EVARA WORKPLACE POLICY

Effective Date: 15 September 2026
Version: 1.0

At EVARA – Art of Gifting to Create Impact, we believe that a meaningful workplace begins with a simple principle: Every person deserves to be treated with dignity, respect and fairness.

EVARA brings together people from different backgrounds, experiences, abilities, perspectives and ways of working. We believe these differences make us stronger.

Our workplace is therefore built around five principles:

RESPECT. INCLUSION. INTEGRITY. ACCOUNTABILITY. POSSIBILITY.

We want EVARA to be a place where people can:

• Bring their authentic selves to work
• Express ideas freely and respectfully
• Learn and grow
• Collaborate across differences
• Work with dignity
• Be recognised for their contribution
• Ask for help without fear
• Challenge ideas without attacking people
• Turn possibility into action

2. PURPOSE OF THIS POLICY

This Workplace Policy establishes the standards of behaviour, professional conduct and workplace practices expected at EVARA. It applies to everyone working with or representing EVARA, including, as applicable:

• Full-time employees
• Part-time employees
• Interns and trainees
• Consultants
• Freelancers
• Project-based team members
• Temporary staff
• Contractors
• Volunteers
• Individuals representing EVARA at events or external engagements

Where appropriate, relevant principles of this policy may also be incorporated into agreements with SHILPKAARS, artists, artisans, vendors, agencies and other partners.

This policy should be read together with EVARA's employment agreements, confidentiality agreements, POSH policy, privacy policy, leave policy and other applicable organisational policies.

3. OUR WORKPLACE VALUES

3.1 RESPECT

We treat colleagues, artists, customers, partners, vendors and every person we interact with respectfully.

Respect means:

• Listening before responding
• Valuing different opinions
• Communicating professionally
• Respecting personal boundaries
• Giving constructive feedback
• Avoiding humiliation, intimidation or personal attacks

We challenge ideas. We do not diminish people.

3.2 INCLUSION

EVARA is committed to creating an environment where people with different abilities, backgrounds, identities, experiences and perspectives can participate meaningfully.

We believe inclusion is not about treating everyone identically.

It is about ensuring that people have a fair opportunity to participate, contribute, learn and succeed.

Where reasonably possible, EVARA will consider appropriate workplace accommodations and accessible ways of working.

3.3 INTEGRITY

We expect everyone at EVARA to act honestly and responsibly.

This includes:

• Being truthful in communication
• Taking responsibility for mistakes
• Protecting confidential information
• Using company resources responsibly
• Maintaining accurate records
• Declaring conflicts of interest
• Avoiding fraudulent or unethical behaviour

3.4 ACCOUNTABILITY

Freedom and flexibility come with responsibility.

Every team member is expected to:

• Deliver agreed responsibilities
• Meet reasonable deadlines
• Communicate proactively when challenges arise
• Take ownership of mistakes
• Respect commitments made to colleagues, customers and partners
• Ask for support when needed

3.5 POSSIBILITY

EVARA exists because we believe in possibility.

We encourage curiosity, experimentation and new ideas.

A failed experiment is not necessarily a failure.

Not trying, learning nothing and refusing to evolve is a greater risk.

4. EQUAL OPPORTUNITY

EVARA is committed to providing equal opportunity in recruitment, compensation, assignments, training, professional development, performance evaluation, promotion and other employment decisions.

Employment decisions will be based on relevant factors such as:

• Skills
• Experience
• Qualifications
• Performance
• Potential
• Role requirements
• Organisational needs

EVARA does not tolerate unlawful discrimination or unfair treatment.

We particularly encourage opportunities for persons with disabilities and individuals who may face barriers to conventional employment.

5. ZERO TOLERANCE FOR HARASSMENT

EVARA does not tolerate harassment, bullying, intimidation or abusive behaviour.

