How Should HR Handle Management's Unfair Treatment When Employees Want to Leave?

Dear Friends,

I need a solution for a critical issue in the company. As a liaison between the employees and the boss, what does the HR team have to do?

If an employee has done their best and served the notice period but wants to leave the company for better prospects and comforts, and if the company is not relieving them... Even after discussions and if the company eventually relieves the employee and the employee refers to the previous employer, the management gives all the bad impressions about the employee. This can be seen as an attempt to take revenge and spoil the career of the employee, even delaying in giving experience certificates and relieving orders.

What actions can we take against those people? What is HR going to do? HR knows the employee is more perfect than the employer.

Seniors, please pour your suggestions.

Your question is too confusing. Please make it clear. In your case, who is the employer, who is the employee, and which company does the HR belong to?

Hi Sanjeev,

It happens to many employees in many SMBs.

Issue #1:
If the employee did his best and served the notice period, wants to leave the company for better prospects and comforts, and if the company is not relieving...

Issue #2:
After discussions, if it relieves and when the relieved employee refers this person for the previous employer's reference, and the management gives all the bad impressions about the relieved employee to take revenge, to spoil the career of the employee...

Issue #3:
Delaying in giving experience certificates, relieving order, TDS forms, etc., if the company forces to stay back... What has to be done from the victim's end...

Hi Vennila Natarajan,

I have observed that in this forum, the HR doesn't like it if anyone speaks ill or bad about them. Your post points out that Management/HR troubles employees while relieving them. I doubt if you can get any good reply in which the HR will agree that some members of HR do trouble employees and accept it. I am not sure if the HR in this forum will acknowledge this issue.

Hi Vanilla,

A few doubts, I request you to kindly clarify. When an employee joins your organization, from whom do you take the feedback of the employee (previous employer)?

When an employee from your organization resigns and joins another organization, who is contacted in your organization for feedback from that employee's new organization? Do you ask for the resignation acceptance and relieving letter when the employee joins your organization? Similarly, if your employee resigns, do you give the above-mentioned documents to your employee? Who signs these letters?

Hi K.Ravi,

I have observed that in this forum, the HR don't like it if anyone speaks ill or bad about them. Your post points out that management/HR troubles employees while relieving. I doubt if you can get any good reply in which the HR will agree that some members of HR do trouble employees and accept it. However, I am not sure if the HR in this forum will do so or not.

You cannot do anything about a person who is so negative in his thoughts. You cannot kill a person who is all prepared to commit suicide. In this world, there are all types of people. Just change the color of your glasses, and you can find the difference.

Whatever scenarios you have given are possible only in Small, unprofessional (Lala Type Company). In big, process oriented and professionally managed company this is next to

impossible. Provided,

You are not absconding.

You have served the full notice.

You have given proper hand-over.

You were not under any type of contract with your present organization.

When you have 5000 + employees and you are hiring like 25-30 people every month, no one have time to pick one ex-employee to “decide to spoil his career”.

Reference Checks

I am NOT sure if you know the process of “reference checks” and if at all you have been involved in such activity in your career.

a) In reference check, your reporting manager plays an important role, because you have worked under your boss. HR person do not know, what your performance level was and how you was as an employee. The role of HR is very limited. So, if you have worked and performed really well in your “present company”, “Your Boss / Reporting Manager” will not talk bad about you.

b) The big companies “Reference Checks” are done by 3rd Party.

c) Questions and queries are structured in such a manner that leaves hardly any scope of saying bad-things about the candidate.

Role of HR in Reference Checks

Role of HR in reference checks is very limited. Their involvement in the “Reference Checks” is limited to Few Questions, such as:

1) Whether, X employee as actually worked in Your Organization?

2) If yes, then when he joined and what was his last day in the office?

3) What was his designation in the company?

4) If possible, then last drawn salary of the person.

Importance of Relieving letter and Experience Letter

In the present industry environment, no one ask for “experience certificate”. Companies are also not stressing on the need of “Relieving letter”. The only document that is required is a proof that the person has resigned; hence “resignation acceptance letter” is the only important document.

Those, who perform well, in their job, do not fear anything regarding their references. It is only those who fake few facts in their profile or in interview, such as stay in the organization, role, designation and salary, have all the fears, all the time.

If you need any professional help from me, you can reach me at [Login to view].



Thanks and Regards

Sanjeev

Hi Vennila Natarajan,

Many friends have given good suggestions on the topic. My only suggestion is that you should show the whole picture to your current employer. This is a common practice that many organizations follow. That's why Mr. Narayan Murthy said, "Love your job, not your company."

Regards,
Mrugesh

Dear Friends,

Need a solution for a critical issue in the company, being a liaison between the employees and the Boss, what does the HR team have to do?

If the employee has done their best and served the notice period, and now wants to leave the company for better prospects and comforts, but the company is not relieving them. Even after discussions and when the employee refers to the previous employer, the management gives all the bad impressions about the employee. They seem to be taking revenge, trying to spoil the career of the employee, even delaying in giving experience certificates and relieving orders. What action can we take against those people? What is HR going to do?

HR knows that the employee is more perfect than the employer. Seniors, please pour in your suggestions.

If this is a general trend, then it gives me a bad impression of companies in your country.

Remember, employees leaving a company for whatever reason act as ambassadors in terms of their experience in the said company. It would be foolish for a company to take revenge or spoil the career of an employee just because they wanted to leave or transfer to another organization.

For one, these kinds of companies are acting like hostage-takers. They want to hold employees who are seeking greener pastures hostage. If not, they would ruin their career. Where is the fairness in this?

Secondly, who would want to apply to such kind of company? After years of being underpaid, the company would besmirch the reputation of a person.

I agree that such companies may belong to the small to medium scale where pay and benefits are substandard, which is why employees would want to leave.

If HR wants to reverse the situation, there are things that it can do:

1. Make a policy that ensures all processes are clear and being followed to the letter. The policy could include that only the HR Department can release letters of recommendation or experience certificates based on available records of the employee and only upon request by the said employee.

2. Circulate a memorandum among the different department heads implying that it is not the policy of the company to stop employees from leaving through coercion, threats, etc.

3. Initiate retention programs that would lessen the chances of employees leaving the company.

However, if it is the HR Department itself that is doing it, then that would be a big problem.

Such items should be covered under HR policy to simplify the process. If the decision is left to the individual, such cases are repeated. However, if it is in policy and agreed upon by management, it will be easy for HR to proceed further for all employees, whether good or bad.

In certain cases, an employee does not give a notice period or simply resigns through SMS. There should be a clear HR policy for such situations.

Regards,
Hiren

Hi Vennila,

I agree with the issue that you have raised here. However, as Sanjeev has rightly mentioned, only unprofessional and small organizations can think of doing this. I also understand that HR involvement in reference checks is limited. When it comes to reference checks regarding an employee's performance, it is typically done through their reporting manager. I have a question though: will the reporting manager give positive feedback about their subordinate?