Employee Handbook

About this handbook

This handbook reflects our values and lays the foundations for a fair and supportive place to work. It brings together your conditions and benefits, our ways of working, and the policies that apply to everyone at Honest Fox. Please read it all, then sign the acknowledgement at the end.

We can’t capture everyone’s experiences in one document, and this isn’t meant to be a rule book for every situation. Parts 4 and 5 in particular are a guide that helps you and your manager make decisions that work for you, the team and our clients. Parts 1, 2, 3 and 6 set out standards everyone must follow.

Who it applies to

The handbook applies to everyone who works with Honest Fox, including employees, contractors and freelancers, wherever you’re working: in the office, at home, away, at client sites, while travelling for work, at work events and online. Leave and flexible working apply to employees, and each part says who it covers.

Where a client’s requirements are stricter than ours, theirs apply.

Your entitlements and your contract

All of your entitlements are underpinned by the National Employment Standards (NES). Where this handbook offers more than the NES, the more generous terms apply. For more information, see the Fair Work Ombudsman website.

This handbook doesn’t form part of your employment contract, and Honest Fox may change, replace or withdraw any part of it at any time. You must still follow it, and not doing so may lead to disciplinary action.

Updates

We review the handbook at least once a year, after any significant incident, and whenever laws, client requirements or our ways of working change. We’ll consult with the team where needed, tell you about significant changes, and may ask you to sign again. If something isn’t covered, or you have a suggestion, please tell us.

Who to contact

• Questions about this handbook or anything affecting you: your manager or the People & Culture Manager
• Leave balances, pay and unpaid leave: your manager or the People & Culture Manager
• IT: Dillon Bailey
• Health and safety: your manager or the People & Culture Manager

Getting help

You can speak with your manager or the People & Culture Manager at any time. We’d much rather know early and help. However, if you don’t feel comfortable doing this, here are some recommended external sources:

• Lifeline (13 11 14) provides 24/7 crisis support.
• Beyond Blue (1300 22 4636) provides 24/7 mental health support.
• 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732) provides 24/7 support for anyone affected by sexual assault, domestic or family violence.
• If your life is in danger, call 000.

Part 1

Code of Conduct

This Code sets out how we behave at Honest Fox: with each other, with our clients, and as representatives of the business. It can't cover every situation, so if you're unsure, ask yourself whether you'd be comfortable explaining your decision to your manager, a client or a colleague. If not, talk to your manager or the People & Culture Manager.

How we work

To collaborate well and produce great work, we share three guiding principles:

• Communicate clearly and honestly, especially about expectations and timeframes.
• Trust each other, and always assume people are acting with good intent.
• Build strong connections, supporting each other and our clients.

With each other

• Treat everyone with respect and courtesy, whatever their role, background or location.
• Be honest, own your mistakes and help fix them.
• Give and receive feedback constructively.
• Do what you say you'll do, and speak up early if you can't.

With our clients

• Act professionally and represent Honest Fox well, whether you're on site, online or at a client event.
• Be honest about what we can deliver, timeframes and costs. Never mislead a client.
• Record your time accurately and only charge for work actually done.
• Follow each client's site rules, security requirements and policies, as well as ours.
• Raise any concerns about a client relationship or engagement with your manager early.

Confidentiality, privacy and intellectual property

• Keep client and Honest Fox information confidential. Only share it with people who need it for their work, and never with friends, family or on social media.
• Your confidentiality obligations continue after you leave Honest Fox.
• Handle personal information about clients, their customers and colleagues carefully, and only use it for the purpose it was collected. We follow the Australian Privacy Principles and our client contracts.
• Work you create at Honest Fox, including documents, designs, code and ideas, belongs to Honest Fox or our client, as set out in your employment contract and the client agreement.
• Don't use another person's or organisation's copyrighted material, trademarks or confidential information without permission.

Conflicts of interest and outside work

A conflict of interest is any situation where your personal interests, relationships or other work could affect, or look like they affect, your decisions at Honest Fox. Having one isn't necessarily a problem, but hiding one is.

• Tell your manager in writing about any actual or potential conflict, such as a close relationship with someone at a client or supplier, or a financial interest in a client, competitor or supplier.
• Get written approval before taking on any other paid work, freelancing or running a side business. We'll generally approve it unless it competes with Honest Fox, involves our clients, or affects your work or availability.
• Don't work directly for an Honest Fox client, or a client's competitor, outside Honest Fox while you work here.

Gifts, hospitality and bribery

• You can accept occasional, modest gifts and hospitality, like a coffee, a team lunch or a small thank-you gift.
• Declare any gift or hospitality worth more than $100 to your manager, and don't accept it until it's approved.
• Never accept or offer gifts, cash, favours or entertainment that could influence, or look like they influence, a business decision. Never accept cash or vouchers.
• Be especially careful with government clients, who usually have strict rules about gifts.
• Bribery is a criminal offence in Australia and overseas. Never offer, give or accept a bribe, kickback or secret commission, directly or through someone else.

Respectful behaviour

Bullying, harassment, sexual harassment, discrimination and victimisation are never acceptable at Honest Fox. Part 2: Workplace Behaviour explains what these mean, what we expect, and how to raise a concern.

Health, safety, alcohol and drugs

• Take reasonable care of your own health and safety and that of others, and follow Part 3: Health and Safety.
• Don't work while affected by alcohol or drugs, including prescription medication that could affect your work. Tell your manager if this might be an issue.
• At work events and client functions where alcohol is served, drink responsibly. You're still representing Honest Fox, and this Code still applies.

