I won't write my judgment. Just plain facts I experienced during my tenure. Trust me – there is nothing nostalgic about it.
1. Height of Unethical Conduct - When I resigned, I had to serve several months of notice period. The company also prefers dropping an email and altering your notice period at will. When I completed a month, I did not receive past month’s salary. I checked with the firm. I was told I won’t be paid a penny from the day of resignation to till the final settlement that would happen almost a month after I serve my last day in the company. I told them I needed my salary. The firm told me to furnish them proof of my monthly expenses and if they find my demand for seeking my rightful salary is justified, they will pay me something. No – none of this was in my employment contract. Who would join a firm after knowing this! Once you resign, you are treated like a broken furniture piece here – burnt slowly each day.
2. Height of Repaying Commitment with Disdain - A few days into my joining the firm, I had to stay on in the office to work late hours. The company did agree to provide for a drop for late night hours - but the catch is the company has just one car for drop. So, if there are four employees living in four different corners of the Delhi NCR, you will have to travel the entire city. Any request for booking another cab is downright rejected.
3. Height of Unfriendliness – Some six months ago, the cafeteria vendor exited the firm. Since then, he has not been replaced. Even basic infrastructure such as refrigerator, etc. have been removed from the cafeteria premises since then. Whenever I checked with the firm for this, I was always told things are in the pipeline. I was also frowned upon as a demanding resource, who was focused on petty things. Trust me, nothing is in pipeline here. And every new employee, who joined the firm after this, tells me that they were told the firm has a fully functional cafeteria!
4. Height of Miserly Conduct - One day the office guy came to me with a print out. It was an address proof document I had printed to give to a bank representative who was visiting office. The guy came to me and whispered – please take this but do not print this again. Personal print outs are not allowed. Ok. You might be thinking that because of security standards, etc. No – that wasn’t the case. Personal printouts means a rupee of my personal expense was being paid by the firm. I do not remember ever wanting to work for a firm like that!
5. Height of Vengeance - So the company pays for team lunches a few times a year. How much? Extremely modest I would say. But then the interesting thing is if you went for a team lunch and are serving the notice period in the company, the company will not pay for your bill. Why? Because apparently, you don’t deserve it! Why to feed you if you won’t be here after two months. After all, you are fed only if you’ll be working in the same firm six years later as well.
6. Height of Opportunism - When folks resign, they are expected to serve the full notice period. Understandable – some companies have rigid rules. But the interesting thing is if you are willing to pay (from your pocket), they are willing to curtail your notice period. So, the only thing that comes between principles and policies is currency notes.
7. Height of Indifference – How much investment did the company made in me for my professional growth? Let me calculate. I think it is roughly ZERO. No trainings, no employee professional development programs, nothing. I mean I was baffled by what they told me and what they are. It was as if you tell me Dubai and drop me at Kalahari.
8. The company’s annual offsite budget is worth a pizza order for a bachelor. I guess that sums it up!