Harassment may include, among other things:

• Verbal abuse
• Threatening behaviour
• Humiliation
• Repeated personal attacks
• Offensive jokes or comments
• Derogatory remarks
• Deliberate exclusion
• Unwanted physical contact
• Online harassment
• Cyberbullying
• Sexual harassment

A person's position, seniority, popularity or contribution to the organisation does not excuse inappropriate behaviour.

6. PREVENTION OF SEXUAL HARASSMENT — POSH

EVARA is committed to maintaining a workplace free from sexual harassment.

The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 applies to workplaces covered by the Act and provides for prevention and redressal mechanisms. The Act also defines workplace broadly, including places visited during employment and employer-provided transportation. (India Code)

Where legally required, EVARA will constitute an Internal Committee (IC) and maintain the required procedures for receiving and handling complaints.

Complaints will be handled with appropriate:

• Confidentiality
• Sensitivity
• Impartiality
• Procedural fairness
• Protection against retaliation

No employee should be penalised, threatened or disadvantaged for raising a genuine concern or participating in a lawful investigation.

EVARA will provide a separate POSH Policy containing the detailed complaint process, committee details and statutory information.

POSH/IC Contact:
[Insert IC Email]
[Insert IC Members / Contact Details]

7. BULLYING AND PSYCHOLOGICAL SAFETY

EVARA believes that people should be able to work without fear of humiliation or intimidation.

The following behaviours are not acceptable:

• Repeated shouting or aggressive behaviour
• Public humiliation
• Deliberate isolation
• Threats
• Personal insults
• Ridiculing someone's disability, appearance, background or ability
• Repeatedly undermining someone's work without legitimate reason
• Using authority to intimidate
• Creating a hostile working environment

Managers have a special responsibility to create psychologically safe teams.

8. WORKING WITH PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES

Inclusion is central to EVARA's identity.

We will endeavour to ensure that persons with disabilities have meaningful opportunities to participate in the workplace.

Where reasonably possible, EVARA may provide or facilitate:

• Accessible communication
• Flexible working arrangements
• Assistive technology
• Accessible workspaces
• Adjustments to work processes
• Flexible meeting formats
• Additional time or alternative methods for completing certain tasks
• Other reasonable accommodations based on individual requirements

Employees are encouraged to communicate their workplace requirements to their manager or designated HR/contact person.

Requests for accommodation will be handled respectfully and confidentially.

9. WORKING HOURS & FLEXIBILITY

EVARA recognises that modern work may include office-based, remote, hybrid, field and project-based work.

Individual working hours will depend on the employee's role, employment agreement and applicable law.

Employees are expected to:

• Be available during agreed working hours
• Attend essential meetings
• Meet agreed deliverables
• Communicate planned absence
• Maintain reasonable responsiveness
• Respect colleagues' personal time

Flexible working is intended to improve productivity and inclusion — not to eliminate accountability.

10. REMOTE & HYBRID WORK

Employees working remotely are expected to maintain:

• Professional communication
• Appropriate availability
• Data security
• Confidentiality
• Reliable connectivity where reasonably required
• A suitable work environment for meetings and focused work

Employees should clearly communicate when they are unavailable or offline.

Managers should evaluate remote employees primarily on outcomes, contribution and performance, rather than unnecessary monitoring of online presence.

11. COMMUNICATION & DIGITAL ETIQUETTE

EVARA may use email, WhatsApp, project-management platforms, video meetings and other digital communication tools.

Employees are expected to communicate professionally.

We encourage:

• Clear communication
• Concise messages
• Respectful disagreement
• Constructive feedback
• Appropriate use of communication channels

We discourage:

• Abusive messages
• Excessive late-night communication without genuine need
• Public criticism of colleagues
• Sharing confidential information in informal groups
• Forwarding inappropriate content
• Using work groups for harassment or personal attacks

WhatsApp groups are considered workplace communication spaces when used for official EVARA work.

12. PROFESSIONAL BOUNDARIES

Friendly workplaces are encouraged.

However, everyone must respect professional boundaries.

