediately if you need medical attention. We'll contact your emergency point of contact provided by you during your onboarding and keep them in the loop. We would do our best to get you help required at that point of time.
Employee Benefits
Diversity
Our diversity stretches beyond our perspectives. We are a community of people from India, Pakistan, USA, Korea, Puerto Rico, Canada, Germany, Mexico and we're continuously adding to this mix. To say the least, it's fun to be working as a part of a global team. Our global mix ensures that you’re constantly learning from peers with a diverse background.
Domain based tech team
We move faster by enabling department heads to make their own product decisions and decide what tech requests they'd like to prioritize for their function. We've adopted this methodology recently and this is helping us build a better product by decentralizing decision making.
Budget for Upskilling
In the event that you identify a course/workshop that you would like to undertake to be able to upskill yourself, we would like to support you in such an endeavor. We love it when our people are thinking and working towards their growth, and we’d like to help as best as we can.
We would be sponsoring these programs as follows:
For a skill that is directly related to your work - Support 2/3rd of the total cost
For a skill that is indirectly related to your work - Support 1/3rd of the total cost
You would be eligible to receive a sponsorship of upto 10% of the annual gross salary in any given year, once you have completed your probation. Any exceptions will need to be submitted to your manager for review.
All teammates can avail for this maximum once a year, only if the previous sponsorship course has been completed successfully and certificate of completion has been submitted to HR.
In the event of you discontinuing your engagement with the company within a particular period of the completion of the course, you would be expected to return the sponsorship that you’ve received as against your course, in your full & final settlement. This period would be
12 months for Associates, Specialists, Strategists, Leads
18 months for Managers
24 months for Heads, VPs, CXOs
Steps to receive sponsorship
Once you have selected a course/workshop that you intend to enroll in, let your manager know for any confusion about whether or not it is directly related to your work, you can discuss it with your manager.
You can then reach out to the Finance ([email protected]) & HR ([email protected]) department, keeping your manager in the loop requesting for the payment to be done for the course.
The entire amount for the course will be paid directly by the company and your share of the fee would be deducted from your next salary.
Once you have completed the course, please share the certificate of completion with the HR team, keeping your manager in the loop
In the event that you choose to drop the course midway, please inform HR, Finance & your manager. The sponsored amount, in that case, would be deducted from your subsequent salary
Workplace with no/low code tools
You must have heard a lot of chatter about "no-code tools". We're thrilled about how empowering they are and we're going all in about incorporating them to help us be more agile. From creating our webpage on Notion, to becoming better Project Managers with Airtable, to testing and deploying faster using VWO, to building user phone flows on Twilio, to automating the analysis of financial reports via Fathom, to enabling faster marketing decisions via Optmyzr and so much more. We love experimenting, trying new things, and staying on top of trends.
Referral Program
Our referral program is a part of our hiring strategy, where we encourage all our existing teammates to introduce suitable candidates from among the people they know. Here our hiring philosophy stands on the quality of people & the value they bring to the organization. We reward those teammates who refer candidates that help fulfill the purpose of this program. Also the opportunity to work with someone you really enjoy is a strong incentive on its own. Following is the criteria and referral bonus details :
Reward Amount
Eligible teammates who refer successful candidates for regular full-time/part-time positions in the Company will be paid the following referral incentive as per the following milestones:
When the candidate has cleared the first round of interview
Employed by the Company for at least 90 calendar days.
The payout will processed in the immediate month to the referring teammates
Stage Level Incentive : On every step of the hiring process
1. For Referring and being shortlisted in the first round of interview: INR 5000 or 70 US Dollar for Indian and US teammates respectively (Immediate Month)
2. On Selection: In the following month On the Completion of 90 days
- From Level 1-3: Freshers/Experienced: 30k INR or 400 US Dollar for Indian and US teammates respectively
- From Level 4-5: 50k INR or 700 US Dollar for Indian and US teammates respectively
- From Level 6-8: 100K INR or 1400 US Dollar for Indian and US teammates respectively
Note: A hiring manager himself/herself can refer the candidates in his or her team, however would not be able to be part of the hiring process.