Company resources and social media

• Use Honest Fox devices, systems, money and other resources responsibly and for business purposes, in line with Part 6: IT and Acceptable Use.
• Claim only genuine, approved business expenses, with receipts.
• On social media, don't share confidential information, criticise clients, or post anything that could harm Honest Fox's reputation. Make it clear your views are your own, and only speak on behalf of Honest Fox if you're authorised to.
• Refer any media enquiries to Clint McIntyre, CEO.

Speaking up

If you see or suspect something that breaches this handbook, the law or our policies, please raise it with your manager, the People & Culture Manager or Clint McIntyre, CEO. We'll treat your concern seriously and as confidentially as we can.

You won't be disadvantaged for raising a genuine concern, even if it turns out to be unfounded. Some reports, such as concerns about misconduct or illegal activity, may also be protected under Australian whistleblower laws.

Breaches

Breaching this Code may lead to disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment or engagement. Some breaches may also be reported to the relevant authorities.

Part 2

Workplace Behaviour

Our commitment

Everyone at Honest Fox deserves to feel safe, respected and included at work. We don't tolerate bullying, harassment, sexual harassment, discrimination or victimisation of any kind, and we take active steps to prevent it, not just respond when it happens.

Who and where this applies

This part applies to everyone who works with Honest Fox, including employees, contractors, freelancers and work experience students. It covers behaviour towards colleagues, clients, suppliers and anyone else we deal with through work.

It applies wherever work happens or is connected to work: the office, home, overseas, client sites, work travel, conferences, work events and social functions (including after hours), and online, including Slack, email, video calls, text messages and social media.

It also covers behaviour towards our people by clients and other third parties. If a client treats you inappropriately, tell us and we'll act.

The law

This part reflects our obligations under Australian and Victorian law, including the Fair Work Act 2009, the Sex Discrimination Act 1984, the Racial Discrimination Act 1975, the Disability Discrimination Act 1992, the Age Discrimination Act 2004, the Equal Opportunity Act 2010 (Vic), and the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 (Vic) and Occupational Health and Safety (Psychological Health) Regulations 2025.

Under these laws, Honest Fox has a positive duty to take reasonable and proportionate steps to eliminate sexual harassment, sex-based harassment, hostile work environments and victimisation, and to manage risks to psychological health. Individuals can also be held personally responsible for their own behaviour.

What isn't acceptable

Discrimination is treating someone less favourably, or applying a rule that unfairly disadvantages them, because of a protected attribute. These include age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, intersex status, race, colour, nationality or ethnic origin, religious belief, disability, pregnancy, breastfeeding, marital status, parental or carer status, political belief, industrial activity, and personal association with someone who has any of these attributes.

Harassment is unwelcome behaviour that offends, humiliates or intimidates someone because of a protected attribute, such as jokes about someone's accent, religion or disability.

Sexual harassment is any unwelcome sexual advance, request for sexual favours or other unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature, where a reasonable person would expect the person to feel offended, humiliated or intimidated. It can happen once and doesn't have to be intended. Examples include:

• unwelcome touching, hugging or brushing against someone
• suggestive comments, jokes or questions about someone's private life or body
• repeated invitations to go out after being declined
• sharing sexually explicit images, messages or memes, including on Slack or social media.

Sex-based harassment and a hostile work environment include demeaning conduct because of someone's sex, and creating an environment that is intimidating, offensive or humiliating for people of a particular sex, such as displaying sexual material or making sexist comments.

Bullying is repeated, unreasonable behaviour directed at a person or group that creates a risk to health and safety. It includes belittling or humiliating comments, spreading rumours, deliberately excluding someone, setting impossible deadlines, or withholding information someone needs to do their job.

Reasonable management action carried out in a reasonable way isn't bullying. This includes giving fair feedback, setting reasonable goals and deadlines, allocating work, and managing performance.

Victimisation is treating someone badly because they have made, or might make, a complaint, supported someone else's complaint, or taken part in an investigation.

Responsibilities

Everyone

• Treat others with respect and follow this part of the handbook.
• Think about how your words and actions might land with others, especially in writing, where tone can be misread.
• If it's safe to do so, speak up or check in with someone when you see inappropriate behaviour. If not, report it.
• Keep complaints and investigations confidential.

Managers

• Model respectful behaviour and set the standard for your team.
• Act on inappropriate behaviour, even if no one has complained.
• Take every concern seriously, respond promptly, and tell the People & Culture Manager.
• Watch for risks such as excessive workload, isolation of remote team members, or difficult client behaviour, and act early.

Honest Fox

To meet our positive duty and our health and safety obligations, we will:

• make sure everyone knows about this handbook and completes training when they start and regularly after that
• regularly identify and manage risks of inappropriate behaviour, including from clients and at work events, in consultation with our people
• provide clear, safe ways to raise concerns and respond to them fairly and promptly
• support anyone affected, and review our approach regularly.

Raising a concern

You can raise a concern whether it happened to you or you saw it happen to someone else. You don't need proof, and it's never too late to raise something with us, though raising it early helps us act sooner.

Who to talk to

• Your manager, if you feel comfortable.
• The People & Culture Manager or Clint McIntyre, CEO, if the concern involves your manager or you'd prefer to talk to someone else.

Your options

• Informal: get advice, or have us help resolve the issue through a conversation, a facilitated discussion or by clarifying expectations.
• Formal: make a complaint, verbally or in writing, which we'll look into and may investigate.

