Zero tolerance on coercion, misconduct: Tata Sons chairman Chandrasekaran

Tata Sons chairman N Chandrasekaran reaffirmed a zero-tolerance policy on misconduct after sexual harassment allegations at TCS Nashik, with action initiated

N Chandrasekaran, chairman, Tata Sons, said on Monday that the Tata Group maintains a zero-tolerance policy towards any form of coercion or misconduct by its employees. His comments follow a serious allegation of sexual harassment at the Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) Nashik office.

“The Tata Group maintains a zero-tolerance policy towards any form of coercion or misconduct by its employees. A thorough investigation is underway to establish the facts and identify all individuals responsible for this situation,” he added.

He termed the allegations at TCS Nashik as ‘gravely concerning and anguishing’. In a statement, he said that Aarthi Subramanian, chief operating officer at TCS, will lead this investigation.

“Appropriate and stringent action will be taken against those found guilty. Any necessary process improvements or corrective measures will be promptly implemented and strictly enforced,” he said in a statement.

“This incident is being treated with the utmost seriousness. Action has already been initiated against the accused employees, and the company is extending its full cooperation to the ongoing investigations,” he said.

Meanwhile, TCS has suspended all employees accused in the incident. According to reports, seven employees, including the HR manager at the Nashik office, have been arrested over allegations of sexual harassment. Last week, police formed a special investigation team (SIT) to probe the complaints.

There have been allegations of sexual harassment and forced religious conversion by eight female employees at India’s largest IT services company.