Startup Job Nightmare: How to Handle a Fake Bond and Legal Notice Demands?

Worked in a startup company for 20 days, was waiting for the offer letter which should have been given on the day of joining. After quitting, the employer has lied in the notice that I signed a bond and should pay 75,000 for quitting.

Hi,

Employee bond will not withstand in the court of law. You don't need to bother about that. Ask him for the proof of the offer letter/appointment letter that has been received by you, along with your acknowledgment as well as the bond that was acknowledged by you.

Hi Jeevarathnam, this issue is basically being faced by my friend, Roopa. She joined a startup, INZ AXIS, and worked there for 20 days. When she visited for the interview, she was told that since she was a fresher, they would offer her a position, but she needed to sign a bond for 1 year, with a breaking penalty of Rs. 75,000. They made her work for 20 days, but she was not given the offer letter and bond to sign. Meanwhile, she had a family medical emergency at her home and had to go back to her hometown. Afterward, she informed INZ via email that she would not be able to continue working due to personal reasons and was quitting immediately. Following this, she received a call, during which she reiterated to INZ that she had neither received nor accepted any offer nor had she signed any bond, therefore, she had no obligation to serve any notice period or bond.

A month later, INZ sent a legal notice alleging several false points:

1. No offer letter was signed.
2. No bond was signed where she agreed to stay with the organization for a year.
3. No specific training was provided to her.
4. The notice claimed they spent Rs. 75,000 on her training, which she agreed to in the agreement - this is also false.
5. The notice also stated that she had not responded to several requests and demands, although she had not received any emails or communication from the company prior to this written notice.

Legal Advice Needed

How can a company make so many false claims for money, harassing a woman, and how can a lawyer put so many falsehoods in writing without any evidence? Please advise if we should respond to this notice legally or simply ignore it. Some suggest that not responding to a legal notice implies agreement or avoidance.

Regards

Simply ignore the legal notice. Don't reply. They cannot do anything in this regard. Some people will harass like this. Don't fear. As a lady, if they are harassing you, you should also send a notice of harassment and file a criminal case against your boss.

Just file the notice away and keep cool. If what you have stated is right - no offer letter, no bond signed - the company can go and file any suit anywhere they want. Legally, you are in the clear. However, if you reply, make sure to consult an advocate and ask the advocate to reply.

This need not necessarily be only harassment. Since the employer is required to keep a record of employment, he was obliged to write to the employee to place on record that the employee is not continuing services. He might as well have sent a legal notice as a blind shot - just to see if some money can be extracted.

This is a simple case.

Nothing on paper.

In this type of case, the labor court takes the side of the employee.

Reply to his legal letter and present your arguments.

While no action can be taken, please do not ignore the letter. You need to respond to the letter. Just as Mr. Jeevarathinam has suggested, please respond to the legal notice. Tell them that no bond was signed, nor were you aware of any such conditions as mentioned in the legal notice. Ask them to send evidence/documentation to substantiate their claims. They will not respond back.

In case you ignore the letter, the lawyer could file a case. Though the case will not hold good if you contest it, if you do not contest it, an ex parte judgment can be given against you. Since they have used a lawyer, I would suggest meeting with any decent lawyer and responding back. That must shut them up.