We call upon all IT Employees to take a stand and join the struggle against corporate profit hunt at the cost of employees.
Please join New Democratic IT/ITES Employees Circle.
Also read this article about the root cause of the current madness going on in IT sector.
In March this year, media reports in prominent business dailies revealed that Cognizant Technology Solutions (CTS) is planning to retrench around 6,000 employees. This is being done to increase the operational margin from 19.5 percent at present to 22 percent in 2019 as demanded by their shareholder Elliott management which owns 4 percentage stake in the company.
Cognizant employees at work (photo from the internet)
We have been closely following the issue and mobilizing our members and other IT employees to resist this illegal practice. We come to know the following shocking details from our members working in various CTS offices:
- 5% of the employees are marked for lay-off by giving them 4th and last rating MS (‘Met Some’ goals) through the annual appraisal system. The appraisal system itself is unscientific, opaque and arbitrary. Later this percentage has been raised to 7%. Out of 2.5 lakh employees of CTS, 7% comes to 15,000 which is not a small number.
- Some employees who were given 2nd rating by the immediate supervisor were reassigned to 4th rating by HR.
- Project managers are forced to release MS rated employees from their projects and instructed not to take them to fill the need in their project. The internal project allocation system is changed to block adding any MS rated employees to projects.
- HR people call the employees marked for lay-off and ask them to resign, claiming that there is no opportunity for them in Cognizant. The employees are pressurized (tortured in the words of one employee) in closed door meetings. They are forced to put in their resignation papers. HR humiliate, insult and blackmail employees who have been working for the company for years.
- NDLF IT Employees Wing started spreading word that the employees should resist this forced resignations and HR can not terminate anyone. Now, we come to know that some HR managers resort to auto generating resignation emails from the employees account.
- Many managers inside CTS dislike this dishonest, illegal and unfair HR practices. But they were told that the decision comes from top levels.
NDLF-IT Employees Wing strongly condemns the illegal, unethical and sometimes even criminal practices by CTS HR. We demand that CTS immediately stop the forced resignations and illegal retrenchment of its employees, reinstate all affected employees and create opportunities to re-skill the employees as per the current trends.
We call upon all IT employees to resist resignations forced upon them by their employers. Appraisal system and forced resignations violate Indian labour law. IT/ITES companies don’t have the right to terminate employees without due process. Otherwise they won’t even bother with forced resignations.
We request employees to contact NDLF – IT Employees Wing and consult our lawyers before deciding on the company’s demands. Join NDLF – IT Employees Wing to make yourself stronger.
We call upon all IT Employees to take a stand and join the struggle against corporate profit hunt at the cost of employees.
Please join New Democratic IT/ITES Employees Circle.
Also read this article about the root cause of the current madness going on in IT sector.
New Democratic Labour Front – IT Employees Wing
Contact
Phone : 90031 98576
Email : combatlayoff@gmail.com
Site : new-democrats.com
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35 comments
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Bunny
April 28, 2017 at 12:43 am (UTC 5.5) Link to this comment
Class action lawsuit.
Punjabi son
April 28, 2017 at 1:01 am (UTC 5.5) Link to this comment
Unite ppl and do protest against cognizant..if today is with them then tomorrow same can be happen with you..raise your voice… Hiring they still doing and playing with ppls life
Rakesh
April 29, 2017 at 11:14 am (UTC 5.5) Link to this comment
Very true….
Marianne Rosar
April 28, 2017 at 6:22 am (UTC 5.5) Link to this comment
Check this out Billy. And the class action suit.
Karan
April 28, 2017 at 8:19 am (UTC 5.5) Link to this comment
Isn’t the employment agreement say they can fire you with a month or two notice. If that’s the case, they asking you for resignation is good for employees only. Otherwise, they have the power to terminate the employment citing poor performance and not meeting the requirements. It cannot be challenged in the court.
newdemocrats
April 28, 2017 at 8:30 am (UTC 5.5) Link to this comment
Karan,
IT employees have legal rights against arbitrary termination. Industrial Dispute Act does not allow termination citing poor performance or not meeting the requirement.
Check this out Sacked techie wins lawsuit against HCL
“in 2013, he was asked to leave merely because he had failed to improve his performance despite counselling. However, the company did not provide any memo or documents nor did it pursue any further investigation.”
