Employees' forum accuses tech majors of 'tweaking' appraisal to aid layoffs

After ensuring IT giant Wipro took the “self-created fake resignation” of its employee back, Forum for IT Employees (FITE) on Monday alleged IT companies were tweaking the performance appraisal metrics and HR practices to facilitate the layoffs.

The forum, in a petition to Minister of State for Information Technology and Tourism, Priyank Kharge, said, “To justify their actions, companies are pretending that layoffs are performance related. They do this by introducing new criteria and suddenly changing the existing standards.”

The petition said IT companies were scared of the legal action. The forum claimed they have been receiving 350 distress calls from employees across the country describing hostile atmosphere towards employees at IT workplaces.

Urging the government to intervene in the issue, the petition said IT companies have enjoyed many sops from the government on the pretext of generating more jobs.

The forum also called for revocation of the Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Act 1946, which is renewed every five years. The standing orders exempt the IT companies from the Act.

Kharge, on his part, said as a minister, it is his job to bring employers and employees to the negotiating table.
“The government is not going to pass any law without listening to all stakeholders, including employers and employees. We cannot have a lopsided view. The aim is to create more employment. Let me listen to FITE’s perspective completely. Then, I am going to call the employers and seek their point of view,” Kharge told DH, adding it is too early to take any drastic step.

IT giant Wipro had withdrawn a false flag resignation of one of its employees, after FITE representatives met the labour commissioner.
DH News Service