If one person is appointed in one domain and is later transferred to another department in the same organisation?

If a person is appointed in one domain and is later transferred to another department within the same organization, can they claim their initial appointment department?

Dear Peripa Saikrishna,

Generally, employers reserve the right to transfer an employee from one department to another. A clause to this effect is often inserted in the appointment letter.

The employee is employed in the organization, and the employment is not specific to the department unless it is specifically mentioned in the appointment letter.

When the notice for inter-department transfer is issued, it is mentioned whether the transfer is for "a specific period," "until further order," or "permanently."

As far as the employee is concerned, after working for a certain period in the transferred department, he/she may seek to go back to the original department. The employee may submit an application to this effect, but whether to accede to the request of the employee or not is the prerogative of the authorities concerned.

Thanks,

Dinesh Divekar

Dear Divakar, Thank you for your reply. In the appointment letter, they never mentioned anything about the transfer. The transfer tenure was also not specified. Please provide any supporting documents or labor court orders if available. The individual in question is causing trouble, and we can only handle the situation through legal means. Thank you.

If a person is appointed in one department but later transfers to another department for administrative reasons, will they forfeit their seniority from the original department, or will only their current seniority count? Please share any judgments from courts or labor tribunals regarding such situations.