You choose which option feels right, and you can change your mind. In serious cases, such as sexual harassment, violence or a risk to someone's safety, we may need to act even if you'd prefer we didn't. We'll talk to you about this first.

External options

You can also seek help or make a complaint outside Honest Fox at any time. Some have time limits for making a complaint, so check with them:

• Fair Work Commission (bullying and sexual harassment)
• Australian Human Rights Commission
• Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission
• WorkSafe Victoria (health and safety risks)
• Victoria Police, if you've experienced or witnessed a crime such as assault, stalking or threats.

How we respond

• We'll acknowledge your concern promptly and talk with you about how you'd like to proceed.
• We'll keep it as confidential as possible, sharing details only with people who need to know to deal with it.
• If we investigate, it will be fair and impartial. Everyone involved will have the chance to give their side, and the person complained about can have a support person in meetings.
• We may take interim steps to keep people safe during an investigation, such as changing reporting lines or work arrangements.
• We'll let you know the outcome, as far as privacy allows.
• Outcomes can include training, mediation, a warning, changes to work arrangements, or termination of employment or engagement. Where a client is involved, we may raise it with them or change who works on that engagement.

Making a complaint you know to be false or vexatious is itself a breach of this handbook.

No victimisation

No one will be disadvantaged for raising a concern in good faith, supporting someone who does, or taking part in an investigation. Victimisation is unlawful and will be treated as serious misconduct.

Support

You can bring a support person to any meetings about your concern. For confidential support, see Getting help in About this handbook.

Breaches

Breaching this part may lead to disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment or engagement. Some behaviour, such as sexual assault, stalking or threats, is also a crime and may be reported to police.

Part 3

Health and Safety

Our commitment

Honest Fox is committed to providing a safe and healthy workplace for everyone, wherever they work. That means looking after both physical and psychological health, so that everyone goes home, or logs off, as well as they started the day.

This part applies to all employees, contractors, freelancers and visitors, and covers everywhere work happens: our office, home, overseas, client sites, work travel and work events.

The law

As a Victorian employer, we're covered by the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 (Vic), the Occupational Health and Safety Regulations 2017, the Occupational Health and Safety (Psychological Health) Regulations 2025 and the Workplace Injury Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2013 (Vic).

Under these laws, we must provide and maintain a working environment that is safe and without risks to health, so far as is reasonably practicable. "Health" includes psychological health, and we must identify and control psychosocial hazards just as we would physical ones. Team members working interstate or overseas may also be covered by local safety laws.

Responsibilities

Honest Fox will

• provide and maintain safe systems of work, a safe office and safe equipment
• identify hazards, assess risks and put controls in place, eliminating risks where we can and reducing them where we can't
• give everyone the information, training and supervision they need to work safely
• consult with our people on health and safety matters
• monitor the health of our team and workplace conditions, and keep records of injuries and incidents
• provide first aid, emergency procedures and access to wellbeing support.

Managers will

• make sure their team knows and follows this part of the handbook
• act promptly on hazards, incidents and concerns raised with them
• keep an eye on workload, deadlines and wellbeing, especially for remote team members and people working on demanding client engagements.

Everyone must

• take reasonable care of their own health and safety, and that of anyone affected by what they do
• follow safety instructions, policies and procedures
• report hazards, incidents, injuries and near misses promptly
• not interfere with or misuse anything provided for health and safety.

Consultation

We'll consult with you when we identify hazards, make decisions about controls, plan changes that could affect health and safety (like new ways of working or office moves), and review this handbook. You can raise safety issues at any time with your manager or the People & Culture Manager.

You have the right to request a health and safety representative (HSR) be elected to represent you. If you'd like to, talk to your manager or the People & Culture Manager.

Managing risks in our work

Most of our work is office and screen based, but that doesn't mean it's risk free. We regularly review the main risks in our work with input from the team.

Physical health

• Set up your workstation properly, wherever you work, with your screen at eye level, a supportive chair, and your keyboard and mouse within easy reach.
• Take regular breaks from your screen and move around.
• Keep walkways clear, report trip hazards or faulty equipment, and don't use damaged electrical equipment.

Psychological health

Psychosocial hazards are parts of work that can cause stress and harm mental health. The ones most relevant to us include:

• high workload, tight deadlines or long hours
• difficult or aggressive behaviour from clients or others
• unclear roles or expectations, or poor support
• isolation, especially when working remotely or overseas
• bullying, harassment or poor workplace relationships
• poor change management.

We manage these risks through realistic project planning and resourcing, regular check-ins, clear roles, support with difficult clients, and Part 2: Workplace Behaviour. If something at work is affecting your wellbeing, please tell your manager or the People & Culture Manager early.

Working from home and overseas

Our duty of care applies wherever you work. You must have a safe, suitable workspace and complete the home workspace checklist when asked. See Part 4: Hybrid Working for more detail.

Client sites and travel

• Follow the client's site induction, safety rules and emergency procedures.
• Tell your manager if you feel unsafe at a client site or event.
• Plan work travel to avoid fatigue, such as long drives after a full working day.
• Check DFAT travel advice before any overseas work travel.

Reporting hazards and incidents

Tell your manager or the People & Culture Manager as soon as possible about any:

• hazard, such as faulty equipment, an unsafe workspace or an unmanageable workload
• near miss, where someone could have been hurt but wasn't
• injury or illness caused or made worse by work, however minor, including psychological injury
• incident of aggression, violence, bullying or harassment.

