How Can I Move Forward After Being Forced to Resign Due to a Workplace Scandal?

Dear HR members,

It is unfortunate that he has submitted a resignation letter; perhaps grievances occurred in the workplace. Maybe they were ready to listen to his side of the story, or the organization may have a more bureaucratic and deeply structured style. Let me share my experience. I was loyal to the organization and established a professional environment by removing all interoffice memos and introducing email concepts for our daily communication, along with many other changes. The director in the company (XXXX) who leads the purchasing department always favors suppliers and makes subordinates issue orders at high prices. I even had to handle all the suppliers for his family and collect money for his son's college functions. One day, he called me and, since this is a private organization, I couldn't continue any longer. Without reason, he forced me to resign. The reason was that he was caught in a scandal, and the police arrested the supplier as he was receiving cheques in a false name instead of his principles. The director had guided him for his own benefits. Had I known more, I would have exposed it, but he was afraid and asked me to quit. After completing 4 years and 9 months, I lost my gratuity. I don't have any help, and he still hampers my employment opportunities every time. He is very unprofessional, and everyone in the organization knows it. How can I rectify my career mistakes of working with this company, and can I remove the experience from this unethical organization to preserve my pride? I don't know what to do so far. Through this, I can understand that many people's lives are at stake because HR is still taking a bystander approach, and they are least bothered about the process.

Thanks,
ManiiCK

Dear Manick,

It's heartening to read what happened with you. It's not very uncommon, so remember you are not alone! Honestly, I am thankful to God that you are no longer working for them. You have the rest of your life to save.

Background Verification

Background verification is the area that you need to work on. No matter how much you explain, the fact that you survived there for four years makes it obvious for new employers to jump the gun.

Please connect through your mentors and other leaders who can vouch for your innocence and refer you to a job. Being referred is the best way out for you.

Advanced Level of Study

I am not sure how open you would be to an advanced level of study. This can be your next solution. If you re-skill yourself for a completely new job, your past experience would drop down to nil. So whether you are experienced or not, your new employer would barely care.

Changing Your Location

Try changing your location. Shift to a new place for a while and work far away from the former employer. Often, if you are in Punjab and you shift to Chennai for a job, your new employer would hardly value your ex-employer's word.

I suggest you combine the two and shift through referrals.

Every night has a day. If you have been through this, take my words, you are already out of the woods!!!!

Wish you all the best!

Regards,
Cite Contribution

Dear Nabomitha,

Wonderful suggestions and a great eye-opener. I hope you are the best HR person or manager, striving to improve yourself. My heartiest congratulations to you and my best wishes to your family members. You have delved deep into areas that I have not explored myself and corrected things. In a nutshell, you have conveyed the message to stay away from evil and to keep moving forward.

Yes, I am moving to the UK as my wife, an IT architect, has a one-year assignment there. The organization I currently work for is considered one of the best in the world, with strong human relations, headed by Raghavendra Rao at ORCHID Pharma, the recent recipient of the Badmashree award. Although I am emotionally attached to this organization, my past experiences with private organizations still haunt me, as the term "private" seemed to exclude me. I began my career in the public sector but later transitioned to the private sector to learn and increase my marketability. However, the value of loyalty is questionable, making me ponder if we are on the right path.

Concerns About Indian Entrepreneurs

Are all Indian entrepreneurs compromising human values and other fundamental principles by exploiting human resources? It is disheartening to see HR playing a minimal role in bureaucratic organizations. Who will audit them, and who will ensure the appropriate utilization of human potential?

Thank you for your valuable advice. I look forward to discussing further.

With kindest regards,
T. Maniick
[Phone Number Removed For Privacy Reasons]

Reflecting on Responsibility and Learning from Experience

Your story is pitiful! Is your concerned boss alone responsible? Is the organization responsible for maintaining people with such habits in high places? Are you responsible?

You may not agree with or like what I am going to say, but in calamities like this, one should hold oneself primarily responsible for the fate/consequences that befall them! The questions that should be asked of oneself are: Why was I off guard? Why did I not see what may be coming to me? Why did I lack anticipation of the evil?

No, it is not wrong to trust, to be good, to be unsuspecting... but only up to a point! In your case, you seem to have walked the slippery path all the way.

But we must learn from each such experience. We must not ever commit the same mistake in life if we wish to achieve progress. In the commercial world especially, one takes nothing for granted, and that does not mean one distrusts everyone. There has to be established a fine balance (which is incidentally a dynamic balance) in all relations in life. Don't take anyone or anything for granted and don't let anyone take you for granted! Place trust in people and relationships (preferably after verifying and certainly not blindly!) and relate with all to collaborate on the positives of life. This may sound like justifying "duplicity," but it is not so! This conduct is imperative to protect self (and not selfish) interests.

Try to live your life consciously!

You have just passed through a very unpleasant experience. Leave it behind and ensure that it does not contaminate or shadow your future relationships. It is better to communicate carefully and not leave anything to doubt, assumption, and assumption.

Your boss in the recent experience may be a negative and vindictive personality and knows nothing better. If only you had not trusted him blindly and had been careful about personal interests and protection, you would have written a different story—a happy and positive story.

But nothing is lost permanently. You can create your future in your vision! Cheer up.

Best wishes for taking charge of your own life once again and for the better!

Regards,
Samvedan

May 20, 2011