Over the last couple of days we in INDIA would have witnessed the unequivocal stand taken by Mr Anand Mahindra to protect the human rights of an employee. To surmise the case briefly, Gaurav Probir Pramanik, an employee of Tech Mahindra was forced to leave in 2016 because of the bigoted manner in which a diversity officer of the HR department behaved with him.
In 2018, when the SC repealed Section 377, Gaurav wrote a letter to the said bigot and posted it on twitter. Anand Mahindra and his company swung into action and the bigot was sacked. Gaurav was vindicated. Mahindra's statement was so effective that nobody would mess there!
I would work with Tech Mahindra and Anand Mahindra for no wages!! They have inspired many youngsters to join them for a work career because by action the company has shown that the individual is far more important and the company is nothing but a cluster of individuals.
When the organisations use brutal force like terminations and molly coddling bigots, then there is a serious problem. I , often pondered what could it be. The answer is a weak value system and a leadership that does not like to communicate. When I initiated racial harassment proceedings against a senior EU employee at my last organisation, I was made to feel awful as if I were the perpetrator and not the victim. The findings stated that the said manager displayed bad leadership qualities and behaviour. Yet he was there. Thriving, And for close to one and a half year he had made my life miserable. Anybody who knows me knows about my determination. Not willing to stand down, I fought, until the corporate used brutal force. Like the state executes a criminal.
ANYONE WHO UNDERMINES MY DETERMINATION IS STUPID!
I continue to seek justice using the constitution of The Sovereign Republic of INDIA. No brutal corporate can stand in front of that. And my friends in the industry who know me for years held me strongly and tightly. I have no words to describe how the industry stood with me. Thank you!
I am going to list out how to deal with unfair/ illegal terminations in organisations that believe that they can get away or HOW TO TREAT THE TERMINATION LETTER AS A TOILET PAPER!!!!!
Disclaimer: This will exclude termination because of any violation of the law of the land.
1) Know your rights. Get in touch with a legal expert.
2) Stay in your domain of expertise. General Management makes you redundant quicker. You will be picked by the industry for your skills.
3) Do not be ashamed to talk about what happened to you. Wear your termination like a badge of honor.
4) As far as possible do not convert the termination letter to resignation. Then you have no case.
5)Collect all emails, evidences of what happened to you. Store it in a safe place
6) Be like a lone wolf. Do not discuss your plans with anybody in the corporate. There are no friends out there , pal!
7) Write to all who you think can help. Keep writing to the CEO, Chairman and just about everyone else. There will be one good soul. I found two!!!
8) Use the social media. Stating what you face on a forum is very current. When you do not get redress , you have to widen your world.
9) You are never alone. Nobody likes the brutal force used by the corporate. Remember its the helplessness like monthly loans etc that makes your colleagues quiet.
10) Always tell what happened to you to your friendly competitors , customers, vendors. You will be surprised by how they stand up with you. Simply, because you have worked hard for them and not for the corporate.
11)The privilege of resisting and fighting back is not of the rich and comfortable. Believe me if I were penniless too, Iwould have done just the same.
12) Get your courage from people that have fought adversity and bounced back better to fight. I found it in Erin Brockovich, the Tom Hanks, Denzel Washington starrer , Philadelphia and of course from Israel. Prosecuted for race, they have bounced back cocking a thumb at the world.
13) Stay in good health. In the grand epic of Mahabharatha, the Pandavas were five. But in good shape and skilled. Do I need to repeat the end?
14)Never try to fix the blame on one individual who evicted you from the system. Go for the collective conscience. Nobody stood up to say, Don't do this.
15) An individual is far more powerful than a corporate. They will stick names like non structured, non conforming , and lots of other nonsense. Believe me, it makes no sense!!! As long as you can get the profits , it aint no matter!!! Show them the birdie!!!!
16) Lastly, you are unique, beautiful and much wanted. Get some spice into your six pack and never lose an opportunity to strike the brutal corporate
17) The elephant is more vulnerable. Lots of area of exposure. This holds even in your case. The brutal corporate is the elephant and you are the peacock!!!
Let's not fear to raise our voice and to fight back. Only then can we bring about a change.
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