Facing Harassment from HR at WIPRO: How Can We Fight Unjust Recovery Demands?

Hi,

My daughter is being harassed by the HR department of WIPRO, and we are unsure about the appropriate course of action to seek justice. Here are the key points:

Employment Details

She joined WIPRO as an associate on August 25, 2021, with a bond of 75,000 Rupees for back-office support. Despite being honest and dedicated, she was never given a confirmation letter after six months or a salary increase. She was a rank holder and was selected by IIM for a Ph.D. program, fully sponsored by the HRD Government of India. She requested a sabbatical leave, which was not granted. Her team lead suggested she resign, which she did on June 19, 2021, continuing to work until June 24. The 25th and 26th were Saturday and Sunday. She remained in contact with her team lead on June 27 and 28 via phone and email. At the time of her resignation, she had 22 days of leave balance and was working from home, offering to provide services over the phone if needed.

Issues with Communication and Inquiry

No concrete communication was received. However, a false inquiry letter (email) was sent on June 27, 2022, stating she was unreachable, despite having a one-hour discussion with a female executive from WIPRO. My daughter provided all necessary explanations, but the executive declared her an absconder. After regular follow-ups via email regarding her final clearance, she was presented with false inquiry findings, which she contested by providing a complete history of communication.

Resignation and Clearance Issues

She received an email accepting her resignation and directing her to seek clearance for any assets or money. The clearance department confirmed no pending assets. However, the team demanded a recovery of Rs. 116,167. My daughter contested this, stating she had completed 11 months, and her 22 days of leave balance (one month) had not been adjusted against the notice period. She was not given confirmation or a raise as communicated during the interview, hence she was still on a probation period, which clearly mentions only a one-month notice period or recovery from either side is not considered.

Bond and Recovery Dispute

As an associate, she received no special training, and only a sample soft copy of the bond for executive cadre employees was sent as a reference. She never saw a bond in her name or signed any document. She agreed to sign the bond upon visiting the office. Now, they are demanding Rs. 75,000 as recovery, even though she worked for 11 months and had 22 days of leave. Being an honest, simple, and transparent woman who wishes to pursue a doctorate program, the company has not been flexible for reasons known to them. Despite her requests for support, the matter is being dragged by HR with false inquiry data and incorrect recovery without considering her leaves. She is not joining any other company or competitor but pursuing higher studies. Kindly, someone help and guide us, as it seems their agenda is to harass.

You are portraying a different picture of WIPRO. It surely looks like harassment, with repeated attempts to frustrate you. It seems that HR or some higher official is having an attitudinal problem with you.

There is not much that can be done except to repeat the facts narrated above and discuss them. Just as you successfully dealt with the issue of abandonment, you can also address the notice period issue on the strong basis that her notice period is only one month and she has 22 days of leave which should be adjusted.

It is learned that there is a grievance procedure in WIPRO; you may raise your issues there too.

Thanks for your response, and I agree with you; it's an attitude issue, perhaps among leaders in HR, which is the reason to believe this.

Incident Overview

She went to the office on 24th June, Friday. Then 25th and 26th were the weekend. She received an email on 27th June, Monday, from HR, stating that she had been unreachable for the past few days, which is a false narrative.

Communication Issues

She was directed to speak to the Inquiry team on the 28th; however, no number was provided. She followed up over email regarding the schedule of discussions and the number, which was ignored.

Around 6:30 PM, she received a call from a lady, and the discussions lasted almost 45 minutes to 1 hour. During the conversation, my daughter explained about Sabbatical leave for her Ph.D. and was advised on resignation. However, the lady insisted on declaring her case as absconding. My daughter could have applied for a one-month leave and managed the situation, but it seems that honesty and sincerity at WIPRO take a back seat.

Inquiry Report and Evidence

After a couple of weeks, the report of the inquiry was sent via email, which contained false information stating she was not contactable. My daughter shared evidence showing she had followed up multiple times with HR, team leaders, and managers via email (15 to 18 occurrences).

Organizational Concerns

This indicates an attempt to use organizational power to create hurdles and mental harassment by presenting false data and prolonging the separation process.

Does such a big organization allow the HR department to engage in such harassment, raising questions about the organization's work culture, ethics, and sensitivity towards employees and being women-friendly?

No one benefits from such situations; it's a lose-lose scenario for both the organization and the individual. These instances can serve as case studies to raise awareness in management institutions. Is there anyone in the organization who can help resolve this issue amicably, considering there are no ill intentions behind leaving for other opportunities?

I experienced a similar situation. Despite being seriously ill and needing surgery, and having shared all my medical documents, I was declared as absconding until I reported to work to serve my notice period. Nobody even bothered about my health.