Hi Aparna,
Wow, your RM's seem to be really smart..... They are trying to have their cake & eat it too.....
Asking for ‘HR approval’ for allowing ‘customer paid liquor’ during business meeting is a nice move... :-)
So, tell us what your policy would achieve:
1. If someone does not consume alcohol, then won't this policy discriminate with him saying he is not able to follow 'guidelines' to build rapport with customers?
2. If someone gets arrested for drunk driving, would they state HR policy & say the company asks them to do so?
3. If the RM misbehave at customer premises / public place under the influence of alcohol, then could they state HR policy & say the company asks them to do so?
There are already many ways, that employees in such sales position twist the rules with (claiming false receipts for liquor under restaurant food bills, etc). Why do you want to give them a "free hit" to do it officially.
Tomorrow, they will say "There was only one committee member opposing our deal; so to get the business, I had to bribe / kill him". Make a policy for that.....
If RM's want to go extra mile with the customer, then they should do it at their cost & at their time. Business hours & budgets should be strict to business. Officially, you would surely want to earn business with your products, & not with booze.
My suggestion is, Do not get lured into the false premise build by RM's, that Alcohol is mandatory for cracking the deals....
Regards,
Amod.
80Wow, your RM's seem to be really smart..... They are trying to have their cake & eat it too.....
Asking for ‘HR approval’ for allowing ‘customer paid liquor’ during business meeting is a nice move... :-)
So, tell us what your policy would achieve:
1. If someone does not consume alcohol, then won't this policy discriminate with him saying he is not able to follow 'guidelines' to build rapport with customers?
2. If someone gets arrested for drunk driving, would they state HR policy & say the company asks them to do so?
3. If the RM misbehave at customer premises / public place under the influence of alcohol, then could they state HR policy & say the company asks them to do so?
There are already many ways, that employees in such sales position twist the rules with (claiming false receipts for liquor under restaurant food bills, etc). Why do you want to give them a "free hit" to do it officially.
Tomorrow, they will say "There was only one committee member opposing our deal; so to get the business, I had to bribe / kill him". Make a policy for that.....
If RM's want to go extra mile with the customer, then they should do it at their cost & at their time. Business hours & budgets should be strict to business. Officially, you would surely want to earn business with your products, & not with booze.
My suggestion is, Do not get lured into the false premise build by RM's, that Alcohol is mandatory for cracking the deals....
Regards,
Amod.
Serving drinks in many of the offices is not in practice in India except in a very few instances when parties are thrown to mark certain special occasions, get-together, end of seminars etc. These occasions need not necessarily be considered "during working hours". There are instances where banquets are also orgainsed by offices with limited amount of drinks. These occasions are not to be treated as "no drinks". About the query, it may not be possible for an employer to assess the level of alcohol intake when and how much was consumed etc. And it would be difficult task to establish whether the RMs consumed via a clients' force or enroute from a bar/store. And even if it is established, what such a policy going to be aimed at as and when put in place. Punish the RM for excessive intake ? So long as it remains as "not a habitual drink" during office hours it shouldn't harm the official circle. A moral policing is going to be difficult task to enforce in such situations. Also it shouldn't go to the extent of the clients start complaining about RMs keep coming to their offices just for a sip of drinks. All said and done, drinking alcohol during office hours shouldn't be allowed for obvious reasons and reign in certain etiquette. And better not to talk about reimbursing it's bills. Socially, better not to encourage drinking from the very first instance to build a character of a future generation which in recent times take to frequent drinks which become order of the day for every occasion and non-occasions promoted by the IT boom in the country. And, how about drink and drive, whether it was sponsored by the clients or on his own ?
From India, Bangalore
From India, Bangalore
Allowing RM to have drinks with clients is against Indian culture .If it is kept on record as HR policy company have to offer employment to candidate who are habitual drunker & as statutory compliance you have to check they got the necessary permit from concern department to consume alcohol or you have to arrange it . Once allowing drinks while on duty & unfortunately if any accident or employee develop any deceases due to drinking with client you have to give compensation of the record to such employee due contradiction between company's policy & insurance company's rules.
Shirish Kulkarni
From India, Pune
Shirish Kulkarni
From India, Pune
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Canteen Policy.doc