A leaked audio clip of a conversation between an HR executive and an employee of Tech Mahindra had exposed the callous manner in which some companies were firing their employees.
With the audio getting circulated on the internet and creating much furore, Mahindra Group Chairman, Anand Mahindra offered an apology on Twitter.
Mahindra says, “I want to add my personal apology. Our core value is to preserve the dignity of the individual & we'll ensure this does not happen in future," said Mahindra, responding to a tweet by Tech Mahindra's Chief Executive Officer CP Gurnani to put their version on record.
I want to add my personal apology. Our core value is to preserve the dignity of the individual & we'll ensure this does not happen in future https://t.co/yBxAxvFZlc
— anand mahindra (@anandmahindra) July 7, 2017
CP Gurnani, MD&CEO of Tech Mahindra too tweeted an apology:
I deeply regret the way the HR rep & employee discussion was done. We have taken the right steps to ensure it doesn’t repeat in the future. pic.twitter.com/KKLt6tIBb6
— CP Gurnani (@C_P_Gurnani) July 7, 2017
Tech Mahindra Vice-chairman Vineet Nayyar also responded to the incident saying, “We have become aware of the incident involving a conversation between an employee and a company HR representative. We deeply regret the manner in which the discussion took place and have taken necessary corrective steps to ensure that this does not happen again in future," Nayyar said in the statement.
In the audio clip, an HR executive is heard asking an employee to put in his papers by 10 am the next day or face termination. Stating that this is part of the company’s ‘cost optimisation’ plan, the HR executive is heard telling the employee that if he puts in his papers on his own accord it will be treated as a normal exit otherwise he will not receive his basic salary on termination of his employment.
Though it is unclear when the audio was recorded and could not be independently verified, it has been in circulation for a few days.
The HR executive can he heard sternly telling the employee that there is no "flexibility" in the decision and that he is expected to put down his papers by 10 am the next day if he wishes to be paid his basic salary.
Leaving no space for further discussion on the matter, the HR executive firmly reminds him of a clause in his offer letter that states that the company reserves all rights to ask their associates to leave the company at any time by paying them the basic salary.
"If you read your offer letter you would know the clause under which we are asking you to leave. It was mentioned in the offer letter. Then, why did you accept the offer letter," she says.
'Quit tomorrow or get terminated': IT worker leaks audio clip of heartless sacking by HR person