All incidents and injuries are recorded in our Register of Injuries, so we can follow up, prevent them happening again and meet our legal obligations.

Serious incidents

Some serious incidents, such as a death, serious injury needing immediate hospital treatment, or a dangerous occurrence, must be reported to WorkSafe Victoria immediately. If one happens:

1. Get help and call 000 if needed.
2. Tell your manager or the People & Culture Manager straight away.
3. Don't disturb the scene unless it's needed to help someone or make the area safe.

Honest Fox will notify WorkSafe Victoria and complete the required written notice within 48 hours.

Injuries, workers' compensation and returning to work

If you’re injured or become ill because of work, get medical treatment first, from a provider of your choice. You may be entitled to WorkSafe Victoria workers’ compensation, even for injuries that seem minor at the time.

Tell your manager as soon as possible, and record the injury in writing in our Register of Injuries. You can complete it yourself, and the People & Culture Manager can help if you’d like support. Someone can make the entry on your behalf if you can’t. You must give us written notice within 30 days of becoming aware of the injury, or you may not be entitled to compensation. We’ll acknowledge your entry in writing and give you a copy.

If you want to make a claim, complete a WorkSafe Worker’s Injury Claim Form and give it to the People & Culture Manager. If you need time off work, you’ll also need a Certificate of Capacity from your doctor. We can’t refuse to accept your claim, and you won’t be disadvantaged for making one.

If a work-related injury means you need time off or changes to your usual duties, we’ll appoint a return to work coordinator to support you, and we’ll give you their name and contact details at that time. In most cases this will be the People & Culture Manager.

The “If you are injured at work” poster, also displayed in the downstairs kitchen, explains the process, and our Important Return to Work Information notice sets out our obligations, your rights, and how to raise and resolve any return to work concerns. You can also get free advice from WorkSafe on 1800 136 089.

We’ll work with you, your doctor and our agent to support a safe return to work, including suitable or modified duties where possible.

First aid and emergencies

• A first aid kit is located in the downstairs kitchen.
• If someone is injured or unwell, use the first aid kit for minor injuries. For anything more serious, or if you’re unsure, call 000.
• Familiarise yourself with the office evacuation procedures and assembly point outside of the office on Green Street.
• When working from home or overseas, make sure you have a first aid kit and know local emergency numbers.
• In an emergency, call 000 in Australia, or the local emergency number overseas, then tell your manager.
• Record any work-related injury or illness, including minor ones treated with first aid, in our Register of Injuries. Ask the People & Culture Manager if you’d like support.

Wellbeing

Free, confidential support is available through the services listed in Getting help.

Breaches

Not following this part, or deliberately putting yourself or others at risk, may lead to disciplinary action.

Part 4

Hybrid Working

Purpose and scope

Honest Fox offers hybrid working so you can balance time in the office with time working remotely. This part covers two arrangements:

• Working from home: regular remote work from your usual home address in Australia.
• Working from overseas: a short, approved period of remote work abroad.

We want hybrid working to work well for everyone, so arrangements are agreed with your manager and balanced with client work and team needs. The same expectations on hours, connectivity, equipment and security apply whether you’re at home or overseas.

Working from home

• Office time: you’re expected in the office on our agreed in-office days: Tuesday, Wednesday and every second Friday.
• When you’re needed in person: client meetings, workshops, onboarding, team events and other key sessions take priority over your usual pattern. We’ll give as much notice as we can.
• Location: work from your home address on file. If you want to work from another location in Australia, check with your manager first.
• Not a substitute for care: working from home isn’t a replacement for childcare or caring for others during your working hours.
• Not a substitute for sick leave: if you’re unwell and unable to work, take sick leave. Working from home doesn’t replace it, so please rest and recover rather than logging on.

Working hours and availability

Wherever you’re working, you work on Melbourne time (AEST/AEDT). If you’re overseas, check what that looks like in your destination before you apply and make sure it’s realistic.

• Be online and responsive during our daily operating hours of 9am–5:30pm AEST/AEDT, Monday to Friday.
• Attend scheduled client meetings and team rituals as normal, with your camera on for video calls unless agreed otherwise.
• Keep your calendar and Slack status current, including where you’re working from.
• If you need to step away during core hours, let your team know and update your status.
• The rest of your contracted hours can be flexible, but output expectations don’t change.

Outside your working hours

You have the right to switch off. Outside your working hours, you don’t have to monitor, read or respond to work calls, messages or emails, unless refusing would be unreasonable, such as a genuine emergency or out-of-hours cover you’ve agreed to. When you’re overseas, your working hours are your usual Melbourne-time hours. Colleagues and clients may still contact you, especially across time zones, but you won’t be treated unfairly for not responding until you’re next working. If your role needs some out-of-hours availability, your manager will agree it with you upfront.

Connectivity, equipment and security

Connectivity

• Have reliable internet suitable for video calls, with a backup such as a mobile hotspot or eSIM. If you’re going overseas, confirm the speed before you go.
• Work from a quiet space where you can take calls without interruption and others can’t see or overhear confidential information.
• If your connection fails and you can’t fix it quickly, tell your manager. From home, you may be asked to come into the office. Overseas, if it can’t be fixed within one working day, you may be asked to take leave for the remaining time.

