Is It Wrong to Share Job Contacts? HR Threatened Me for Helping a Colleague

Hi seniors, I'm working in a domestic BPO. Just a few months ago, a new trainer joined our company, and she is not feeling fit in the company, or I would say she is unhappy with the process. My ex-boss has openings for trainers, so I gave her his number for a job change. Somehow, our HR found out that I gave her his number, and he yelled and threatened me in front of all staff, saying to stop doing such things and consider this a verbal warning. He mentioned that next time he would give me a warning letter and termination letter together. I wanted to know if it is an offense by HR law to provide a contact number for a job change. Is it my mistake to provide the contact number?

Thanks in advance

Encouraging Professional Development

Suppose the trainer was not fit for the job; you could have encouraged her to make herself fit. Happiness or unhappiness is a state of mind. You could have referred her to a career counselor. Loyalty to your employer demands encouraging fellow colleagues to work with you. Irrespective of the type of work that an employee does, the underlying and unifying factor is protecting the interest of the company. Instead, you provided contact details of a third party to a trainer so that she can apply for the job there. This is nothing but promoting employee attrition, albeit indirectly. You have worked against the interests of the company that provides you bread and butter. Why?

Handling Information Discreetly

While providing contact details of a third party, at least you could have done it surreptitiously. Loose talk, either by you or by that trainer, must have reached the ears of HR. His outburst is the result of this loose talk. Both of you did not realize that even walls have ears. Some innocent-looking colleague must be snooping around and providing information to HR. This he/she could be doing to gain brownie points!

Professionalism in HR Practices

The only objectionable part from HR is the rebuke for your misdemeanor coram populo. HR should have reprimanded you privately. Later, he could have issued a circular to all employees stating that they need to refrain from fostering attrition in their company. This would have been a professional approach. But then professionalism in BPO is just skin deep. It was your HR's unprofessional tit for your unprofessional tat. Therefore, forget the incident and move on.

Thanks,

Dinesh Divekar

Dear YKAJAD,

I also second the opinion of Mr. Divekar above. As a cardinal rule, in every organization, all employees are supposed to abide by rules and not provide any direct or indirect assistance or aid that would make any colleagues change their employment. It is HR's responsibility to control any objectionable behavior if brought to their attention and take appropriate measures and interventions through disciplinary actions against such behaviors. Please ensure the intention is in the right earnest.

Regards,

1. If you provided the number on office premises, it is misconduct.

2. Please understand one thing very clearly: the person to whom you tried to help has spilled the beans. What you did was unethical; what the other person did was a betrayal.

3. Your HR is as mature as you are.

4. Never ever do such a thing.