Feeling Stuck in ONGC's Tenured Employment: How Can I Overcome the Stigma and Find Growth?

I am working in ONGC as a tenured employee. My first tenure ended on 31.12.2004, and the present one will end on 29.01.2009.

In India, how successful is the tenured employment system? As per the ONGC rule, I (we) can work until 45 years. Even in private firms, they offer regular employment, and based on performance, one gets promotion with career growth opportunities.

We were receiving all the benefits on par with regular employees until 31.12.04. When the present tenure started, ONGC stopped all the benefits and put us on fixed payment. Formerly, ONGC was kind enough to give us the title of P&A Assistant, but suddenly, they converted all Finance, HR, and other support personnel to Field Operators.

How long can a person work with such tension? It affects the individual and the family as well.

During some interviews, they all asked the same question: why do I want to leave ONGC? When I explained the situation, they were surprised.

How can I overcome the stigma of being a field operator in ONGC with a qualification in HRM?

I hope to receive some expert comments on the tenured employment and its success in the Indian scenario.

Regards,

Rony

Dear Rony,

Tenure Employee is a concept of temporary staffing only, or in other words, we can say it is a fixed-term employment contract. It is not a new concept in India. In your situation, I can only suggest you look for a new opportunity, as this concept is not a long-term goal. Your mail shows that you have already spent some years with the organization, so you need to move really fast; otherwise, your career may suffer.

Dear Sir,

The reason I continued with the organization for so long was in the hope of regularization. However, due to the current policy adopted by the management, I have decided to make a change.

Regards