How can I refer to any candidate? You can refer anyone through a tool called Fresh Team. If you do not have access to the freshteam portal, you can directly connect with the HR team.
Medical Insurance
As part of our commitment to teammates and their wellbeing, Rally Ourbus provides Company-sponsored Health insurance to all our regular full-time teammates. The policy gives 5 Lac coverage of medical insurance and accidental coverage. (policy doc is available separately with the HR department). Company will obtain a medical policy for teammates not covered under ESI. It will cover the medical costs of teammates, spouses, and two Children.
Note: we’re in the middle of changing our insurance partner, so all those who are not on a company sponsored insurance plan yet, will soon be onboarded to one.
Rewards & Recognition
Appreciation is certainly an essential human need that should never be discounted. As an employer we truly believe that, to create a thriving workplace, praise and recognition are the fundamental elements to a teammate's hard work. As long as people are respected for their efforts and contribution they keep striving to achieve this in every task they undertake. Our rewards program is in place to recognize & reward everyone who has shown hard work for all those times when they go "above & beyond" their scope of work. Here, we have categorized our rewards, as mentioned below:
Kudos: When someone wants to share a call out for someone else for their great work, they can nominate them for Kudos. This is to recognize the good work that any of your colleagues might be doing. There is no bonus amount associated with this nomination
Peer Bonus : As the name suggests, this is a peer-to-peer reward, where one peer nominates the other for their effort which was above & beyond their core jobs. Nominations can only come from peers and can be filed at any time. This bonus will be released post approval sought by the nominee's manager
Eg. someone stepping up to help with a bus accident but the same was not expected of them, stepping in to help someone meet a last minute deadline that helped business, etc.
Award amount = $50/INR 3,000
Spot Award : These are action items which are beyond one time effort investment, and the nominee(s) has put effort towards achieving the end outcome more consistently. Here nominations can be from self/managers. These awards will be given out once a month for which window for the nominations will be announced. Approval for the same would be sought by the awards committee.
Eg. designing the checkout flow which helped increase revenue by 30% as against 15% expected, improving campaign ROI by 150% over 30 days, etc.
Award amount = $150/INR 10,000
Gold Award: This award is for consistent performance over a period of at least 3 months towards a high impact project. Here nominations can come from self/managers. These awards will be given out quarterly, for which window for nominations will be announced. Approval would be sought by the awards committee.
Eg. Building the white label program for bus companies that helps generate additional $100k/month in revenue going forward, improving efficiencies with bus companies over time to help save $100 per trip, incorporating a new channel of marketing which contributes to $50k/month additional revenue, etc.
Award amount = $750/INR 50,000
All nominations are to be submitted via rewards form, available on your HRMS system.
Internal Job Opportunities
We encourage people to move across departments and apply themselves across diff business functions. If there is an opening in another department which you are interested in, please discuss it with your manager or HR. We as an organization are committed to investing in its teammates and supporting their professional growth and career advancement while under the employ of the company. There have been several instances where people have moved across teams and used their expertise/knowledge to solve problems in another function - we’re very encouraged by this.
Changing positions vertically and horizontally within the company is encouraged if it matches the career plans of teammates. teammates must be qualified for the jobs they seek to move into and may only apply for internal promotion or movement after they have completed their probation.
A manager’s consent is not mandatory for internal vacancies. However, it is encouraged that teammates are open about their career goals and create a habit of discussing them with their managers. This can be done during individual meetings or during performance review meetings. A manager who understands a teammate's goals is more likely to be able to assist with advice on internal opportunities and how best to prepare for them.
Tax declarations, If applicable
All the teammates whose salary falls under the tax slabs are required to submit a Tax declaration at the start of the financial year about Rent they are paying against their HRA entitlement and Likely Savings/Contributions they are planning as per entitlement under section 80C. Based on teammate declaration the TDS will be deducted during the year. At the year-end they are required to submit all the proofs before 15th March to enable calculate actual tax liability based on proofs submitted.