Employees should avoid:

• Unwanted personal questions
• Intrusive comments about personal lives
• Unwelcome physical contact
• Sexualised comments or jokes
• Pressure to participate in social activities
• Using professional authority to pursue personal relationships

Where a personal relationship creates a conflict of interest or reporting-line concern, it should be disclosed to the appropriate person confidentially.

13. CONFLICTS OF INTEREST

Employees must disclose situations where personal interests may conflict with EVARA's interests.

Examples may include:

• Working for a competing business
• Financial interests in a supplier
• Accepting personal benefits from vendors
• Hiring or supervising close relatives without disclosure
• Using EVARA opportunities for personal gain
• Using EVARA resources for an external business

A conflict does not automatically mean wrongdoing.

Undisclosed conflicts are the concern.

Employees should raise potential conflicts early so that an appropriate solution can be determined.

14. GIFTS, FAVOURS & BUSINESS COURTESIES

Because EVARA operates in gifting, special care must be taken around gifts received or given in a professional context.

Employees must not accept gifts, commissions, favours, discounts or benefits that could improperly influence a business decision.

Reasonable promotional or customary gifts may be accepted subject to EVARA's internal guidelines.

Employees should disclose significant or unusual gifts received from:

• Suppliers
• Vendors
• Customers
• Corporate clients
• Business partners
• Agencies

Cash or cash-equivalent personal benefits should not be accepted in connection with EVARA business.

15. CONFIDENTIALITY

Employees may have access to confidential information relating to:

• Customers
• SHILPKAARS
• Artists
• Artwork
• Product designs
• Pricing
• Suppliers
• Corporate clients
• Business strategy
• Financial information
• Employee information
• Passwords and systems
• Marketing plans
• Unreleased products

Confidential information must not be disclosed, copied, transferred or used for personal benefit without appropriate authorisation.

Confidentiality obligations may continue after an individual's employment or engagement with EVARA ends.

16. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY & ARTWORK

EVARA works with original artwork and creative intellectual property.

Employees must respect the intellectual property rights of:

• SHILPKAAR artists
• EVARA
• Photographers
• Designers
• Writers
• External creators
• Customers and partners

No employee may reproduce, sell, distribute, modify or commercially use artwork or creative material outside authorised EVARA work.

Particular care must be taken with original artwork submitted by SHILPKAARS.

Art is not simply a business asset at EVARA. It represents an artist's creative identity and livelihood.

17. USE OF COMPANY PROPERTY & RESOURCES

EVARA resources should be used responsibly.

This includes:

• Computers
• Phones
• Cameras
• Software
• Canva and design platforms
• Cloud storage
• Email accounts
• Social media accounts
• Product samples
• Artwork
• Packaging
• Customer information
• Company funds

Employees must not use company resources for unauthorised personal commercial activities.

18. DATA PRIVACY & INFORMATION SECURITY

Employees must protect personal information relating to customers, employees, SHILPKAARS and business partners.

Employees must:

• Use strong passwords
• Protect login credentials
• Avoid sharing confidential files through unauthorised channels
• Lock devices when unattended
• Report suspected data breaches promptly
• Use company-approved systems where applicable
• Avoid downloading confidential information onto personal devices unless authorised

Personal information must be handled in accordance with EVARA's Privacy Policy and applicable data-protection requirements.

19. SOCIAL MEDIA POLICY

Employees are welcome to celebrate EVARA and share publicly available brand content.

However, employees must not disclose confidential information or represent personal opinions as official EVARA statements.

Without authorisation, employees should not:

• Announce confidential business decisions
• Release unreleased products
• Publish private customer information
• Publish confidential artist information
• Share internal documents
• Speak on behalf of EVARA to the media
• Publish sensitive workplace matters

When posting personally, employees should exercise reasonable judgement and remember that online content may be permanent.

20. HEALTH, SAFETY & WELLBEING

EVARA is committed to providing a workplace that is safe, hygienic and reasonably supportive of employee wellbeing.

Employees are expected to follow applicable health and safety practices and report hazards promptly.

