Feeling Stuck in an IT Help Desk Role at XYZ: How Can I Navigate My 2-Year Contract?

I joined XYZ on 25th March 2013. It was a campus recruitment. Needless to say, I received my joining letter after waiting for a complete year. Now, here I am working as an IT help desk agent. It seems like I am working for a call center. I don't see any future. I want to resign, but I am under a 2-year contract. I don't know which way to go. Please help.

You joined on 25th March 2013 and waited for a year to get the appointment letter. I believe there's some mismatch. We are still in 2013... Assuming the goof-up at 2013, which you might have meant as 2012, about the resignation and complications regarding the same can be understood better if you can share the separation policy of your company and what is stated in your bond. Did they give you any kind of training? Kindly update the matter so that all the information is furnished for a better understanding of the problem.

I was waiting from 3rd February 2012 for my joining letter, which I received on 1st March 2013, and I joined XYZ on 25th March 2013. Yes, I was given a one-month training - 7 days of Wintel and networking training and about 15 days of communication training. My offer letter states that if I want to leave the company before 2 years, I have to pay 75,000 rupees. However, there is a clause which mentions that in India, no company can enforce a bond on employees. I have not signed any bond, but it is mentioned in my offer letter. Please help me and provide more information about that clause.

I was waiting from 3rd February 2012 for my joining letter, which I received on 1st March 2013, and I joined XYZ on 25th March 2013. Yes, I was given a 1-month training: 7 days of Wintel and networking training, and about 15 days of communication training. My offer letter says if I want to leave the company before 2 years, I have to pay 75,000 rupees. But I have heard about a clause which says in India no company can keep us under any bond. I have not signed any bond, but it's mentioned in my offer letter. Please help me and tell me more about that clause.

Thanks and regards,
Nancy Agarwal

Do you not think that the company should be reimbursed for the costs incurred in appointing you and the training given if you quit the job so soon without contributing? Does the appointment letter say anything about what the company will give you if they sack you before 2 years?

Important Question About Job Assignment

During your campus recruitment, what job were you told you would get? Is this the same job or different? Did you not know this when you agreed to join or when you finally got your appointment letter? If you were offered a different job from the one they are actually giving you, you would have a good excuse to leave immediately. If you were well aware that it is a help desk job, then I can't see why the company would be responsible.

That was really a good question. My offer letter says that I have to pay $000. I had no idea it would be a help desk job. I was interviewed regarding C, DBMS, Oracle, etc.

I can see what happened. You waited for a year for a job, so when it came, you grabbed it without verifying if it is the job you want to do. Probably at the time of the original interview a year back, you didn't understand these things. Now, a few months into it, you do not want to do this work.

I do not know what you did for the last year. If it is sitting at home, I think this job is better as you will have some experience to write about.

I do not, as a rule, advocate breaking a bond as the company invests money and plans its course of action accordingly. However, if you think that the job offered was different from what you are given, then as per the law, the contract is invalid. You see, under the law, there has to be an offer and acceptance, consideration for the contract (meaning money, value, or benefit to each side), and a meeting of minds (both sides saying/thinking/meaning the same thing). In this case, since they offered you (I assume) a software development job but gave a call center job, both the first condition and the third are voided.

However, you will need to talk to a lawyer who can give you advice based on all the circumstances of the matter, not the LinkedIn version we are seeing in these postings.