Facing Termination Threats During Lockdown: How Can I Protect Myself and My Job?

I'm working in a private company in Noida for the last seven months. My boss is consistently threatening me with termination during the lockdown period. He mentions that the company reserves the right to terminate me without any prior notice due to poor performance. For the past seven months, I have been working without any specific targets. However, now he has assigned me a target and is subjecting me to mental torture by insulting me in front of other colleagues and seniors. As per the notifications and guidelines of District Gautam Buddha Nagar, salaries must be paid to employees under certain circumstances, and no termination is allowed during the lockdown period.

Seeking Advice on Termination Threats During Lockdown

I am seeking advice on what steps I should take in this situation and what other options are available to me if the company proceeds with termination.

Thank you.

Dear Gaurav,

It is most unfortunate to learn that the bigger problem is not the pandemic but rather our people. You have to fight in a legal manner for the termination that happened during the lockdown period, as that will be considered illegal, going against the notification by the Government of India under the Disaster Management Act.

The scenario is very unfortunate. However, until there is any issuance of a termination letter from the management, you cannot take any steps as it will be premature.

For the time being, it is best to bear with the situation.

Dear all,

I recently received a termination notice in the form of feedback from our senior. They mentioned in an email that they will send me an official termination letter on May 3, 2020, when the lockdown officially ends. They stated that I did not follow the government's code of conduct, resulting in a deduction from my salary. When I requested the termination notice in writing, I received no response. I expressed my concerns in a group message, stating that the senior is more focused on politics than work. They informed me that the government has granted employers the right to terminate employees for poor performance while working from home. Moreover, they informed me that my services have been suspended.

During this time, the courts are closed, and employers may be taking advantage of the situation by mistreating their employees. I am seeking advice or support as I currently have no source of income, and my father has been physically ill for the past five years.

Please advise accordingly. You can reach me at [Phone Number Removed For Privacy-Reasons] or [Phone Number Removed For Privacy-Reasons].

Thank you.

I would suggest consulting with a lawyer regarding all the written communications you have received from your employer thus far. In the case of any illegal deductions from your salary or termination, you can consider sending a legal notice through your lawyer to the employer.

While it is true that courts may not be functioning at full capacity due to the ongoing pandemic, there is no need to worry about it at this moment.