Company policies are posted here and may be updated as needed. Policies are meant to help ensure professionalism among ourselves and a proper representation of the company to our customers and the public. Policies regarding vehicle use, mileage, billing, sales commissions, and acceptable communications with the customers are also included.
The Pact of Professionalism (or Code/Pledge of Professionalism) is an agreement establishing standards of integrity, respect, and duty. It acts as a professional contract emphasizing company/client trust, confidentiality, competence, and ethical behavior, aligning individual professional goals with the company and our clients.
Key Components & Objectives
Ethical Behavior: Adherence to high moral standards and compassion.
Confidentiality: Strict maintenance of company and client privacy.
Accountability: Reporting colleagues who are unfit or impaired.
Competence: Continuous commitment to maintaining knowledge and skills.
Responsibility: Respect for autonomy, colleagues, and diversity
Core Values: Honesty, integrity, compassion, and accountability.
Behavioral Standards: Maintaining a professional presence, using appropriate language, and respecting colleagues and clients.
Commitment to Excellence: A promise to maintain the skills and knowledge essential for high-quality practice.
Consequences: Acknowledgment that violating the agreement may lead to disciplinary action or loss of privileges.
IT Support Code of Professionalism
1. Integrity & Trust
- Data Privacy: I will treat all user data as strictly confidential. I will only access files necessary to resolve the issue and will never browse personal information.
- Honesty: I will be transparent about system status and ETAs. If a mistake is made (e.g., a configuration error), I will report it immediately rather than hiding it.
- Security First: I will never bypass security protocols for the sake of convenience. I will encourage users to follow best practices for passwords and MFA.
2. Technical Excellence
- Continuous Learning: I recognize that technology evolves rapidly. I commit to staying current with software updates, security threats, and new troubleshooting methodologies.
- Documentation: I will document my work clearly in ticketing systems so that colleagues can follow my logic and users aren’t asked to repeat themselves.
- Root Cause Analysis: I will strive to fix the underlying problem, not just the immediate symptom, to prevent recurring issues.
3. User-Centric Communication
- Plain Language: I will explain technical issues in simple, non-jargon terms to ensure the user feels informed, not intimidated.
- Patience & Respect: I understand that technical issues are frustrating. I will remain calm and professional, regardless of the user’s stress level or technical proficiency.
- Active Listening: I will allow the user to describe the problem fully before jumping to a solution, ensuring they feel heard and understood.
4. Professional Conduct
- Reliability: I will show up for scheduled support sessions on time and follow up on “pending” tickets until they are fully resolved.
- Accountability: I take ownership of the tickets assigned to me and will see them through to completion or a warm hand-off to another specialist.
- Workspace Respect: Whether working remotely or at a user’s desk, I will leave the environment as clean (or cleaner) than I found it.
SALES COMMISSION POLICY
This Sales Commission Policy is drafted to be professional, clear, and protective of the company’s cash flow. It specifically ties the 10% reward to both high-value targets and healthy profit margins.
1. Purpose
This policy outlines the terms and conditions for earning and receiving sales commissions. The goal is to reward high-value sales that maintain the company’s required profitability standards.
2. Commission Structure
A commission of 10% will be paid on the total gross sale amount, provided the following two “Qualifying Success Criteria” are met:
- Minimum Transaction Value: The individual sale must exceed $5,000.00 USD (excluding taxes, shipping, and third-party fees).
- Profit Margin Requirement: The sale must maintain a qualifying industry-standard Gross Profit Margin of 40% or higher.
- Margin Calculation: (Total Sale Price – Cost of Goods/Services Sold) / Total Sale Price.
- Sales falling below a 40% margin do not qualify for this commission structure unless pre-approved in writing by Management.
3. “Paid When Paid” Provision
To ensure company liquidity and shared accountability, commissions are earned and vested only upon the company’s receipt of cleared funds from the client.
- Payment Trigger: No commission shall be processed or paid until the client has paid their invoice in full.
- Partial Payments: If a client pays in installments, the commission will be pro-rated and paid out only as each installment is successfully collected.
- Bad Debt: If a client fails to pay or the invoice is written off, no commission is due to the employee. If a commission was paid on a sale that is later refunded, the commission will be “clawed back” from future earnings.
4. Payment Schedule
Commissions earned in a given month (based on the date the company received the client’s payment) will be distributed during the [e.g., first/second] payroll cycle of the following month.
Company Vehicle and Mileage Policy
This Company Vehicle and Mileage Policy establishes clear rules for travel, prioritizing the use of company-owned assets while providing a fair framework for personal vehicle use.
1. Primary Transport: Company Vehicles
- Preferred Use: To maximize cost-efficiency and safety, employees are expected to use a company-provided vehicle for all business-related travel whenever one is available.
- Scheduling: Use of company vehicles must be scheduled in advance through the office.