Based on actual proofs submitted – there can be a shortfall or excess tax that was deducted. Such Shortfall or Excess will be adjusted in the balance salary of March. Any teammate leaving service must submit all the evidence of Rent paid / savings done at the time of leaving service else it will be assumed that such deductions are nil and based on that Tax will be deducted. teammates who were late in making the investments can file their respective returns and obtain a refund.
Employee Reimbursements
Office Commute
We want to ensure that no one incurs out of pocket expenses for work related travel. teammates traveling for Company’s official work will be entitled to claim Conveyance as actually incurred or within approved limits whichever is lower. The Conveyance will be paid from the usual place of work to the place of visit. This entitlement is done based on the mode of transport that you have opted in for. Any change in the address and mode of transport will go under revision phase for entitlement.
teammates using their own vehicles driven by fuel will be entitled to Rs 12 per km reimbursement for use of Car and Rs 4.5 per km for use of Bike and need to produce petrol receipts of equivalent amount to reimbursement claim for India team.
Level 3 and below can avail uber/ola allowance for one side travel, between 7:00PM to 6:00 AM IST. Level 4 and above are entitled for both ways of transportation by Uber/OLA etc. The bills are paid on actual basis however within the policy limit. People entitled to use Uber/Ola should produce the receipts and claim the reimbursement.
Every woman coming between 7:00 pm to 6:00 am (during night) is entitled for the office cab facility. "Entitle" here means it's mandatory to use the office cab facility due to security laws. To avail this facility, female teammates should inform 24 hours prior to HR through the travel form. Exception can be given in the following instances:
If someone from family is coming to pick you up Or,
You are sharing the car with one of the OurBus teammate Or
If the office cab is not available and you are using OLA/UBER
In all of the above exceptions and in case of no show, you need to drop an email to [email protected] with the details of the person with whom you are going and getting the drop.
In any instance, where driver is being requested to drop at different places rather than the actual address or being asked to come early so that you can leave early, this will need your managers approval or should be communicated well in advance to [email protected]
Food Reimbursements
All regular full-time teammates working from the office are eligible for one meal per day up to Rs. 250. teammates can submit actual bills for claiming reimbursements. teammates ordering food for the team should mention the name of team members on the food receipt submitted for claiming reimbursement. Larger amounts will be processed as an invoice. Reimbursement requests should be uploaded on your HRMS portal, claims section or should be sent to the Accounts Payable team.
Please Note: The reimbursement cycle is different from the payroll cycle. The reimbursement window opens from the 15th of the month to the 16th of next month. The accounts payable team will disburse the approved reimbursements as per this cycle. The reimbursements will be approved as per your eligibility.
Business Tours
There can be instances where we would like you to travel for some business requirements. In such scenarios your travel, stay, & food are sponsored by the company. Allowances for such would be discussed on a case-by-case basis.
Travel with OurBus
Policy for teammates who are visiting the US and are traveling within the OurBus System.
OurBus teammates can travel for free, without limit. But you must pre-inform your direct manager.
You must make a coupon for yourself and then reserve a seat (can't just walk on)
teammates can use coupon codes to book tickets for friends and family to ride free. Again, this needs to be reported to your manager when it occurs. However, those friends and family must provide detailed feedback about the trip, and also help us spread the word on social media.
Actions that interfere with customer journeys, such as causing a bus delay (holding the bus), taking a seat and forcing paid customers off the bus, or making the bus go off route are unacceptable.
On the bus you must behave to the same standards we expect of our passengers (quiet, no food, no mess, etc)
After the trip, you have to send an email to [email protected] with notes on the experience, other customers, driver, etc. Be as detailed as possible, and include pictures.
For legal reasons no one can ever instruct/direct a bus driver on how to drive the bus or do their job. The only exception to this is how to operate the driver app. Information can be discussed with a driver in the form of a request or suggestion.
