A Success Story from former HCL Employee from NCR, DELHI

Last year, I quit one of the top 5 Indian multinational IT services companies in NCR, Delhi. Since my notice period of 90 days fell between August and November, I was told that I will not be paid a single rupee of my Annual variable performance bonus of the last 18 months. This was a huge amount of close to 2 lacs! Sound familiar?

Over the last 6-10 months, I took a stand with the Company’s HR, its management and government authorities including the Labor Departments of two states (Haryana, Uttar Pradesh). And I WON! Received a total of 1.5 lacs. Could have fought for more (and probably received it too) but I decided it was not worth it and felt it better to move on. Without getting into the details, here’s a list of important lessons that I learnt.

Blacklisting: Despite what the HR says, no company can blacklist you for demanding your rightful wages. I received a written statement from my ex-company stating the same.
Lawyer: You do not need an advocate to help out with these matters. All you need is internet, a printer, a post office, genuine demands and a strong belief in the power of your right.
Terms of Contract: No matter what is written in your offer letter, regardless of you having signed it while taking up the employment; if a clause in the letter is unjustified then it does not have a legal standing. What is unfair is wrong no matter who signs it.
Policies and guidelines: Most HR policies and guidelines are tilted to favor the employer more than the employee. Nevertheless, the laws of the land and the principles of natural justice veto all such HR documents.
Faith: Most importantly, have faith that you will always get what is rightfully yours. Nobody can take away even a morsel of food from your mouth if you have worked hard for it. The Company has a reputation to maintain and the moment they see a threat to that reputation, they will leave no stone unturned to maintain status quo.