Hyderabad: A former Tech Mahindra employee staged a silent protest on Thursday, July 23, outside her office in Hyderabad’s Raidurgam, alleging workplace harassment.
Bhavana says she joined Tech Mahindra around five months ago. After completing training, she fell extremely sick. In June, she applied for a 13-day sick leave because of her deteriorating health.
However, despite informing the company about her health condition, she claimed she was repeatedly pressured to resume work. “I received a warning letter in the most inappropriate language. I was not in a position to reply, so my husband was in contact with the company. They told him that only employees can reply,” she said.
She said that after receiving emails warning of disciplinary action against her, she re-joined Tech Mahindra. However, she faced cab service troubles provided by the company, making it difficult for her to attend work on certain days.
According to Bhavana, her supervisors frequently questioned her movements, even when she wanted to use the washroom. “It was very humiliating. I have never experienced such treatment in any organisation,” she said.
Things went for a toss when her daughter fell sick, and she applied for emergency leave. “I thought they would understand a mother’s ache. But my concerns were ignored. My team leader asked me to log in. During that time, I received some calls from my family who said my daughter’s condition was not improving. I assured my team leader I would compensate for the days,” Bhavana said.
Bhavana was only able to join the company on Tuesday (June 21). “I shared all the medical reports with my team leader and manager. When I logged in, I was shocked to see multiple emails demanding I should rejoin as soon as possible. It got me thinking: how could I work in such a toxic environment?” she wondered.
Tech Mahindra is yet to respond to the allegations.
The software engineer alleged she was eventually terminated from her job in “violation of labour laws.” She has filed a police complaint but states that a first information report (FIR) is yet to be filed.
“Tech Mahindra has a toxic environment for women to work,” she said.
Mounting work pressure and alleged workplace harassment have become growing concerns for thousands of IT employees.
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