Obsidian Six — Team Handbook

Team Policy &
Acknowledgment Document

This document outlines all operating protocols, behavioural expectations, communication standards, and legal obligations for every member of the Obsidian Six team — full-time and contract. Read every section carefully before signing.

Full-time & Contract Effective immediately Updated May 2026 Requires acknowledgment
01

Company overview & culture

Who we are and how we operate

Obsidian Six is a project-based creative agency. We work across design, development, marketing, operations, and client management. Our team is a mix of full-time employees and contract professionals. Every person here — regardless of their employment type — is expected to operate with the same standard of professionalism, ownership, and integrity.

Project-based model

We are engaged on a per-project basis with clients. Confidentiality and delivery quality are non-negotiable.

Mixed team model

Full-time staff and contractors are held to the same operational and ethical standards without exception.

Quality first

Every deliverable represents the Obsidian Six brand. We do not compromise on quality at any stage of a project.

Trust & ownership

We operate on trust. You are expected to own your work, communicate proactively, and flag issues early.

Design Development Marketing Operations Sales & Client Management
02

Onboarding protocol

What every new team member must complete on day one

1
Introduce yourself on the team WhatsApp group — Share your name, role, and a brief background on day one. This is your first point of contact with the team.
2
Read and sign this policy document — You must complete the acknowledgment form at the bottom of this page before beginning any work. No exceptions.
3
Confirm access to all required tools — Ensure you have access to your project management tools, shared drives, and communication channels. Contact your manager if anything is missing.
4
Receive your project brief — Your manager will share your assigned project, scope, deadlines, and point-of-contact on day one. Review it thoroughly and ask clarifying questions within 24 hours.
5
Sign NDA if applicable — If your project involves a client NDA, you must sign it before accessing any client assets, briefs, or confidential materials. This is mandatory with no exceptions.
6
Send your first check-in on WhatsApp — Begin your daily check-in routine from day one. Post your start-of-day update in the team group by 10:00 AM on your first working day.
03

Work hours policy

Flexibility with clear availability expectations

Obsidian Six operates on flexible working hours. However, all team members must be available and responsive during core hours: 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM IST, Monday to Saturday. Outside these hours, you may manage your own schedule, but deadlines and delivery timelines are always non-negotiable.

Core working rules
Core hours are 11 AM – 5 PM IST. You must be reachable on WhatsApp and email during this window on all working days.
Respond to messages within 2 hours during core hours. If you are in deep work, post a note on WhatsApp so the team is aware.
Working days are Monday to Saturday. Sunday is a rest day unless there is a critical deadline, in which case your manager will inform you in advance.
Going offline during core hours without notice is not acceptable. Always inform your manager and post on WhatsApp if you need to step away for more than 30 minutes.
Deadline hours override flexible scheduling. When a project deadline is within 48 hours, extended availability may be required. Your manager will communicate this clearly.
04

Daily operations protocol

Mandatory start-of-day and end-of-day routine

Every team member must post a WhatsApp check-in at the start of the day and a check-out at the end of the day. This is not optional. It creates visibility, accountability, and helps the whole team stay aligned on who is working on what.

🌅 Start of day — by 10:00 AM
1
Post on WhatsApp: "Good morning. Starting now."
2
Share today's 3 main tasks you plan to complete
3
Flag any blockers or dependencies from the previous day
4
Confirm you are available on WhatsApp during core hours
🌙 End of day — by 7:00 PM
1
Post on WhatsApp: "Wrapping up for the day."
2
Share a brief update on tasks completed today
3
List any pending tasks carrying over to tomorrow
4
Mention any urgent issues that need attention before next day

Missing check-ins without prior notice is a formal violation. Three missed check-ins in a month without valid reason will be escalated. Repeated violations may impact your contract renewal, performance review, or final settlement eligibility.

05

Communication protocol

WhatsApp and email standards for all team members

WhatsApp — primary communication
WhatsApp is the primary channel for all day-to-day communication, quick updates, check-ins, and team coordination.
Respond within 2 hours during core hours (11 AM – 5 PM). If unavailable, post a message informing the team before going offline.
No voice notes for official matters. All task updates, blockers, and decisions must be in text so they are documented and searchable.
Do not share client names, credentials, or confidential project details on WhatsApp. Sensitive information must be handled via email or secure shared drives only.
Email — formal communication
Email is for formal communication — sending deliverables to clients, submitting handover documents, official approvals, and HR matters including your acknowledgment of this policy.
Respond to emails within 24 hours on working days. For urgent client matters, inform your manager immediately via WhatsApp.
Use professional language in all emails. Proofread before sending. Client-facing emails must be reviewed by your manager or lead if you are unsure.
06

Status calls & meetings

Google Meet structure and attendance requirements

All status calls are conducted on Google Meet. Attendance is mandatory unless you have informed your manager in advance. Camera on is strongly encouraged. All key decisions from calls must be followed up with a WhatsApp summary.

Call schedule
Bi-weekly team status call — Every two weeks, all active team members join a 30–45 minute Google Meet to review project progress, blockers, and upcoming milestones. Date and time will be shared 48 hours in advance.
Project milestone calls — At every key project milestone (brief review, mid-project check, pre-delivery), a focused call is held with only the relevant team members. Your manager will schedule these.
Deadline-critical daily calls (2–3x per day) — When a project deadline is within 48 hours, your manager may schedule 2 to 3 short daily syncs to track progress in real time. These are mandatory and non-negotiable during critical delivery windows.
Missing a call without notice is a formal issue. If you cannot attend, inform your manager at least 1 hour before via WhatsApp and send a written update covering your agenda points.