Equipment

• Devices: use your Honest Fox device for work wherever possible. Personal devices can only be used as set out in Part 6: IT and Acceptable Use, and never for client work where the client contract doesn’t allow it.
• Set up a workspace with a suitable desk, chair and lighting. If you need extra equipment such as a monitor or headset, talk to your manager.

Security

Follow Part 6: IT and Acceptable Use wherever you work, including always connecting through the company VPN outside the office. Don’t print or store client information at home unless approved, and keep any paperwork secure.

Health and safety

Our health and safety duties apply at home and overseas. Make sure your workspace is safe and suitable, complete the home workspace checklist when asked, take regular breaks, and report any incident, injury or illness straight away. See Part 3: Health and Safety.

Working from overseas

Many of us have family and connections abroad. Working from overseas gives you more time with them without using all your leave. Everything above applies, plus the rules below.

Eligibility

• You have successfully completed probation.
• You are meeting performance expectations, with no active performance plan.
• Your role, and your current client work, can be done remotely. Some roles and engagements may be excluded (see Where you can work).

How much time you can use

• Up to 2 weeks (10 working days) per financial year (1 July to 30 June).
• Taken as one single trip. The time can’t be split across separate trips.
• Part-time team members: your allowance is pro-rated to your usual working days. It works out as 2 weeks of your normal working pattern. For example, if you work 3 days a week, you can work from overseas for up to 6 working days, still taken as one single trip.
• You can’t extend a trip while you’re away without fresh approval.
• Unused time doesn’t carry over to the next financial year.

How to request

1. Talk to your manager early and before booking travel.
2. Send your request in writing at least 4 weeks before you plan to start. Include your destination, dates, internet setup, and any client commitments in that period.
3. Your manager reviews it against workload and coverage, then leadership gives final sign-off in writing.
4. Once approved, add the dates to the team calendar and let your team and clients know.

Requests may be declined during key delivery phases, launches or pitches, or when too many people are away. Approval can also be withdrawn if business needs change.

Where you can work

• Client restrictions: some client contracts require work or data access to stay in Australia, which is common in government and some enterprise work. You can’t work overseas on those engagements, so check with your manager before you apply. Don’t access sensitive client data from any location Honest Fox hasn’t approved.
• Location restrictions: destinations with DFAT “Reconsider your need to travel” or “Do not travel” advice, destinations subject to Australian sanctions, and any other location leadership restricts for security or legal reasons aren’t permitted.

Visa, tax and insurance

• Right to work: you’re responsible for making sure you can legally work remotely in your destination. Some countries treat remote work on a tourist visa as a breach of their rules.
• Tax and employment: you stay employed and paid in Australia on your current terms. This part doesn’t cover relocation or long stays that could create foreign tax or employment obligations.
• Insurance: hold appropriate travel insurance at your own cost.

Pay, costs and leave

• Your pay, entitlements and employment terms stay the same wherever you work.
• Home running costs such as internet and power are your own. Overseas, you pay all travel, accommodation and connectivity costs. Normal work expenses still apply, such as client-approved software.
• Public holidays follow Victoria, not your destination country.
• You can combine a working period overseas with up to 2 weeks of annual leave. Leave must be applied for separately and doesn’t count towards your 2 weeks of overseas working.

Requesting flexible working

Beyond hybrid working, you can talk to your manager at any time about other changes to how, when or where you work, such as different hours or part-time work.

If you’ve worked with us for at least 12 months, you also have a legal right to make a formal request if you’re pregnant, a parent or carer of a child of school age or younger, a carer, living with a disability, 55 or older, or experiencing family and domestic violence (or caring for a family or household member who is). Put your request in writing, explaining the change you’d like and why. We’ll discuss it with you and respond in writing within 21 days. We’ll only refuse on reasonable business grounds, and if we do, we’ll explain why and what alternatives we can offer. We’ll also reasonably accommodate parent and carer responsibilities, as Victorian equal opportunity law requires.

If the conditions aren’t met

Missing core hours, poor communication or breaching security requirements may lead to changes to your arrangement. From home, that may mean more time in the office. Overseas, it may mean an immediate switch to leave for the rest of your time away. It may also mean losing eligibility for future requests and, where serious, disciplinary action.

Part 5

Leave

Work is only part of your life. This part explains the leave available to you and how to access it. It’s a guide and can’t capture everything, so if something is happening in your life that you need support with, please talk to your manager. It applies to employees, and paid leave is pro-rated for part-time team members unless stated otherwise.

The basics

• Your leave balances are shown on your monthly payslip and in Xero.
• If you’ve used all of a type of leave, any further time off will be unpaid. Talk to the People & Culture Manager ahead of time if you have questions or want to explore other options.

How to request leave

These steps apply to annual leave and birthday leave. Other types of leave have their own steps below.

Notice

As a rule of thumb, give:

• 2–4 weeks’ notice for less than a week off
• 2–3 months’ notice for 1–3 weeks off
• at least 6 months’ notice for 3 weeks or more.

Always talk to your manager before booking any flights.

Steps

1. Talk to your manager. They’ll consider the impact, such as the time of year, who else is away and how long you’ll be off, and check with the PM team.
2. Once approved, submit your leave in Xero.
3. Post in the #people-and-culture-updates Slack channel, add it to the Honest Fox Holidays calendar and invite your manager.

Handover

• Add notes to the project’s Confluence page covering your leave and anything to watch, such as campaigns, deadlines and meetings.
• Confirm who in the team will cover for you.
• Tell your clients and introduce them to whoever is looking after them.

Annual leave

It’s important to take time off to rest, get inspired and think about anything other than work.

