Are Strict Workplace Rules and Fines Crossing the Line into Employee Harassment?

Recently, I came across a company where managers enforce rigid rules and fines on employees regularly. For example, employees are not allowed to answer personal calls or attend/respond to personal messages. If someone is caught doing so, they will face a fine of a certain amount of money. Another example is that the company recently required all employees to sign a notice stating that if someone takes leave without prior notice, two days' salary will be deducted.

Employee Harassment and Legal Concerns

In these types of organizations, where employees are not supported positively and strict rules and regulations are imposed increasingly, can it be said that the employees are being harassed? Also, I would like to inquire if it is legal for an employer to demand an employee to resign due to taking extra leaves, especially in circumstances related to personal issues at home. Must the employee sign the resignation letter in such a situation?

"Harassment," I think, would be too cruel a word to use here. I would rather say "Lack of Business Ethics, Social Responsibility, Fair Rules, Policy, and Regulation." Many employers resort to the above rules, which is typical "Narrow-Minded Management," to curb issues of high absenteeism and irritating habits of a few employees, at the cost of employees who have been honest in their job.

I would suggest you have a one-to-one talk with the concerned HR/Management on these policies and make them more employer-friendly rather than their "Dictatorship Policy" attacking directly on the "Basic Earning" of employees, which will affect their business in the long run. Wish you all the best.

Ukmitra

PS: Forceful resignation is illogical and can be challenged in the court of law against the management. Report to the nearest "Labor Office Commissioner," and they will initiate action against the company. For any personal grievance, I suggest sending a legal notice through an advocate.

Understanding Company Policies and Employee Concerns

Harassment is not a suggestive word here. If the company is enforcing such rules and policies, the reason is the employees themselves; they have forced the employer to take such strict actions.

I would like to ask you a question: when you were in school, we used to follow school rules and regulations without asking why. The discipline imbibed by the school has made us what we are today. So, if the employer is asking you to follow some policies that he made and intimated you prior to your joining, then why are you having issues?

Regarding resignation due to extra leaves, I suppose he mustn't have intimated the employer. If he had discussed with the employer and if it was genuine, it must have been considered.

We cannot call it harassment. Harassment means to trouble persistently or incessantly. In your case, I don't believe that your management is implementing a set of rules that are common for all. Anyone who breaks the rule will invite trouble. I agree that we cannot manage the employee with iron hands. But, at the same time, I have seen many employees who feel that breaking the rule is their fundamental right and entitlement. Because of these kinds of employees, other colleagues will also get affected. In my opinion, any hard and fast rule should have some kind of in-built flexibility. This will be useful to frighten the rule breakers as well as give a comfortable feeling to others.

Regarding forced resignation, what Ukimitra says is legally correct. But if you want to go legally, it could spoil your future employment chances sometimes.

Regards

Thank you, Ukmitra and Stalin, for your opinions and suggestions. I do understand that the rules and regulations are meant for all and not just one, and due to some insensible employees, some hardworking ones are affected badly.

As per Ukmitra's suggestion, my friend has undergone a long discussion with the authorities, but that was totally a waste. Those people are not ready to change their minds. In fact, what they did was intentionally delay his salary, giving some weird reasons related to the company's financial problems, although there are some old employees whose salaries were released on time.

Is there something that can be done other than leaving the company?

This is getting interesting. What I like in your above comments is your desire to resolve the problem by being there. Kudos to such an attitude; very few have the courage to face adversities and hardships and try to do their best to make a difference. Such an attitude will take one to great heights in personal and professional life.

Collective Effort for Change

Now, one person cannot make a difference. Though it's always one person who takes the lead, it must have the momentum and support of many hands. I am not suggesting forming a union, but having constructive criticism given to management by calling an unofficial meeting sort of thing. Work with the management to understand what their fear is that they need to have "extreme unfriendly company policies, imposing financial penalties. Have they lost all avenues that they need to strike down all genuine requests with such draconian rules?" It's not just one meeting, but maybe a cluster meeting with team leads, project managers, and stakeholders. The growth of a company is the growth of all concerned. Address each of your issues like personal calls, emergency leave, etc.

Creating a Balanced Work Environment

It's a collective effort to have a smooth and vibrant working environment. It's a two-way process; employees have to be responsible on their part, and management also needs to equally accommodate employees with their problems and judge fairly. Having only a business and profit-minded mentality will never take such a company anywhere, and they are doomed to "burst out someday."

When we hire an employee, we not only hire him as a person but also all his problems and difficulties. Of course, one cannot resolve all employees' concerns but can help to hear them and be just and fair.

I hope other expert professionals will also put in their suggestions.

Regards,
Ukmitra