Call etiquette: Join on time. Have your update ready before the call starts. Keep your audio muted when not speaking. Follow up on action items from every call within 24 hours via WhatsApp.

07

Productivity & delivery standards

How we execute and deliver work at Obsidian Six

Deadlines are commitments, not suggestions. Once a deadline is agreed, it is your responsibility to deliver on time. If at risk, you must flag it to your manager at least 24 hours before — not on the day.
All deliverables must be reviewed internally before being sent to a client. Never share raw or unreviewed work with a client without your manager's approval.
File naming and organisation standards must be followed. All files must be saved to the shared drive with clear naming conventions. Ask your manager for the file structure guide on day one.
Proactively communicate progress. Do not wait to be asked for updates. Share work-in-progress at logical intervals, especially on longer projects.
Working on personal or external projects during Obsidian Six paid hours is strictly prohibited. Your contracted hours are exclusively for Obsidian Six work.
Do not make scope changes, agree to extra deliverables, or commit to client requests without written approval from your manager. All client-facing commitments must go through management.
08

Leave & half-day policy

How to request time off and what is required

Half-day rules
A half day = minimum 4 hours of active work logged. Simply being online for half a day does not qualify. Tasks must be completed and documented.
Half-day requests must be submitted at least 1 working day before via WhatsApp to your manager. Last-minute half-day requests without valid reason will not be approved.
Maximum 2 half-days per month. Exceeding this without prior approval from management will be treated as unauthorised absence and may impact payment calculations.
Full-day leave rules
All full-day leaves must be requested in advance — minimum 2 working days before for planned leaves. Emergency leaves must be communicated by 9:00 AM via WhatsApp with a valid reason.
Before taking leave, ensure your tasks are handed off or paused at a clear point. Your team should not be blocked because of your absence. Communicate all pending items before going offline.
Unapproved absence or going offline during core hours without notice is treated as a contractual violation and may impact final payment and settlement.
09

Attitude, conduct & professionalism

The standards we hold ourselves to at Obsidian Six

Treat every team member with respect. This is a professional environment. Discriminatory, disrespectful, or hostile behaviour of any kind will result in immediate contract termination.
Raise issues through the right channel. If you have a concern about a project, a teammate, or management, raise it directly and professionally. Do not vent in group chats or to clients.
Take ownership of mistakes. If something goes wrong, own it, communicate it immediately, and present a solution. Hiding errors causes far greater damage than the error itself.
Be solution-oriented. When you bring a problem to your manager, bring at least one potential solution with it. We value initiative and problem-solving over escalation alone.
Disparaging Obsidian Six, its clients, or team members on social media, in public, or with competitors is strictly prohibited and constitutes grounds for legal action.
Approaching Obsidian Six clients directly for freelance work, employment, or any personal business arrangement — during or after your contract — without written consent is a serious contractual breach.
10

NDA & confidentiality

How we protect client and company information

Obsidian Six works with clients across industries who share sensitive business information. Protecting this information is a core professional and legal obligation. Breach of confidentiality — even after your contract ends — may result in legal proceedings.

For select client projects, you will be required to sign a project-specific NDA before accessing any client briefs, assets, or data. This will be communicated by your manager at project start.
You must not share, discuss, or reference client information — including client names, project details, budgets, strategies, or deliverables — with any external party, including family, friends, or other professionals.
All Obsidian Six internal information — pricing, processes, team structure, tools, client lists, and revenue — is confidential and must not be shared under any circumstances.
Confidentiality obligations survive the end of your contract. Even after you leave Obsidian Six, you remain bound by any NDA signed and by the general confidentiality terms of this policy.
Unauthorised use or disclosure of confidential information will be treated as a serious legal matter and Obsidian Six reserves the right to pursue all available legal remedies.
11

Exit & handover obligations

What is required when leaving Obsidian Six

Leaving without completing a proper handover is a breach of your contract. All team members — full-time or contract — must complete the full exit process before their last working day. Failure to do so will result in withholding of final payment, non-issuance of documents, and potential legal action.

Submit a complete handover document covering all active projects, file locations, credentials, pending tasks, and key contacts — to your manager, at minimum 7 days before your last day.
Transfer all credentials, IDs, and passwords securely to your manager before your last working day. Retaining access to company systems after exit is a legal violation.
Send your official exit confirmation email to hr@obsidiansix.com at least 3 days before your last day, with your manager CC'd. Include your handover document as an attachment.
Return all company property — devices, access cards, hardware, and any other company-issued assets — before your last working day.
Final salary, experience letter, and relieving letter are only released after full handover is verified by HR and your manager. Incomplete handover = delayed or withheld settlement.

For the complete Exit & Handover Policy including the portfolio permission process, please refer to the dedicated Obsidian Six Exit Policy page shared separately by HR. Both documents must be read and acknowledged.

Official acknowledgment

I have read, understood & agree to this policy

By completing and submitting this form, you confirm that you have read every section of this document and agree to comply with all policies, protocols, and obligations outlined above. A pre-filled email will open in your email app — press Send to complete your official acknowledgment.

Acknowledgment checklist — check all that apply *

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Please complete all required fields, check all acknowledgment boxes, and provide your digital signature before submitting.

How this works: Clicking the button validates your form, then opens your email app with a fully pre-filled acknowledgment addressed to hr@obsidiansix.com with a copy to your own email. Please press Send in your email app to finalise. This creates a timestamped official record for both you and Obsidian Six HR.

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Your acknowledgment email is pre-filled and ready to send. Please press Send in your email app to complete your official acknowledgment. Both you and hr@obsidiansix.com will receive a copy. Keep your sent email as your personal record.