Workplace safety considerations may include:

• Clean and hygienic working conditions
• Safe electrical and equipment use
• Safe storage of materials
• Emergency procedures
• First-aid arrangements
• Safe handling of products and equipment
• Accessible working conditions

Indian occupational-safety legislation places responsibilities on employers regarding health, safety and working conditions, including matters such as cleanliness, ventilation, drinking water, lighting and sanitation, subject to the applicable law and establishment. (Labour)

21. LEAVE & TIME OFF

EVARA recognises the importance of rest, family responsibilities and personal wellbeing.

Leave will be provided in accordance with:

• Applicable law
• Employee's employment agreement
• EVARA's Leave Policy
• Applicable state/establishment requirements

EVARA will comply with applicable statutory maternity protections. The Maternity Benefit Act provides for maternity benefits and related protections, subject to its applicability and conditions. (India Code)

Detailed leave entitlements should be maintained in a separate EVARA Leave & Benefits Policy.

22. PERFORMANCE & GROWTH

EVARA believes performance management should be about growth, clarity and accountability, not fear.

Employees should receive:

• Clear responsibilities
• Reasonable goals
• Regular feedback
• Opportunities to learn
• Constructive performance conversations
• Recognition for meaningful contribution

Performance concerns should ideally be addressed early rather than allowed to accumulate.

Where performance does not meet reasonable expectations, EVARA may provide appropriate feedback, support, goals and timelines for improvement.

23. LEARNING & DEVELOPMENT

We encourage every team member to continue learning.

Depending on organisational needs and resources, EVARA may support:

• Skill development
• Mentorship
• Workshops
• Creative learning
• Technology training
• Leadership development
• Cross-functional exposure

We believe that learning is not limited to formal classrooms.

24. WORKPLACE GRATITUDE & RECOGNITION

EVARA believes recognition matters.

Employees and collaborators may be recognised for:

• Exceptional work
• Creative contribution
• Problem solving
• Customer service
• Teamwork
• Inclusion
• Initiative
• Learning
• Going beyond the expected

Recognition does not always need to be financial.

Sometimes, being seen and appreciated is itself meaningful.

25. ZERO TOLERANCE FOR FRAUD & MISCONDUCT

The following may constitute serious misconduct:

• Theft
• Fraud
• Falsification of records
• Misuse of company funds
• Bribery
• Serious confidentiality breaches
• Deliberate data theft
• Harassment
• Violence or threats
• Serious discrimination
• Unauthorised use of intellectual property
• Deliberate damage to company property
• Misrepresentation on behalf of EVARA
• Retaliation against a person raising a genuine concern

Depending on the circumstances, disciplinary action may include counselling, written warning, suspension, termination or other appropriate action, subject to applicable law and due process.

26. RAISING A CONCERN

Employees should feel safe to speak up.

Concerns may relate to:

• Harassment
• Discrimination
• Bullying
• Safety
• Fraud
• Conflicts of interest
• Unethical behaviour
• Data breaches
• Workplace misconduct
• Policy violations

Employees may approach:

Immediate Manager: [Name / Email]

HR / People Contact: [Name / Email]

Founder / Leadership: [Name / Email]

POSH Internal Committee: [Email / Contact]

Where appropriate, concerns may be raised confidentially.

27. NON-RETALIATION

EVARA prohibits retaliation against anyone who, in good faith:

• Raises a concern
• Reports misconduct
• Participates in an investigation
• Supports another employee
• Requests a reasonable accommodation
• Exercises a legal or workplace right

Knowingly making malicious or deliberately false allegations may itself constitute misconduct.

However, a complaint that cannot be substantiated is not automatically a false complaint.

28. DISCIPLINARY PROCESS

Where misconduct is alleged, EVARA will seek to handle the matter fairly and proportionately.

Depending on the nature of the issue, the process may include:

1. Receiving the concern
2. Preliminary assessment
3. Speaking with relevant individuals
4. Reviewing available evidence
5. Providing an opportunity to respond
6. Determining appropriate action
7. Documenting the outcome

Statutory procedures will apply where required, including in matters governed by the POSH Act.