• Full-time team members accrue 4 weeks (20 days) of annual leave each year.
• Leave accrues from your first day, based on your ordinary hours, including while you’re on other paid leave.
• Unused leave carries over to the next year.
• In some situations, such as covering the summer closedown as a new starter, you can go into a negative balance of up to 1 week, after discussing it with and getting approval from leadership.
• You can combine up to 2 weeks of annual leave with working from overseas (see Part 4).

Summer closedown

The office closes for 2 weeks over the end of the year. By default, the days that aren’t public holidays come out of your annual leave. You can take unpaid leave instead if you’d rather save your annual leave for another time.

If you joined in the second half of the year, you can go into a negative annual leave balance of up to about 1 week to cover the closedown. Talk to the People & Culture Manager if you have any questions.

Personal leave (sick and carer’s leave)

You have 10 days of paid personal leave a year for your own illness or injury, or to care for someone in your immediate family or household. It accrues from your first day, including while you’re on other paid leave, and unused leave carries over.

If you’re not well enough to come into the office, take sick leave rather than working from home. Health comes first.

On the day

1. Text or call your manager with how long you expect to be out and any work or meetings that need covering.
2. Let the team know in the Slack #general channel. Your manager will tell any clients if needed.
3. Submit the leave in Xero on your first day back.
4. If you’re off for 2 or more days, provide a medical certificate or other reasonable evidence, such as a statutory declaration.

In advance

For health appointments or procedures, let your manager know at least 2 weeks ahead if you can. You don’t need to share details, just that you’ll be unavailable. Let the team know and add it to your calendar.

If you’ve used all your paid personal leave, talk to the People & Culture Manager about taking unpaid or annual leave. You can also take up to 2 days of unpaid carer’s leave each time someone in your immediate family or household needs care because of illness, injury or an emergency.

Birthday leave

Happy birthday from Honest Fox! All employees, including part-time and casual team members, get a paid day off for their birthday. If it falls on a weekend or the day doesn’t suit, take it within a week of your birthday. Request it as usual and add it to your calendar and the Honest Fox Holidays calendar.

Melbourne Cup

Each year you get the Monday before Melbourne Cup day as an extra paid day off, on top of the Tuesday public holiday, so you can enjoy a long weekend.

Compassionate leave

If someone you have a close relationship with dies, or develops a life-threatening illness or injury, you can take 3 days of paid compassionate leave, plus up to 5 days of unpaid leave, each time. For casual team members, compassionate leave is unpaid. It doesn’t accumulate and is separate from personal leave.

Talk to your manager about how you’d like to take it. You might step away from work entirely or partly, depending on what you need.

Pregnancy loss leave

These experiences are deeply personal and different for everyone. We’ll support you through planned and unplanned pregnancy loss so you can access the care you need and time to recover.

• 1 week of paid leave for pregnancy loss within the first 20 weeks, because of early miscarriage or termination.
• 2 weeks of paid leave for pregnancy loss after 20 weeks, because of miscarriage, termination or stillbirth.
• 1 week of paid leave for a partner, for pregnancy loss after 20 weeks.

To work out the time you need, start a conversation with someone you feel comfortable with. Emotional recovery can take longer than physical recovery and may not follow a straight line. Returning to work can be a healthy step for some people, and we can put together a return to work plan, such as starting with part-time hours and increasing over time.

Family and domestic violence leave

Family and domestic violence can take many forms, including physical, emotional, financial and psychological abuse, and can have a devastating impact on every part of someone’s life, including work. Your safety is our priority.

All employees, including part-time and casual team members, can take 10 days of paid family and domestic violence leave each year.

Family and domestic violence leave won’t appear on your payslip, and anything you tell us about it will be kept confidential and only used to support you, keep people safe or meet our legal obligations.

You can speak with anyone in the leadership team or the People & Culture Manager. Share only what you’re comfortable with. We will:

• listen and give you space to share your situation and needs
• keep what you tell us absolutely confidential, unless you ask us otherwise
• encourage you to access the support you need to stay safe
• support you with flexible work, including time off.

If your life is in danger, call 000. For 24/7 counselling, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732.

Parental leave

It’s an exciting time welcoming a child into your life, and there’s plenty to think about. We want to support you as you plan your time away and your return to work, so it’s important you understand your entitlements. If anything is unclear, please ask.

This section covers Honest Fox paid parental leave for primary and secondary carers, unpaid parental leave, and the Government’s Parental Leave Pay.

Eligibility

Full-time and part-time team members can access Honest Fox primary or secondary carer leave once they’ve completed 12 months of employment. It applies to the birth, surrogacy or adoption of a child under five who is newly in their care.

How Honest Fox parental leave pay works

Honest Fox paid parental leave matches Government Parental Leave Pay. It’s paid at the national minimum wage, not your usual salary.

• Rate: we pay you at the national minimum wage, the same rate as Government Parental Leave Pay.
• How long: primary carers get it for the same number of weeks you receive Government Parental Leave Pay. If you share Parental Leave Pay with your partner, we match the weeks you receive. If you’re not eligible for Government Parental Leave Pay, you’re still eligible for Honest Fox parental leave pay, for the number of weeks the Government offers when your leave starts (currently up to 26 weeks). Secondary carers get it for 4 weeks.
• Half pay: you can choose to take it at half the rate over twice as long.
• Part-time: your payment is pro-rated based on your number of working days, using your contracted working days when your parental leave starts. For example, if you work 3 days a week, you get three-fifths of the full weekly payment.