Note: We should not allow our friends or family to travel on busy long weekends like Thanksgiving.
Employee Time Off
Holidays
Rally OurBus shares a list of paid holidays each year for full-time salaried teammates. These holidays are categorized as General holidays and Restricted holidays. All teammates can avail the General holidays, while the restricted holidays will be as per the choice of each teammate. A list of restricted holidays will also be shared by the HR department, along with 8 General holidays, out of which every teammate is eligible to select 2 restricted holidays of their choice for a calendar year.
List of Holidays 2022
Paid Leaves
Paid leaves are available to all regular part-time teammates and regular full-time teammates of Rally OurBus.
Earned Leaves: All the teammates are entitled to Earned Leave (EL) of 12 days for 12 months work for a calendar year. Every beginning of the year total 12 Leaves will be accrued and will be credited to teammates leave balance. ELs can be applied in advance or post availing the leave. But it is advisable to all teammates to apply at least one month prior in advance or for the entire year to avail these leaves and get it approved from respective Managers.
Teammates are expected to avail Earned leaves based on their respective entitlement. Those who are unable to avail leave in a particular calendar year, are entitled to carry forward the unutilized leaves for utilization in subsequent years. Maximum accumulation will be upto 30 days. After 30 days – teammates can either avail those leaves or can be encashed on the basis of basic pay (subject to income tax). In case of exit, accumulated leaves upto 30 days shall be encashed in the F&F process as per the basic pay.
Casual Leaves: 4 leaves
All the teammates are entitled to Casual leaves of 4 days for 12 months work for a calendar year. CL is granted to all the full time teammates for situations when they cannot report to work due to an unforeseen situation. This leave can also be utilized if a teammate wants to take leave for a couple of days for personal reasons, but not for a vacation. CLs can be applied in advance or post availing the leave. These leaves are not carried forward or encashed, unused leaves will be lapsed at the end of the calendar year. However these leaves can be clubbed with other leave types.
Medical Leaves: All the teammates are entitled to Medical leave of 6 days for 12 months work for a calendar year.
Every beginning of the year total 6 leaves will be accrued and will be credited to teammates leave balance. Medical leaves are accrued for the uncertain times when a teammate is feeling unfit/unwell to perform his/her duties. These leaves can be applied post taking a leave, as such scenarios cannot be forecasted in advance. teammates are expected to avail Medical leaves based on their respective entitlement whenever required. These leaves are not carried forward or encashed. In cases, where a teammate requires more than 6 leaves, the teammate can write to HR at [email protected], keeping their manager in the loop, with necessary documents and would be taken ahead for Management approval.
Leave fundamentals:
For leaves longer than 1 week, requests should be received in writing at least [60] days before the proposed vacation period.
Leave and attendance cycle is from the 24th of each month to the 25th of each month.
Latency Policy: Anyone, expected to be working as per a scheduled roster, who is late by a maximum of 20 minutes and more than 3 instances in one attendance cycle would qualify for deduction. Any given day within the same attendance period it goes above 3 instances, half day leave will be marked and more than 6 instances, full day leave. In case of regular practice of this should go for HR discussion
Half Day Leave: 4 hours off "production" qualifies as half day. Any work day with less than 8 but more than 4 hours would be considered as a half-day. Anything less than 4 is a leave.
Full Day Leave: If the total login hours is between 8 to 9, it will be marked as full day. However, regular practice of less than 9 hours or 45 hours a week including breaks, without manager approval would go to HR for discussion.
Unauthorized Leaves: Any leave which is not approved by the Manager or the teammate does not show up without any information is considered unauthorized. For. 1 day: unpaid leave, 2 Days: Warning 1, 3 days: Warning 2, 4th day: Necessary action will be taken as the teammate will be considered absconded.
Compensatory Off
Compensatory Off is an entitled leave that a teammate can take on a working day as a compensation for working at employer's request on a holiday or weekend. In simple terms, when a teammate works overtime at the request of his employer, then later he/she can take time off or compensatory off from their work. Here the aim is to take care of the teammates work life balance as the teammate is in-turn taking equal care of the organization by maximizing their efforts.
