UNFAIR LAYOFFS AND PAYCUTS BECOME THE NEW NORMAL IN IT SECTORS: EMPLOYEES RECOUNT THEIR EXPERIENCES!

The Coronavirus pandemic has put thousands of jobs at risk. The IT and IT enabled services (ITES) are witnessing major pay cuts and job losses at the moment. 

Media reports highlight workers in huge numbers are being asked to go on unpaid leaves till July or are being fired. 

Daniel, an employee from a leading IT company had one such experience. He has been working with the company for the past eight years but was asked to take leave on May 22. The company asked him to either take a severance pay equal to three-month salary and leave or wait for another month until he gets new projects. He is not being given any compensation and he was given very limited time to take a decision.

Daniel decided to take the money and leave. “When I went to my office to handover my equipment, I was told that 700 other employees were also asked to resign in similar fashion, all between May 31 and June 2. The actual number could be much higher,” he told The New Indian Express.

Reportedly, a few companies have denied to pay pending salaries. Another IT leader verbally told its employees that it will not be paying employees for the months of May, June and July.

“We were informed about this over phone in the first week of April. Many of us received May month's salary, but some are being asked to quit immediately,” Ram*, an associate consultant told TNIE.

While experts claim that many of these actions violate the labour laws, the practices continue unabated.

The Central government issued guidelines ordering employees to pay wages to workers without reducing the pay during the Lockdown period.  Although many techies have continued to work from home during lockdown, the issue of non- payment of salaries has risen in many cases.

According to media reports, the Secretary (Labour & Employment) had written to chief secretaries of all States to advise employers not to terminate employees from their job, or reduce their wages due to pandemic. Compared to other sectors, IT industry has largely been unaffected by the lockdown. Some firms have even registered an increase in productivity.

Nevertheless, employment portals are offering assistance and introducing new features. Naukri has introduced a new feature called Step-up which will highlight and boost profiles of jobseekers to recruiters.

*Names of Employees have been changed to protect their identities