Presentation
These are the main social advantages that receive the employees of Volontariat and Atelier Shanti:
1. All employees, after one year of probation, are registered in the national pension scheme, called the Employees Provident Funds (EPF), with an equal contribution every month of the employee and the employer Volontariat. The Government contributes at the time when the employee or his/her family closes the scheme.
2. The consultations given by the Doctor appointed by Volontariat and his/her prescriptions, homeopathic or allopathic are free for all those who work in Volontariat and Atelier Shanti. It is the same for dental care from the Volontariat Dentist. Employees are free to consult any doctor, but the reimbursement will not be made automatically in such a case. Hospitalization fees are generally supported, partly or fully, by the organization when the patient is referred to the Hospital by the Volontariat doctor or dentist. This rule does not apply for emergency cases.
3. The staff salaries receive an education help for their first two children which is given once a year. This is a compensation as their children cannot be admitted in the Sponsorship programme.
4. An employee may be granted an interest-free loan for a stated expense: to pay his/her debts, repair the home, buy a plot for housing, build a house, buy a two-wheeler or perform the marriage of one of his/her children. The loan amount depends on the salary and the seniority of the person and the nature of the expense, the maximum amount repayable each month and the duration of recovery; the reimbursment is taken at the source. Proof of the expense must be produced. A revised version of the loan rules is actually studied, as the requested amounts are flying, due to the general increase of the cost of living, cost of plots and construction, etc.
5. At Atelier Shanti, from the beginning, we recognized the handicap of the workers, due to leprosy or other physical disability. Some of them have enjoyed the benefit of a small, one-room house with a token charge for rent, water and electricity. Their children may be included in the sponsorship programme of Volontariat, with all the advantages of school supplies, tuition, school uniform, midday meals, tutoring, summer camps, etc.
6. Free meals are provided to some old and destitute persons who live in the neighbourhood of Volontariat. A few social cases, persons with severe physical disabilities also receive benefits, like free medical care and meals.
Rules and regulations have been developed by Volontariat to cover the various cases that may arise: office hours, overtime hours, health matters and medical leave, loan scheme, salary scale etc.
If an application falls outside the framework of these rules and regulations, a decision may be taken by a panel of In-charges who have to justify it, in order to avoid any dispute.