Talk to your manager and the People & Culture Manager to confirm your payments before your leave starts.

Primary carer leave

A primary carer is the person with the main role of caring for a child newly in their care through birth, surrogacy or adoption during the period of leave.

• You get Honest Fox parental leave pay at the national minimum wage, for the same number of weeks you receive Government Parental Leave Pay. See How Honest Fox parental leave pay works for half pay and part-time details.
• You can take it at the same time as Government Parental Leave Pay (see below).
• You can also use other leave, such as annual leave, during your time away.
• You can take up to 12 months of parental leave in total, paid and unpaid, and request up to a further 12 months of unpaid leave. Make that request in writing at least 4 weeks before your first 12 months ends.

Secondary carer leave

A secondary carer is a person with a child newly in their care through birth, surrogacy or adoption, whose partner has the main caring role during the period of leave.

• You get 4 weeks of Honest Fox parental leave pay at the national minimum wage. See How Honest Fox parental leave pay works for half pay and part-time details.

Unpaid parental leave

If you’ve worked with us for at least 12 months, you’re entitled to up to 12 months of unpaid parental leave, which includes any Honest Fox paid leave you take. Up to 100 days of it can be taken flexibly, as single days or blocks, within 24 months of the birth or adoption.

Planning your leave

The sooner we know your plans, the easier it is to support you and put the right arrangements in place for the team.

• Give at least 10 weeks’ notice before the expected birth or adoption date, with an outline of your plans for paid and unpaid leave and how long you’d like to take.
• Confirm your dates at least 4 weeks before your leave starts.
• Book a time with the People & Culture Manager to talk it through.

In that conversation, we’ll cover:

• what leave is available to you, from Honest Fox and the Government
• your expected due date or placement date
• when you’d like to start your leave and when you expect to return
• how you’d like to take your paid and unpaid leave
• how you’d like us to keep in touch while you’re away
• your preferred meal delivery service (see below)
• how you’d like to manage your return to work
• what you’ll need to give Services Australia to claim Parental Leave Pay.

Meal delivery

Life in those first weeks can be hectic. To lighten the load, primary and secondary carers can choose a meal delivery service up to the value of $250. A few options to start with: Chefgood (chefgood.com.au), Fresh Meals 2U (freshmeals2u.com.au), Nourishd (nourishd.com.au) and My Goodness Organics (mygoodnessorganics.com.au, vegan).

Staying connected

We want you to feel connected to the team while you’re away, and we know everyone has different preferences about how often they’d like to hear from us. We’ll agree what level of contact suits you.

• If you’d rather switch off from work accounts, we can contact you by personal email or phone.
• You’re always welcome at social events, team training and planning days.
• You can work up to 10 paid keeping in touch days during unpaid parental leave, if you choose and we agree, without it affecting your leave.
• We’ll tell you about any significant changes in the business while you’re away, and we’ll consult with you about any decision that significantly affects the status, pay or location of your job.

Returning to work

You have the right to return to the position you held before your leave. If that role no longer exists, you’re entitled to an available position that’s as close as possible in status and pay.

• Your role may be filled temporarily while you’re away. We’ll tell anyone covering it that the role is temporary and that you have the right to return to it.
• Unless your contract says otherwise, the right to return doesn’t apply if a fixed-term contract ends while you’re on unpaid parental leave.
• We’ll arrange a time to connect 6–8 weeks before you’re due back. If you’d like to return sooner, just let us know and we’ll bring that conversation forward.
• To make the transition easier, we’ll talk about options such as flexible hours, a compressed working week, or reduced days using annual or unpaid leave. You can also make a formal flexible working request (see Part 4).

There’s no minimum period you need to work after returning before you can take parental leave again.

Government Parental Leave Pay

Parental Leave Pay is funded by the Government and paid at the national minimum wage. For children born or adopted from 1 July 2026, families can get up to 26 weeks (130 days).

• Single parents can access the full amount.
• Parents can share the days, with the birth mother’s or first adoptive parent’s approval. Some days are reserved for each parent, and you can take up to 20 days at the same time.
• You can take it before, after or at the same time as Honest Fox paid leave or other leave, as a single block, smaller blocks, single days or a mix, within 2 years of the birth or adoption.
• The Government also pays a superannuation contribution on Parental Leave Pay.

If you’re eligible, Honest Fox pays your Parental Leave Pay through our normal payroll. This generally applies if you’ve worked with us for at least 12 months before the birth or adoption, will still be employed by us during your Parental Leave Pay, and are based in Australia.

Claiming Parental Leave Pay

You claim directly through Services Australia, and you can lodge your claim up to 3 months before the expected birth or adoption. Check the Services Australia website for eligibility and claim time limits. You’ll need these employer details:

• Business name: Honest Fox
• ACN: 610 670 794
• Paid Parental Leave contact: the People & Culture Manager, Sarah Cassman – sarah.cassman@honestfox.com.au

Summary

Check Services Australia for current Parental Leave Pay eligibility and rates.

Long service leave

After 7 years of continuous employment, you can take long service leave under the Long Service Leave Act 2018 (Vic). Talk to the People & Culture Manager about your balance.

Community service leave

You can take leave for jury duty and for eligible voluntary emergency management activities, such as volunteering with the CFA or SES. If you’re called for jury duty, tell your manager as soon as possible, and we’ll top up your jury pay as required by law.