RK
April 28, 2017 at 8:19 am (UTC 5.5) Link to this comment
Nothing works out. Start looking immediately for a job if you have family. I was laid of by TCS in 2014. The IT companies have better lawers. Filing law suit may favor female employees. Its my personal experience. I was one of top performers. But there’s no point. You are needed for the company until it needs you. But friends who have no dependency, please give a fight before you give up.
Bb
April 28, 2017 at 9:52 am (UTC 5.5) Link to this comment
Ya it’s very bad… And nothing we can do with it. I have been layed off by L&T infotech but can’t do anything…. Only you can grab new job. Nowdays it’s very tough life for IT guys.
Venkat
April 28, 2017 at 10:19 am (UTC 5.5) Link to this comment
Most of them are from rich background so you people will not have impact and that is why no unity in IT or not even UNION for IT industry only for poor people the impact and worstly hit always in so called India only the poor is scape goat….
Venkat
April 28, 2017 at 10:24 am (UTC 5.5) Link to this comment
The A******** panyars will make money out of you and they thrash you if they don’t want you … this is not a culture in India but this IT panayars are doing that for there profit margins playing lakhs of people’s let you coolies under stand you are coolies for this so called panyars they are doing purely business and not trust … they will donate money to get good names in the socity but they layoff there own coolies who made them super rich in very short time span this is fait of Indian coolies
TR
April 28, 2017 at 10:53 am (UTC 5.5) Link to this comment
Hiring and firing hapens everywhere but we should rise up against this draconian appraisal system which totally depends on your managers. They only talk about reskilling but i have never seen them serious. They will keep you without work for years and then they will say you cant perform. Its all big scam played by senior managers , stakeholders and investors who are only interested in multiplying their wealth. I think nation like should must have regulation against these capitalist monsters.
Shailesh
April 28, 2017 at 10:55 am (UTC 5.5) Link to this comment
IT companies took the benefit of employees and in return what ever hike we received is not some amount of company profit, there is no IT union, we don’t have any thing in our hand, future of IT we dont know, we all also should to update our knowledge in some other fields other then IT for our better future.
Ammu
April 28, 2017 at 10:57 am (UTC 5.5) Link to this comment
These HRs are really rude. They say that they will call security to throw the employees. Also, they are not efficient in doing their work.Noproper communication given to the employees about the policy change. When an employee breaches that they cut their salary. Everything is atrocious. Not sure who is going to take action.
Jayesh
April 28, 2017 at 11:48 am (UTC 5.5) Link to this comment
Hi people,
If you have dependent on you the start looking for job for your family.
The people who don’t have dependent ,Raise your voice.
Its time to take infront these illegal activities by companies.
So hereafter in future every comapny need to think twice bfore acting like this!
Gopal T
April 28, 2017 at 11:50 am (UTC 5.5) Link to this comment
Hr’s are very rude at cognizant dont have common sense and combined working with operational management..even i lost my job because Hr’s are not supportive they cant take their own decision towards employee issue they involve with managers what they say they will follow..its ridiculous worst comapny have ever seen…
NA
April 28, 2017 at 12:14 pm (UTC 5.5) Link to this comment
My supervisor given me 2nd rating. Latter this has been changed to 4th rating by HR
vikrant
April 28, 2017 at 12:57 pm (UTC 5.5) Link to this comment
Hi. All
I am in Mumbai cogni. They have given MS rating.manager TL said me search job another company.I call to HR for enquiry.He done enquiry with manager. He said don’t worry. Nothing will happen.now tell me anyone what is purpose behind that
What should i do
Regards
Vikrant
kadamvikrant439@gmail.com
Jitendra gupta
April 28, 2017 at 1:21 pm (UTC 5.5) Link to this comment
Accenture also do the same thing
dev
April 28, 2017 at 2:56 pm (UTC 5.5) Link to this comment
I think the most unprofitable, non-productive and money mites in any company is its HR (huge num of sub functions of HR)
Why there is never any trim down in HR, L&D, etc admin departments?
Yes company reserve the rights to terminate employees whenever they want, isn’t it a same feel for a company when suddenly we employees leave suddenly due to any reasons.
