Employee Uniform — Wear & Tear Policy

Effective Date: July 2026 Review Cycle: Annual
Applies To: All Full-Time & Confirmed Employees

Overview

This policy establishes a clear, fair, and transparent framework governing the issuance, use, care, and replacement of uniforms provided by Merciglobal Systems Pvt. Ltd. to its employees. It aims to:

Promote a consistent, professional appearance across all departments.
Define the expected lifespan of uniforms based on calculated usage patterns.
Protect company assets from misuse, intentional damage, or negligence.
Ensure accountability at the individual employee level while remaining fair and reasonable.
Provide a structured replacement schedule that eliminates ambiguity.

Scope

This policy applies to all full-time confirmed employees who have been issued company uniforms as part of their standard employment package. Probationary employees and contract staff will receive uniforms as per separate guidelines issued by the HR Department.

Uniform Issuance

Standard issuance

Upon confirmation of employment, every eligible employee shall receive:

Item	Quantity	Remarks
Company Uniform Shirt	3 (Three)	Issued at joining / confirmation
Uniform Acknowledgement Form	1 (One)	Signed & submitted to HR
Care & Maintenance Guide	1 (One)	Provided along with shirts

Issuance register

HR shall maintain a digital and physical Uniform Issuance Register recording:

Employee name and ID
Department
Date of issuance
Shirt sizes
Condition at issuance
Employee signature

Each set is uniquely tagged for tracking purposes.

Usage Expectation & Lifespan Calculation

The replacement timeline is derived from the following usage basis:

Parameter	Value
Shirts issued per employee	3 shirts
Expected wear frequency	2 wears per shirt per week (rotational use across 3 shirts)
Total monthly wears per shirt	~8–9 wears/month
Expected good condition period	0 to 9 months from issuance
Fading/wear-visible period	9 to 12 months from issuance
Company replacement trigger	Completion of 12 months from issuance

!!! note Employees are encouraged to rotate usage evenly across all 3 shirts to maximize the lifespan of each piece. Uneven usage that results in premature damage to specific shirts will not constitute grounds for early company-funded replacement.

Wear & Tear Liability Framework

The liability for damage to or replacement of uniforms is determined across three phases.

Phase 1 — Employee's responsibility (0 to 9 months)

During this phase, the uniform is expected to remain in good, wearable condition. Any damage arising during this period — excluding factory/stitching defects — shall be the sole responsibility of the employee.

Damage Type	Liability	Action Required
Tear due to rough/improper handling	Employee	Employee purchases replacement at MRP
Staining due to negligence	Employee	Employee replaces or bears cleaning cost
Loss of shirt	Employee	Employee purchases replacement at MRP
Damage during off-duty use	Employee	Employee replaces at full cost
Manufacturing defect (within 30 days)	Company	HR replaces from stock at no cost

Phase 2 — Transition period (9 to 12 months)

During this period, mild fading, slight colour loss, and minor wear are considered normal and acceptable. The employee is not penalised for cosmetic deterioration within this range. However:

Physical damage (tears, missing buttons, fraying) still remains the employee's responsibility.
The shirt is expected to remain wearable, clean, and presentable for official duties.
HR may, at its discretion, approve early replacement if the condition is professionally unacceptable — subject to review.

Phase 3 — Company replacement (after 12 months)

Upon completion of 12 calendar months from the original issuance date, the company shall provide a fresh set of 3 uniforms to every eligible employee at no cost, regardless of current condition.

!!! warning - Old shirts must be surrendered to HR upon receiving the new set. - Non-surrender will result in the cost of the new set being deducted from salary. - Employees who have separated from the company before the 12-month mark are not entitled to a replacement set.

Anti-Misuse & Forced Damage Prevention

To prevent intentional or staged damage for the purpose of obtaining early replacements, the following safeguards are in place.

Inspection protocol

Upon reporting of any damage, the HR Manager or designated HR representative shall conduct a physical inspection of the damaged shirt.
HR retains the right to seek explanation from the employee before approving any replacement.
Pattern damage (e.g., cuts, burns, chemical staining) that cannot be attributed to routine wear shall be subject to further scrutiny.

Reporting obligations

Employees must report any damage to their uniform within 72 hours of the incident via the internal HR portal or by email to hr@merciglobal.com.
Late reporting of damage may be treated as suspicious and subjected to additional review.
Failure to report damage and being found wearing a visibly damaged uniform in office is a policy violation.

