THIRUVANANTHAPURAM : Amid the meltdown in the educational technology sector, many companies are taking the Byju’s route — laying off employees — to wriggle out of the tight spot they find themselves in.
Even as Byju’s continues to sack employees, the scourge has hit Technopark in Thiruvananthapuram too. Edtech firm Olive India, an Indian subsidiary of Ireland-based Olive Group, functioning at Technopark had laid off a total of 55 employees from its two wings — Upskill and MyKademy — last year citing redundancy. This year, notices have been served on 12 employees while 24 others have received phone calls from HR demanding resignation. Having started their operations at Technopark in 2012, the firm is Olive’s only Indian subsidiary.
The Olive Group has been a pioneer in the field of education technology, offering various course creation and training solutions through its Olive VLE Suite. At the time of launch at Technopark, 200 employees were hired. The employees are now panic-stricken given the difficulty in changing jobs at short notice. Some who shifted base from distant places have admitted their children to schools in the capital, making another change of location impractical.
The employees allege the company’s ‘mismanagement’ has led to the pathetic scenario. An official e-mail sent to an employee by the company HR states, “Over the past four years, Olive has made significant investment in the product, Olive VLE, and the product has now reached a mature stage. As part of our strategic one-product focus, we have now conducted the development phase, necessitating a reallocation of resources. Regrettab ly, this has led to the conclusion that certain roles, including yours, have become redundant. Therefore, it is with a heavy heart that I inform you that your employment with Olive will be concluded and you will be relieved of your duties on December 29, 2023.”
A senior official of the company, who TNIE contacted, declined to comment saying the matter is sub-judice. However, an employee said on condition of anonymity there have been three rounds of layoffs within a two-year span at Olive Group, impacting 150 employees across three entities in the India unit —- MyKademy, UBI Academy and Upskill. “There are more than 25 additional individuals on the list for the upcoming round of layoffs,” the employee said.
The sudden layoff after having served the company for five years is devastating, the employee pointed out. “As the sole provider for my family, the financial strain resulting from EMIs, children’s fees, house rent and parents’ treatment is overwhelming. It’s a challenging time, and I’m exploring options to navigate through these unexpected circumstances,” the employee added.
A former employee who was sacked earlier this year said the layoffs have created an atmosphere of uncertainty among the employees. “It is evident the decisions made by the management are causing significant turmoil within the workforce. Instead of providing clear justifications for the redundancies, employees are being issued notices without a proper understanding of the cause behind these actions,” the former employee said. Now, the Olive employees are planning to approach the labour department seeking an intervention to protect their jobs.
Downturn