Working Hours & US Time Zone Policy

Last Updated:

3/2/26

Healthy Mind by Avik™ - Host Policies

Applies to: Paid Intern/employee Podcast Hosts (India-based)
Effective date: [02/03/2026]
Owner: Healthy Mind by Avik™ (Founder: Avik Chakraborty)

2.1 Core expectation

We operate on US time zones for recordings, guest coordination, and publishing. Intern hosts are expected and required to work during evening/night/overnight IST hours depending on show schedules and as per the schedules discussed and agreed with each hosts.

2.2 Working schedule

Weekly hours: [As agreed with each host] hours/week (as per internship agreement)
Core overlap window (IST): [e.g., 7:00 PM – 11:30 PM IST] and overnight till 3 AM IST
(Mapped to US time as needed: ET/PT or global time zones depending on guest location)
Flex hours: Additional work (research, scripting, editing notes, checking dashboard, checking scripts, social media posts etc) can be done outside overlap hours unless otherwise assigned.

2.3 Maximum work limits (burnout protection)

Max daily hours: [e.g., 6] hours/day (Ideally 12 shows 30 mins each)
Max weekly hours: [e.g., 30] hours/week
Any exception must be pre-approved by the Team Lead.

2.4 Rest and boundaries

Agreed availability is mandatory. Each host is expected to be fully available, online, and reachable during the assigned working window mutually agreed with the Team Lead (including recording slots, preparation checkpoints, guest coordination, and production timelines). This is a professional commitment tied to real-time schedules.

Active connectivity during the window. During the agreed timeline, hosts must:

remain connected on the designated channel(s) (e.g., Slack/WhatsApp/Email),
respond within the expected response time,
be ready to join calls or complete time-sensitive tasks as assigned.

Outside the agreed window = not always-on. Beyond the agreed working window, no one is expected to remain continuously available. Response expectations apply only within assigned working hours, unless a matter is urgent (as defined below).

Urgent exceptions (limited and defined). “Urgent” means situations that may cause immediate production or brand impact if not addressed promptly, such as:

a guest is live / unable to join a scheduled recording,
a recording is starting soon and a key issue blocks it (tech/access),
a scheduled/published post or episode contains a serious error (privacy/legal/safety concern),
a same-day deadline is blocked due to access or critical missing assets.
For urgent issues outside working hours, the Team Lead will clearly mark the message as URGENT, and the host should respond as reasonably soon as possible (if required).

Flexibility is not a license for frequent changes. Flexibility exists to support sustainable work, but it is not to be treated as permission to:

repeatedly request show changes,
move recording responsibilities for personal errands/other work,
or be unavailable during agreed timelines.
This is a professional environment and the business runs on daily commitments.

Show change requests (rare, conditional). If a host needs to change a show slot:

the request must be shared in advance with the Team Lead,
it must be exceptional (not frequent),
and it must be possible to arrange coverage without affecting guests, production, or timelines.
If coverage cannot be arranged, the change request may be declined. If the host still remains unavailable, it will be treated as an availability lapse or absence.

No misuse of flexibility. The following will be treated as policy violations:

being unreachable during the agreed window without prior approval,
repeatedly delaying responses within the window,
going offline during recording/guest coordination blocks,
using “flexible schedule” as a reason to miss deadlines, meetings, or recordings.

Availability changes must be pre-approved. Any change to the agreed working window (even temporary) must be communicated in advance and confirmed by the Team Lead in writing. Unapproved changes will be treated as absence.

Escalation and pay impact for lapses. Repeated availability lapses (including missed recordings, unapproved absence, or being unreachable during agreed windows) may trigger:

Written warning + reset of expectations,
Pay cut/deduction for the impacted show/day (as applicable) and restriction of responsibilities/removal from live recordings,
Termination of internship engagement if the pattern continues.

Business continuity acknowledgment. Hosts acknowledge that Healthy Mind by Avik™ operates in a dynamic, guest-dependent environment. A single-day shortage can lead to cancellations, delays, and reputational loss. Reliability during agreed timelines is a core requirement of the role, and pay deductions (even if you are on fixed pay) may apply when commitments are not met.