Misuse & fraud safeguards

Misuse Category	Consequence
Intentional damage / self-inflicted tear to claim free replacement	Full cost recovery + disciplinary action (up to written warning)
Tampering with issuance records	Treated as gross misconduct; escalated to management
Using company uniform for personal business, gigs, or side-work	Cost recovery + formal warning; repeat = termination consideration
Gifting or selling company uniform to third parties	Full cost recovery + formal inquiry

Employee Responsibilities

All employees issued uniforms are expected to:

Wear uniforms during all working hours, client meetings, and official events representing Merciglobal.
Wash and maintain shirts per the Care & Maintenance Guide provided at issuance.
Store shirts properly — avoid hanging in direct sunlight, repeated sharp creasing, or using harsh detergents.
Report any damage, defect, or loss promptly within 72 hours to the HR Department.
Return all existing shirts (including damaged ones) before receiving a new replacement set.
Refrain from making alterations, embroidery, or modifications to the uniform without written HR approval.

Replacement Request Process

Step	Action	By Whom	Timeline
1	Submit Uniform Damage / Replacement Request Form (HR-UNI-F01)	Employee	Within 72 hrs of damage
2	Physical inspection of damaged shirt	HR Representative	Within 3 working days
3	Liability determination & intimation to employee	HR Manager	Within 5 working days
4	If company liability: issue replacement from stock	HR Department	Within 7 working days
5	If employee liability: employee pays MRP and HR issues replacement	Employee + HR	Within 10 working days
6	Update Uniform Issuance Register	HR Department	Same day as replacement

Special Circumstances

Damage due to workplace accident

If a uniform is damaged due to a workplace accident (e.g., chemical spill, fire, equipment malfunction) and the incident is duly recorded in the Incident Register, the company shall bear the full cost of replacement irrespective of the phase. The employee must file an incident report on the same day.

Maternity / medical leave

Employees on extended maternity or medical leave exceeding 3 months shall have their 12-month replacement clock paused for the duration of the leave. The clock resumes upon rejoining.

Transfer or department change

If an employee is transferred and the receiving department has a different uniform, HR shall evaluate the remaining lifespan of the current uniform and decide on issuance of the new uniform on a case-by-case basis.

Resignation or termination

Employees who resign or are terminated must return all issued uniforms on their last working day. Failure to return any uniform will result in the cost of unreturned items being deducted from the Full & Final Settlement amount.

Special Clause — Uniform Cost Recovery on Early Exit

If an employee leaves the company — whether through resignation, termination, or any other mode of separation — before the completion of 12 months from the date of joining, the full cost of the issued uniform set shall be recovered from the employee.

The recovery shall be processed as follows:

The cost of all 3 issued shirts (at current MRP / procurement cost, whichever is higher) shall be deducted from the employee's Full & Final (F&F) Settlement.
This deduction applies regardless of the condition of the shirts at the time of exit — whether new, in use, or damaged.
Shirts must be physically surrendered to HR on or before the last working day. Non-surrender will result in full cost deduction with no waiver eligibility.

!!! warning "No Exceptions Without Written Approval" Early exit cost recovery is mandatory under this clause. Any exception — including cases of medical emergency, family circumstances, or mutual separation — requires written approval from the Director / HR Head before the F&F is processed. Verbal commitments or informal agreements shall not be binding.

Disciplinary Provisions

Any violation of this policy — including misuse, fraud, late reporting, refusal to return shirts, or wearing visibly damaged uniforms — shall be subject to the Company's standard Disciplinary Policy.

Violation Level	Action
First offence (minor)	Verbal warning + cost recovery if applicable
Second offence / moderate violation	Written warning placed on record
Third offence / serious violation	Final written warning + possible financial penalty
Gross misconduct (fraud / intentional damage)	Disciplinary inquiry; escalation to senior management

Policy Administration

This policy is owned, administered, and updated by the HR Department in consultation with Management.


HR Contact	hr@merciglobal.com
Policy Owner	HR Manager, Merciglobal Systems Pvt. Ltd., Surat
Effective Date	July 2026
Review Date	July 2027

All queries or disputes arising from this policy should be directed to the HR Department.

!!! tip "Acknowledgement" All employees must sign the Uniform Policy Acknowledgement Form (HR-UNI-ACK-01) at the time of uniform issuance. By signing, the employee confirms they have read, understood, and agreed to comply with all provisions of this policy.

Appendix A — Uniform Acknowledgement Form

Form Code: HR-UNI-ACK-01

Field	Details
Employee Name
Employee ID
Department
Date of Joining
Date of Issuance
Shirt Size
Quantity Received	3 Shirts
Condition at Issuance	New / Good
Next Replacement Due	(12 months from issuance date)

I, the undersigned, acknowledge receipt of the above-mentioned uniforms and confirm that I have read, understood, and agree to comply with the Merciglobal Employee Uniform Wear & Tear Policy (MGSPL-HR-UNI-001).

Employee Signature: ___ Date: ______

HR Representative: ___ Date: ______

MGSPL-HR-UNI-001 v1.0 — Confidential — Internal Use Only