Please note: You can either opt for a holiday incentive or a compensatory off. The teammate will have the choice to select the same for themselves within the same month of extra work. In case of applying for a Compensatory off, the teammate should write to [email protected] with Manager’s approval.
Maternity Leave benefit
This policy covers the need for an organization to provide maximum support to women teammates for their wellbeing as well as her newborn child or adopted child. This covers both pre and postnatal care. The policy complies with the Maternity Benefit Act, 1961.
Maternity Leave is a temporary absence from work and applies to expectant or new mothers who require time off for medical care during pregnancy, childbirth and child care. The minimum amount of maternity leave for a female teammate is entitled to is defined by the law and may include compulsory or extended leave. The company may choose to provide teammates with more time off for maternity reasons than the legal minimum, depending on the situation and medical advice from the teammate’s doctor.
Maternity leave can be availed for 26 weeks, of which the pre-natal leave is eight weeks. However, the teammate with already two or more children is entitled to 12 weeks’ maternity leave. The policy also provides for adoption leave of 12 weeks for a teammate who adopts a child under the age of three months. If the child is above 3 months, the teammate will be entitled to 4 weeks leave.
A commissioning mother is also entitled to a 12-week leave from the date the child is handed over to her. A commissioning mother is defined as “biological mother who uses her egg to create an embryo implanted in any other woman”. The woman who gives birth to the child is called a host or surrogate mother.
The maternity leave is a fully paid leave. teammates will be eligible for full pay on completion of at least 80 days with Rally OurBus in the last 12 months, prior to the expected date of delivery. Additionally, the teammate is entitled to a medical bonus of Rs.3,500/-.
Procedure to apply:
A teammate who desires to avail Maternity leave and benefits either for child birth or child adoption must adhere to the following procedure:
1. She must give formal written notice to her reporting Manager with a copy to HR requesting for maternity leaves at least 12 weeks prior to the date of delivery or adoption
2. She must complete the prescribed forms stating the date of the expected childbirth and the desired beginning date of maternity leave
3. If a certificate of pregnancy or proof of adoption is requested, she must provide one signed by a physician, registered midwife or other appropriate source.
4. The teammate will be officially notified by the HR / Reporting Manager of the approval of her request. The notification will clearly state the length of the maternity leave the teammate can avail with the beginning and end dates.
5. Additional benefits such as pay / maternity bonus will also be explicitly explained.
6. If labor occurs earlier than estimated, the beginning and ending dates of maternity leave can be modified accordingly, through an official document.
teammates can contact the HR for any additional information concerning the procedures or other queries.
Wages & Salary policies
Paydays
All teammates are paid monthly. In the event that a regularly scheduled payday falls on a weekend or holiday, teammates will receive pay on the nearest business day before or after the weekend or holiday. Rally OurBus provides an automated direct deposit service for teammates, which automatically deposits the salary in a teammate's bank account.
Our Company is PF compliant. We contribute equally with the teammate to its PF account on a monthly basis. Deduction amount is 12% of Basic Salary (capped at Rs.1,800 per month).
Every effort is made to avoid errors in your paycheck/payslip. If you find an error on your check, please report it immediately to the Finance ([email protected]) or HR Department so corrections can be made as quickly as possible.
Overtime & Incentives
For Indian teammates it may be required to work on days considered as weekly off. Suitable compensation will be paid to teammates working on weekly off @ Rs 250 for 1 Hour work and @Rs 2000 for Eight hours of work. teammates working as managers are not entitled to such compensation. This compensation will be paid with salary. Certain teammates may be required to observe weekly off on a rotation basis during days other than Saturday or Sunday. All overtime work performed by an hourly teammate must receive authorization. Overtime worked without authorization from the Manager would not be paid towards overtime. Incentives are paid as per the compensation plan applicable across the organization.