29. EMPLOYEE EXIT

When an employee leaves EVARA, they are expected to:

• Complete the handover of responsibilities
• Return company property
• Return or securely delete confidential information as instructed
• Transfer relevant files
• Protect continuing confidentiality
• Complete financial or administrative clearances

Access to EVARA systems may be withdrawn upon or before separation in accordance with business and security requirements.

30. WORKING WITH SHILPKAARS & CREATIVE PARTNERS

Because EVARA's ecosystem includes artists and artisans, employees must treat SHILPKAARS as creative partners and rights-holders, not simply suppliers.

Employees must:

• Respect their creative ownership
• Communicate clearly
• Honour agreed timelines and commitments
• Avoid patronising or pity-based language
• Never use disability as a marketing gimmick without appropriate consent
• Obtain permission before using personal stories or photographs
• Respect accessibility requirements
• Ensure commercial terms are communicated transparently

We celebrate the art first, respect the artist always, and create opportunity through the relationship.

31. OUR LANGUAGE MATTERS

At EVARA, words can create dignity — or take it away.

We encourage language that focuses on:

ABILITY → CREATIVITY → CONTRIBUTION → POSSIBILITY → OPPORTUNITY

We discourage language that:

• Pities people
• Defines individuals only by disability
• Stereotypes communities
• Makes assumptions about capability
• Uses someone's personal story without consent

We do not tell stories to make people feel sorry.
We tell stories to make possibility visible.

32. MANAGEMENT RESPONSIBILITY

Managers and leaders have an additional responsibility to:

• Lead by example
• Communicate expectations clearly
• Treat team members fairly
• Address inappropriate behaviour promptly
• Encourage inclusion
• Protect confidentiality
• Give constructive feedback
• Avoid favouritism
• Support reasonable accommodations
• Escalate serious concerns appropriately

Leadership at EVARA means creating conditions in which other people can succeed.

33. POLICY REVIEW

EVARA may review and update this policy periodically to reflect:

• Organisational growth
• Employee feedback
• Operational requirements
• Changes in applicable law
• Best practices
• New ways of working

Employees will be informed of material changes.

34. EMPLOYEE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

By joining or continuing to work with EVARA, each employee acknowledges that they have received or been given access to this Workplace Policy and agree to comply with the standards and responsibilities applicable to their role.

Employee Name: __________________________

Designation: ______________________________

Signature: _________________________________

Date: _____________________________________

EVARA'S WORKPLACE PROMISE

At EVARA, inclusion is not a statement on a wall.

It is how we hire.
How we speak.
How we listen.
How we collaborate.
How we create opportunities.
How we treat people when nobody is watching.

We believe every person brings something valuable to the table.

And our job is not to ask:

“What can this person not do?”

It is to ask:

“What becomes possible when we create the right opportunity?”

EVARA

ART OF GIFTING TO CREATE IMPACT

Beautiful work. Meaningful relationships. Equal opportunity. A culture of possibility.

Important implementation note

I recommend that EVARA does not publish this as its only HR/legal document. It works well as the overarching Workplace Policy, but should sit alongside separate, detailed policies for:

1. POSH Policy & Internal Committee
2. Leave & Attendance Policy
3. Compensation & Benefits Policy
4. Employee Code of Conduct
5. Disability Inclusion & Reasonable Accommodation Policy
6. Data Protection & Information Security Policy
7. Whistleblower / Grievance Policy
8. Work From Home / Hybrid Work Policy
9. Performance Management Policy
10. Artist & SHILPKAAR Code of Engagement

That structure would make EVARA's HR framework much more professional as the organisation grows. The POSH component in particular should be separately operationalised rather than relying only on a general workplace policy; the statute has specific requirements around complaints, inquiry, confidentiality and employer duties. (India Code)

This is a policy draft, not legal advice. Before adoption, EVARA should have an Indian employment-law professional review it against the final legal entity, employee strength, state-specific requirements, contracts and applicable labour laws.