Unpaid leave

If you’d like to take unpaid leave, talk to your manager with as much notice as possible. We’ll consider how long you’d like to be away and how your workload can be covered.

Public holidays

You get Victorian public holidays off with pay if they fall on a day you’d normally work, including when you’re working away.

Part 6

IT and Acceptable Use

Our clients trust us with their information, and how we use technology is a big part of keeping that trust. This part sets out how to use Honest Fox devices, systems and data safely and sensibly, including when you use your own devices for work.

Company devices

Your Honest Fox laptop is your main work device and the only one approved for client work, unless your manager agrees otherwise.

• Keep it encrypted, password protected and set to lock automatically when idle.
• Install updates and security patches promptly when prompted. Don't disable antivirus, firewalls or device management tools.
• Don't let anyone else use it, including family members.
• Keep it physically secure. Don't leave it unattended in public places or visible in a car.
• Light personal use is fine (see Acceptable use), but don't store large amounts of personal files on it.
• Company devices and accessories remain Honest Fox property and must be returned when asked.

Personal devices

You can use your own phone or tablet for some work tasks, as long as you follow the rules below.

What's allowed

• Email, calendar, Slack and other approved work apps, accessed through the official app or browser.
• Two-factor authentication apps for signing in to work systems.

What isn't allowed

• Doing client work, or opening, downloading or storing client files, on a personal device.
• Using a personal laptop or computer for work, unless your manager has approved it in writing.
• Using personal devices for any client whose contract doesn't allow it.

Minimum security

• A screen lock with a PIN, password or biometrics, set to lock automatically.
• An up-to-date operating system and apps from official app stores only.
• No jailbroken or rooted devices.
• Don't let others use the device while you're signed in to work apps.

Managing work data

• If your device is lost or stolen, or you leave Honest Fox, we may remove work apps and data from it. We won't access or delete your personal data, photos or messages.
• Report a lost or stolen device immediately so we can protect your work accounts.

Using a personal device for work is optional, and we don't reimburse personal device costs unless agreed in writing.

Accounts, passwords and access

• Use a strong, unique password for every work account, stored in our approved password manager.
• Turn on two-factor authentication wherever it's available. It's required for email, Slack and any system holding client data.
• Never share your passwords or login codes, including with colleagues or IT. We will never ask for your password.
• Only access the systems and client information you need for your work.
• Use your Honest Fox account for work and keep personal accounts separate. Don't forward work emails or files to personal accounts.
• Always connect through the company VPN when working outside the office, and avoid open public Wi-Fi.

Software, AI tools and data

Software and apps

• Only use software and online tools approved by Honest Fox. If you'd like to try something new, ask Dillon Bailey, CTO first.
• Don't install pirated or unlicensed software.

AI tools

• Only use AI tools Honest Fox has approved for work.
• Never put client confidential information, personal information or Honest Fox commercial information into an AI tool that isn't approved for that purpose.
• Check AI-generated work for accuracy before you use or share it. You're responsible for anything you deliver.
• Some clients restrict or ban AI use on their work. Check the engagement requirements with your manager.

Storing and sharing data

• Save work files in our approved shared systems, not on your desktop, USB drives or personal cloud storage.
• Share files with people outside Honest Fox only through approved tools, with the minimum access needed, and remove access when it's no longer required.
• Handle personal information in line with our privacy obligations and client contracts.

Acceptable use

Reasonable personal use of Honest Fox devices and systems is fine, such as checking the news or doing online banking on a break, as long as it doesn't affect your work, cost us money or put our systems at risk.

You must not use Honest Fox devices, accounts or systems to:

• Access, store or share offensive, discriminatory, sexually explicit or illegal material.
• Bully, harass or threaten anyone.
• Get around security controls, or access systems or information you're not authorised to see.
• Run a personal business, mine cryptocurrency or download large files for personal use.
• Breach copyright, client confidentiality or anyone's privacy.

Email and online communication

• Be alert to phishing. Don't click links or open attachments you weren't expecting, and check with the sender another way if unsure.
• Remember that anything you write in email, Slack or client channels may be seen by others and could be shared.
• Social media is covered in Part 1: Code of Conduct.

Security incidents

Tell Dillon Bailey, CTO and your manager straight away if:

• A company or personal device with work access is lost or stolen.
• You think you've clicked a phishing link, entered your password on a fake site or downloaded something suspicious.
• You've sent client or personal information to the wrong person.
• You notice anything unusual, like unexpected login alerts or files you didn't change.

Reporting quickly matters more than anything else. Mistakes happen, and you won't be in trouble for reporting an honest one. We may have legal obligations to act fast, including under the Notifiable Data Breaches scheme.

Monitoring and privacy

To protect our clients, our systems and our people, Honest Fox may monitor and log the use of company devices, accounts and systems, including email, Slack, file activity and internet use on company devices. We do this in line with Australian privacy and surveillance laws, and only for legitimate business reasons such as security, investigating incidents or meeting client obligations.

On personal devices, any monitoring is limited to work apps and work data. We don't access your personal apps, photos, messages or browsing.

Leaving Honest Fox

• Return your laptop, accessories and any other company equipment by your last day.
• Don't copy, forward or keep any client or Honest Fox information.
• Work apps and data will be removed from any personal devices, and your access to all systems will end on your last day.

Breaches

Breaching this part can put our clients and our business at risk. Depending on how serious it is, it may lead to losing access to systems or personal device use, changes to hybrid working arrangements, or disciplinary action up to and including termination.