BENGALURU: US-headquartered software unicorn HighRadius, with offices in India in Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Bhubaneshwar, has come under enormous flak for the "abrupt and insensitive fashion" in which it has fired its employees. The latest round of removal of 25 employees, all probationers, in Bengaluru happened on November 9 which has led to much heartburn.
A highly-placed source in Bengaluru, witness to the removal of staff happening since one random day in July when 200 staffers were abruptly asked to leave across its branches in India, told The New Indian Express, “Just out of the blue, they walk into a specific department and call out a few names. They are herded into the conference room and are told they are being relieved the same day. All are forced to log in to a separation window created online and file a separation from the company.”
He added, "The talk going around inside the concern is that they want to remove 1,200 employees by January 2023 before the March appraisals.”
While probationers are given a month's pay to leave, permanent employees are promised three months of severance pay.
One of the fired probationers, a software engineer, requesting anonymity said, "After being told we had to leave on November 9, we were forced to submit our resignation. Our ID cards and laptops were taken away instantly. We were not allowed to speak with anyone even to tell them bye. The names of those who spoke with us were noted down. I wanted to use the washroom. A minder accompanied me till the washroom and back to ensure that I did not interact with anyone!"
The official reason given was that I had not given my 100% which is completely untrue. "I was an intern for a year and four months and then made a full-time employee only due to my performance. Four months after that, my performance is made an excuse."
Nikki Kumari, a sacked employee, was among a few who took to Linkedin to share their traumatic experience. In her post, she alleged, "They might call it resignation but it is a highly motivated mass termination which is saving them the severance."
Another employee charged the concern was fully run by interns who are exploited completely and paid a paltry Rs 15,000.
Without giving specific responses to the charges being made against its treatment of employees, Pooja Palviya, Vice President, People and Culture, HighRadius in a written statement, said, "We have a high-performance, meritocratic culture and follow some of the best HR practices in the world. We regularly review performance across our employee base and look for opportunities to top-grade our talent. We do not influence employees under any circumstance, and people leaving are eligible for severance as stipulated in their employment contracts."
The concern had already hired 700 staff in 2022 and continues to do so. In addition, 1,000 internees joined them as full-time employees, she added.