Managers are responsible to authorize overtimes and holiday incentives for their teammates, and inform HR accordingly.
Wages or Salary increases
All full time employee wages are reviewed every six months. Whether the salary is revised or not, is dependent on performance and manager feedback. The teammate’s review date is typically on or about the financial year closure, although reviews may be conducted more often, depending on the circumstances. The cycle for salary or wage increase is as per management discretion.
Salary advances
There can be times when someone can require financial aid for something personal. In such cases we provide an option for salary advance. Here salary advance will be limited to one month salary and it's a subject of approval from manager and finance team. The deduction of the amount will happen in 4 to 6 installments (Option of choosing 4 or 6). It can be applied only twice a financial year (April to March). One can apply for the second one only when the first loan is closed. The approval is always required and any exception to it will be treated case by case.
Conflict of Interests
teammates have an obligation to conduct business within guidelines that prohibit actual or potential conflicts of interest. teammates working at Rally OurBus are forbidden from engaging in any outside business or financial activity which conflicts with the interests of the Company, or which interferes with his or her ability to fully perform job responsibilities. Company policy also forbids a financial interest in an outside concern which does business with or is a competitor of the Company (except where such ownership consists of securities of a publicly owned corporation regularly traded on the public stock market). Financial interests held by a teammate or by his or her immediate family members in such companies are to be disclosed immediately to the Company so that a determination can be made as to whether a conflict exists. Members of the teammate’s immediate family include spouse, children, and any other relative sharing the same home as the teammate. Rendering of directive, managerial, or consulting services to any outside concern which does business with or is a competitor of the Company, except with the knowledge and written consent of the Management team, is also prohibited.
All teammates must avoid situations involving actual or potential conflict of interest. Personal or romantic involvement with a competitor, supplier, or subordinate teammate of Rally OurBus, which impairs a teammate’s ability to exercise good judgment on behalf of the Company, creates an actual or potential conflict of interest. Manager-subordinate romantic or personal relationships also can lead to supervisory problems, possible claims of sexual harassment, and morale problems. A teammate involved in any of the types of relationship or situations described in this policy should immediately and fully disclose the relevant circumstances to their immediate Manager, or Human resources, for a determination about whether a potential or actual conflict exists. If an actual or potential conflict is determined, Rally OurBus may take appropriate action according to the circumstances. Failure to disclose facts shall constitute grounds for disciplinary action.
Employee Grievances
Open Door policy
We strive to maintain a positive and pleasant environment for all of our teammates. To help us meet this goal, Rally OurBus has an open-door policy, by which teammates are encouraged to report work-related concerns. If something about your job is bothering you, or if you have a question, concern, idea, or problem related to your work, please discuss it with your immediate Manager as soon as possible. If for any reason you don’t feel comfortable bringing the matter to your Manager, feel free to raise the issue with Human resources. We encourage you to come forward and make your concerns known to us. We can’t solve a problem if we don’t know about it. teammates can fill in this form to report a grievance.
Complaint Resolution
We are committed to providing the best possible working conditions for our team members. Part of this commitment is encouraging an open and frank atmosphere in which any problem, complaint, suggestion, or question receives a timely response from Management. If a situation occurs when you believe that a condition of employment or a decision affecting you is unjust or inequitable, we encourage you to discuss it with your Manager. If you do not feel comfortable discussing your concerns with your Manager, or are not satisfied with the response, you are encouraged to contact Human Resources. We understand that in a place where many minds are at work, grievances occur. And to settle it with the lowest possible time and lowest possible authority, the teammate grievances will be addressed by the HR team. Here a grievance is a concern, problem or complaint which may be related to work, working environment, reporting relationships, etc. which a teammate is facing during their tenure. Some of these teammate Grievances can be:
disagreement with a colleague on your team
disagreement with your manager
disagreement with your reportee
disagreement with anyone else on the team
anything that you're dissatisfied about
To raise a grievance, you can directly write to [email protected] or can fill in this form to report a grievance.