Sound clip of Tech Mahindra HR firing employee over call goes viral online

In sound clip, Tech Mahindra HR heard blaming management for abrupt firing of employee

An audio clip circulated on SoundCloud, an online media library, supposedly by a Tech Mahindra employee who got fired on a day's notice has gone viral. In sound clip, the human resource (HR) executive is heard blaming the management for the abrupt decision of firing the employees on short notice. 

In the sound clip, the HR is heard saying: "This is a corporate decision. If you read the offer letter carefully, there is a clause that states – the company reserves the right to revoke your services at any moment by paying the basic salary. I can ask you to leave the company today end of day as per the conditions mentioned on the offer letter, which you duly accepted when you joined Tech Mahindra. Why did you sign the offer letter if you were not in agreement with the termination clause that was clearly mentioned in there?" 

 

The origin of the clip and authenticity of it could not be verified as the sound clip is taken down. There are many such sound clip circulating on social media channels. Business Standard has reached out to Tech Mahindra for comments, and is awaiting a response.

Former Tech Mahindra employees along with similarly aggrieved employees from other information technology (IT) majors like Cognizant, Wipro and Syntel across the country have been alleging unfair and illegal termination on a very short notice following "cost optimisation" and "restructuring". The Forum of IT Employees (FITE) has been leading the fight for a closure for these employees.

"While people who have approached us so far do have similar recordings, experiences and proof, we have never recommended public sharing of such content. We do not know the identity of this individual and have not been approached by him. We recommend using the legal route for redressal, " said Elavarasan Raja, FITE Pune coordinator.

At the Pune Labour Commission hearing last month, many mid-level former Tech Mahindra professionals who lost their jobs alleged that even their medical benefits had been held back following their removal from the company despite having paid the medical premium. "I was called for a meeting with the HR. Once inside her cabin, I was asked to switch off my phone and write a resignation on her system. I wasn't even given the time to collect my documents from my own corporate account," said a former employee who did not wish to be named. 

Maharashtra Labour Commissioner Yeshawant Kerure had pointed out during a previous discussion with Business Standard that while IT companies have not changed their policies overnight, the employees have suddenly woken up to the damaging consequences of the same.