- Maintenance: Drivers are responsible for ensuring company vehicles are kept clean and reporting any maintenance needs or damage immediately.
2. Occasional Use of Personal Vehicles
- Pre-Approval Required: Use of a personal vehicle for business purposes is permitted only when a company vehicle is unavailable and must be approved in writing by a supervisor prior to the trip.
- Insurance & Safety: Employees using personal vehicles must maintain valid insurance and a driver’s license. The company is not responsible for wear and tear, or any damage incurred to a personal vehicle during business use.
3. Mileage Reimbursement Rules
When an employee is authorized to use their personal vehicle, they are eligible for reimbursement under the following conditions:
- Standard Federal Rate: Reimbursement is calculated using the current IRS Standard Mileage Rate (which covers fuel, insurance, and wear and tear).
- The “Lesser Of” Rule: To ensure fair billing, mileage is calculated based on the shortest distance to the destination from either the employee’s home or the office.
- Commuting Exclusion: Daily commuting between an employee’s home and their primary office location is not reimbursable and must be deducted from any daily mileage claims.
- Proper and timely Documentation in company ERP portal.
4. Expense Exclusions (No Double-Dipping)
- Gasoline Expenses: If an employee chooses to expense fuel directly to the company (e.g., via a company credit card), they are ineligible for mileage reimbursement for that trip.
- Tolls and Parking: Reasonable tolls and parking fees incurred during business travel are reimbursable separately with valid receipts, regardless of the vehicle type used.
5. Documentation
To receive reimbursement, employees must submit Mileage within [Number, e.g., 30] days of travel, including:
All expense and mileage submissions must be submitted in the bacloffice.bitsdata.us ERP portal.
- Date and purpose of the trip.
- Starting location and destination.
- Total miles driven (minus any applicable commute).
Customer Communication and Interaction Policy
This Customer Communication and Interaction Policy ensures that all relationships with clients remain professional, transparent, and free from conflicts of interest. It is designed to protect both the employee and the company from the appearance of impropriety.
1. Scope of Communication
- Authorized Purpose: Communication with customers is permitted strictly for the purpose of performing assigned work, executing sales activities, or conducting approved marketing outreach.
- Work-Related Content: All discussions must be limited to business-related topics, including project updates, technical support, product information, and billing.
- Professional Boundaries: While the company encourages a friendly and helpful demeanor, employees must remember that customers are professional associates, not personal friends. All interactions—whether via email, phone, or in person—must reflect a high standard of professional decorum.
2. Gifts and Gratuities, or other Favors
- No Gift Policy: To maintain total objectivity, the company maintains a “Zero-Gift” policy.
- Receiving: Employees are strictly prohibited from accepting any gifts, tokens of appreciation, or gratuities from customers, regardless of value.
- Giving: Employees may not provide gifts to customers unless they are part of a company-wide, pre-approved marketing campaign (e.g., branded pens or official holiday cards).
- Appearance of Favors: Any action that creates the appearance of receiving or providing a personal favor is strictly forbidden.
3. Meals and Entertainment
- Refusal of Free Meals: Employees must not accept free meals or entertainment from customers. Accepting such offers can create a perceived sense of obligation or “reciprocity” that may harm the company’s ability to make objective business decisions.
- Exceptions: Modest refreshments provided during a working meeting (e.g., coffee or water in a conference room) are acceptable. Any other meal must be paid for by the employee or expensed to the company in accordance with our travel policy.
4. Trading and Financial Transactions
- Standard Invoicing Only: The only authorized trade with a customer is the exchange of company products and services for payment.
- No Bartering: Employees are prohibited from engaging in any “side trades,” bartering, or personal business transactions with customers.
- Official Channels: All financial transactions must be properly documented, invoiced through the company’s official accounting system, and paid directly to the company.
5. Prohibited Discounts
- Unauthorized “Deals”: Employees are not authorized to grant discounts, price breaks, or “special deals” based on personal relationships or perceived favors.
- Uniform Pricing: All pricing adjustments must be based on official company promotions or approved by Management in writing.
6. Reporting and Refusal Procedure
To maintain transparency and protect employees from potential conflicts of interest, the following steps must be taken if a gift or favor is offered:
- Standard Refusal: Employees should politely decline the gift by citing company policy. Example: “I appreciate the gesture, but our company policy strictly prohibits us from accepting gifts to ensure we maintain professional objectivity for all our clients.”
- Insistent Offers: If a customer insists or sends a gift to the office/home despite a refusal, the employee must notify management within 24 hours.
- Documentation: All declined or returned gifts must be communicated with company management.
- Disposition of Gifts: If a gift cannot be returned (e.g., anonymous delivery or perishable items), Management will determine the appropriate course of action, which may include donating the item to a local charity in the customer’s name.