Guidelines on Gifts
 

Last Reviewed On: December 27, 2022 (Version 3)

  1. The code of conduct of Acuité requires that all employees demonstrate commitment to treating all people and organizations, with whom they come into contact or conduct business, impartially and professionally.
  2.  

  3. Gift constitutes, but is not limited to, receipt of cash/cheques, objects of value such as jewellery, consumables such as cigarettes, liquor bottle, statues of religious deities, movie tickets, gift vouchers of e-commerce companies, holiday vouchers or third party sponsored off-site trips (foreign or domestic), passes to events, and memberships to clubs.
  4.  

  5. The employees of Acuité shall demonstrate the highest standards of ethics and conduct and practice and demonstrate equal treatment, unbiased professionalism, and non-discriminatory actions in relation to all clients, potential clients, potential employees, vendors, potential vendors or suppliers, government employees or agents and any other individual or organization.
  6.  

  7. Acuité, as a policy, does not give away gift as a means of securing business or any other reason.
  8.  

  9. No employee of Acuité shall extend any gift, money, or favour in any form to its clients, potential clients, vendors, potential vendors or suppliers, government employees or agents and any other individual or organization, in connection with any ratings-related or other work or service performed at Acuité, under any circumstances.
  10.  

  11. To avoid a conflict of interest, actual or perceived, Acuité and its employees shall not accept any gifts from clients, potential clients, potential employees, vendors, potential vendors or suppliers, government employees or agents and any other individual or organization.
  12.  

  13. In special circumstances, such as for speaking at seminars a speaker’s memento, may be accepted by a Acuité employee subject to the condition that the monetary value of the gift is not more than Rs. 500/-.
  14.  

  15. Where the monetary value of the gift received is more than Rs. 500/-, the employee must return it to the giver immediately. If return of the item is not feasible for any reason whatsoever, the employee shall report the same to the Compliance Officer of Acuité. In the meantime, the gift shall be surrendered to the Administration Department by the recipient for its disposal.
  16.  

  17. Any breach of this policy should be brought to the notice of the Compliance Officer of Acuité.
  18.  

  19. Any attempt by any client, potential client, employee, potential employee, vendor, potential vendor or supplier, government employee or agent and any other individual or organization to give gift to a Acuité employee, with a view to influencing a decision, should be brought to the notice of the Compliance Officer of Acuité.