Feeling Anxious About Submitting Original Certificates to My New Employer – Is This Normal?

Hi, everyone. What I know about citehr is that it is the place where experienced/senior professionals are available to help others, and I hope my doubts will be cleared.

Concerns About Submitting Original Certificates

Currently, I'm pursuing my BTech final semester and have been placed in a small/growing company through campus placements. When I joined the company as a trainee, HR asked me to submit any of the original certificates. However, the offer letter did not mention anything about salary, and they stated that the training period is approximately 5-6 months.

I am feeling a bit scared to submit my originals as they did not specify how long they will keep them and when they will be returned to me. Additionally, the offer letter did not mention anything about a bond. (I wonder if any company would do this during the offer process?)

Please help me. 

This is not a practice that inspires confidence in me or any candidates. Most organizations compare the originals with the photocopies and return the originals immediately. I am aware that there are institutes that hold back the certificates until the student completes six months or one year in the organization where they get placed. Strange practice here as well.

If they are insisting on the certificates, ask them for a letter on company letterhead wherein they will clearly state the time within which they will return the documents. If possible, avoid joining such organizations. Organizations don't provide offer letters since they are afraid that candidates will use the offer to negotiate elsewhere. You should insist on this—politely enquire with the HR if they are not being transparent about the organization, compensation, culture, or policies. As a backup, please keep colored scanned copies of your original certificates.

Regards,
Ryan