Not very often, Indian corporates are pulled before the courts by their employees.

A couple of years back, Indian BPO firm, 247 Customer, was taken to court over mistreatment by one of its women employees.

It took two long years for the BPO employee to get the case closed. The un-named woman had the last laugh as the case she had filed against 247 Customer went a long way to settle scores with the company.

The IT-BPO employees’ union, UNITES took up this case to fight against company’s ruthless HR policies.

The employee sent a mail to the UNITES India General Secretary, R Karthik Shekhar, that reads, “The case that I had filed against 247 Customer Pvt Ltd got closed on 6th Feb 2009. It took exactly 2 long years for this to end. I got my relieving letter as well. I would like to thank UNITES for taking up my case. Especially, I would like to thank you for all the support and help extended. Thanks once again”.

Karthik told IT Examiner that the company has internally made a settlement with the employee where she was finally given a relieving letter and an undisclosed amount. Karthik also told that the employee isn’t happy with what she was given.

The outspoken Karthik said,” She was mistreated thoroughly. She was not even given the relieving letter. Couple of years back, she had to leave the company on unfair terms. She was pregnant and she was sent to the bench. But, she wasn’t even paid her salary. She was supposed to be on the job of a senior position, may be a team leader. She was treated badly.”

Karthik said that an appeal was made to the labour court for reconciliation. He added, “By the time of delivery, the recession was on. So, she was simply refused.”

Karthik lashed out at the company’s policy saying, “They just throw their employees out without giving a second thought. When we contacted the CEO of the company, he said he will look into it which implies that even the top officials knew about it”.

He further added, “Nasscom didn’t intervene into it. They say its company’s internal policy.” He questioned, “If Nasscom doesn’t intervene into the internal policies, and then why do they comment on Satyam’s internal matters? They celebrate Women leadership but they can’t solve these issues.”

The employee declined to speak further.

It doesn’t stop here. Other employees working with the company have been treated badly.

Another employee, Vikas (name changed on request) who was working in Expedia process was terminated on the charges of NCNS (No call No show) but the employee said that he had informed his team leader.

Vikas said, “There is dirty internal politics and no culture within the company. I was thrown out for no fault of mine. They cannot raise a performance issue as my scores say it all. I served the company for more than three years but I was really really sad to get such a treatment.” 

The company simply shot off a letter saying, “You have been attrited from the system as NCNS. You can come to office to initiate your exit formalities.” The employee has served the firm for more than 3 years.

One more employee was refused a relieving letter even after the completion of his two years in the company. Later, he was forcefully moved to a different process. He lamented, “It’s sad but what can you do. It’s tough to get a job without the proper relieving letter”.

The company failed to come out with a comment by press time. X