The COVID-19 outbreak has not only infiltrated our lives with lexicons such as ‘social distancing’, ‘asymptomatic’, ‘quarantine’, ‘PPE’, ‘comorbidity’, but also catapulted HR terms – ‘furlough’, ‘salary/pay cut’, ‘retrenchment’, ‘layoff ’ – into becoming the new normal. This, despite the central and state governments’ advisory that public and private enterprises should not axe staff or cut salaries.
What’s more bizarre is the manner in which companies are conveying the bad news: ride-hailing app Uber fired 3,700 frontline workers over a 3-minute Zoom call; social commerce startup Meesho laid off 150 executives just days after assuring them their jobs were not at risk. Days after Labour Day, the UP government suspended 35 labour laws for three years to attract investment. Now, 10 other Indian states have relaxed labour laws; decisions that some call ‘reforms’, but central trade unions continue to protest.
Employees’ having to take the brunt of such measures is grossly unfair. So, choosing to be detached, abrupt or sneaky is bound to backfire, as evident from the testimonies on social media (Examples: This tweet from a senior journalist that became popular – “Got a call from my boss… Sacked after 24 years from a company I served with love for more than two decades”. When B2B e-commerce platform Udaan terminated 3,000 contractual staff without prior notice, disgruntled employees formed a Twitter handle @EmployeesUdaan to demand justice).
This story is from the May 26, 2020 edition of The Morning Standard.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the May 26, 2020 edition of The Morning Standard.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Rahul: Will scrap Agnipath scheme if voted to power
CONGRESS leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday promised to abolish the Agnipath scheme if the INDIA bloc comes to power at the Centre.
Shah takes on Mamata for skipping Ram temple event
HOME Minister Amit Shah said on Tuesday that in the two phases of the Lok Sabha elections, the BJP has already surpassed the 100-seat mark and is heading towards winning 400 seats.
Mayawati unlikely to address rally in city, nephew to step in
UNLIKE previous Lok Sabha elections, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati may not address any rally in Delhi this time, though her name figures in the list of 36 star campaigners submitted before the chief electoral officer (CEO) on Monday.
Bansuri, Sahiram file nominations
Sushma Swaraj’s daughter disclosed wealth 719cr; AAP nominee’s assets are of 21.4 cr
Met dept sounds heatwave alert for Alappuzha, Kozhikode for three days
WITH Palakkad and Thrissur districts having experienced heatwaves over the past few days, Alappuzha is now facing a looming threat of similar conditions. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a heatwave alert -along with a warm night warningfor Alappuzha, marking the first instance of such an advisory in the district.
Temperature in Bengaluru crosses 40 degrees Celsius over last two days
KENGERI in Bengaluru recorded the highest temperature of 41.8 degrees Celsius on Tuesday. Biddarahalli also in Bengaluru recorded 41.3 degrees Celsius the same day, according to Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre (KSNDMC).
BJP may take action against Sobha over 'Operation Lotus'
THE EP Jayarajan row and the subsequent political developments could well turn out to be counterproductive for BJP and its state vice president Sobha Surendran. Embarrassed by her revelations that attempts were made to woo seven senior leaders from different parties including LDF convener E P Jayarajan to the BJP camp, the party national leadership is mulling action against her.
Won't allow quota for Muslims: PM
In aTelangana rally, Modi says the country’s Constitution is a religious text’ for him
NDMC deploys 8 new anti-smog guns to combat particulate matter
IN a bid to multiply efforts to combat air pollution in the national capital, the New Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) has deployed a fleet of eight latest anti-smog guns in areas under its jurisdiction.
Illegal construction in Waaf properties rampant, needs monitoring, says HC
THE Delhi High Court on Tuesday observed that unauthorised constructions were rampant in disputed Waqf properties and no one was looking after them, as it stressed the need for proper monitoring.