Also please understand that time is changing and we must adapt and keep improving our capabilities and competencies.
There are many among us who just work with minimal efforts, low zeal. Some of us are victims of office politics and management.
In these situations its best to negotiate with management to give 2 or 3 months time so that you get the job in mean time.
newdemocrats
April 28, 2017 at 4:41 pm (UTC 5.5) Link to this comment
//Yes company reserve the rights to terminate employees whenever they want,//
But they should follow legal procedure. Not force employees to resign.
Satish
April 28, 2017 at 3:23 pm (UTC 5.5) Link to this comment
I saw this force full resignations in CTS. They call the employees to the meeting room and threaten and black mail to resign.
Deepak
April 28, 2017 at 6:25 pm (UTC 5.5) Link to this comment
There should be strong IT employees union and labour law to atop this
Babu
April 28, 2017 at 9:14 pm (UTC 5.5) Link to this comment
What can do if get call from HR and told to put paper. How we can fight with them. If they terminate, will experience letter or not
Genny
April 28, 2017 at 11:41 pm (UTC 5.5) Link to this comment
I worked for cts out of college station for 10yrs, hurt myself on the job had to have 2 back surgeries and was let go because I was on short term disability for 6months but I am rehireable as a “new employee” so I automatically lost all my vacation hours and being vested through my 401k… I’ve seen so much shady stuff at that job from hr, managers, supervisors, lots of employees… it’s like the more you know how to do the more they will take advantage of that and have you doing 7or 8 peoples jobs, they never train any of the employees it’s kind of just sink or swim… And the employees that are slackers and should be replaced are praised and not have to do anything all day long…. Even they’re pay is shady I left there making what new hires were getting paid. They didn’t give out but $400 raises for the year… And brought several of they’re employees over from India and continue to.
Krishna
April 29, 2017 at 12:10 am (UTC 5.5) Link to this comment
Every body should raise voice on this type of company policy. Should have association for safeguard of employees
Binu
April 29, 2017 at 1:01 am (UTC 5.5) Link to this comment
Employees at wipro having Similar situations. It’s time to unite and fight against this.
Anshul
April 29, 2017 at 10:08 am (UTC 5.5) Link to this comment
Whom should i contact to raise voice aganist this illegal activity . I have been going through this since last two months but dont how to avoid this or whom should i addres to do a strong protest
newdemocrats
April 29, 2017 at 7:52 pm (UTC 5.5) Link to this comment
Please contact NDLF by phone/email.
Sukumar
April 29, 2017 at 4:07 pm (UTC 5.5) Link to this comment
How do we unite, please let me know
Rahul
April 29, 2017 at 9:16 pm (UTC 5.5) Link to this comment
All this because of the lack of union. Where is the trade unions? Raise the voice legally and through social medias as well?
Mukund
April 29, 2017 at 11:08 pm (UTC 5.5) Link to this comment
This should be controlled, may be by Govt. Should have laws to stop this.
Chetu
April 30, 2017 at 2:58 am (UTC 5.5) Link to this comment
Cognizant is going to be next Satyam .You can sense that ,guys move on
NA
April 30, 2017 at 7:38 am (UTC 5.5) Link to this comment
M in USA and got MS rating. I am on pool now and got a project. But HR didn’t allow me to join the project. I m not sure.. what will happen. Please post here if anybody has anything here.
Raja
May 8, 2017 at 12:24 pm (UTC 5.5) Link to this comment
I have 12 years experience with Cognizant and always been a highly rated employee. I changed account in the last quarter and was given MS though I have a valid US visa. The rating has nothing to do with my performance and I appealed against it with HR and BU heads, nothing happened. One day f……. HR called me not ready to listen any side of my argument with 12 years track record and asked me to quit in a threatening way. I had to put paper with no backup and in depressed mind state. This is atrocious and can’t do this to employees just saying performance rating which actually is a bulshit.
Vijay
April 30, 2017 at 1:24 pm (UTC 5.5) Link to this comment
My personal opinion. If someone is not fit for a particular assignment transfer them in different departments as per them skill set.I personally observed that IT companies hire people at very high cost compare to personal capacity and market rate eventually it leads company toward low operating margin.Please stop it. Hire good people for particular assignments menas who really work.