Left My Job Without Notice Due to Poor Conditions – Now Facing Legal Threats, What Should I Do?

I joined a company and received an offer letter via email, which I accepted. I worked there for two months, but the office conditions and work environment were not satisfactory. That's why I left the company without serving the notice period. However, they are now sending threatening emails regarding legal action. They have requested my PAN number for TDS filing, but I have not signed any documents due to the poor HR system in place. What should I do?

Whatever the reason, leaving an organization without any information is not at all ethical. This could affect your future career as well.

In the absence of any Training Agreement or indemnity bond, there is nothing to worry about regarding legal action, but ensure you do not repeat the same mistake in the future.

For TDS filing purposes, PAN is mandatory, which should have been collected at the time of joining.

I had an offer letter with me via email. Other than that, no other documents were shared or signed. I left the organization because the salary was not being paid on time, and they used to call me to work on Sundays, even when the whole office was empty. Additionally, they asked for my PAN card after I had already left the organization for more than two months. Can they take any legal action against me based on the offer letter?

As you claimed to have worked for 2 months, you should have signed the Attendance Register, but I'm not sure. To reiterate, there will not be any implications. Even if you are not interested in working with any employer for whatever reasons it might be, discuss with the employer and ensure a proper separation with proper notice. Absconding can't be justified at any cost.

Importance of Providing PAN Number

If you do not provide your PAN number, you will not receive credit for the income tax deducted from your salary. Why would you want to lose out on that? Additionally, you may end up having to pay higher income tax on your behalf, which is a situation of concern.

Legal Actions Based on Appointment Letter

On another note, yes, they can take action based on your appointment letter. However, the most they can do is request notice pay, minus the amount owed to you for the days you worked but were not compensated for. It is not economically feasible for any company to pursue legal action in such cases as the legal fees would surpass the recoverable sum. Your defense could revolve around the fact that you were not paid in a timely manner, which would be a violation of the implied clause in the appointment letter. Nevertheless, I am skeptical whether they would proceed with any legal action.