That Stupid Organization
“Please sign this document”
“Can I please read it first?”
“It is a standard document. Nothing unusual. But yes, go ahead read it”
After few minutes..
“Excuse me. Here, it says I cannot leave this organization within next 2 years”
“Oh that’s nothing”
Let’s zoom out from this moment..
A few years back I moved from national capital of my home country to IT capital of my country. From north to south. More than 2000 kms away. I had found a new job there. I cleared all my interviews. I personally met owner of the organization, who was also director in that organization. He said he was quite impressed with my experience and qualifications. They had confirmed my role and salary.
During final interview owner asked me, “when can you start?”. I suggested a preferred date. They agreed. Then he said, “you will have to submit your degrees and education certificates in original for 3 months. We have this policy here at our organization. We need to get them verified”. I paused for a moment. “When will I get them back?”. “After verification. Approximately after 3 months”. “What if I need them in between?”. “No problem. You just need to sign an undertaking and you can temporarily get documents in between”. I paused again. Took few deep breaths. Juggled in my mind all possibilities of me needing those documents within next 3 months. “Should be okay” I replied. But that was a hint. I had worked before. This practice was not that common. Organizations would ask for a copy of your documents. But keeping original certificates for 3 months was an almost obsolete practice. I agreed because I wanted to move to that city. And 3 months is not that big a deal. We shook hands. He said we will see each other again on my joining date.
I went back to current city where I was still working. Wrapped up everything. Said goodbye to my colleagues and significant number of students in that organization. Moved to this city where I was about to join a stupid organization. Why stupid organization? Well I don’t like to use abusive words. Otherwise after reading this story you would probably like to replace stupid with any of your favorite abusive words. Although I don’t encourage this approach. Abusing innocent words to express helplessness or anger is .. stupid.
On my joining day. I wore my favorite shirt, my favorite blazer. Called for an Uber. This city does have a nice weather. I will enjoy my time here. I was talking to myself during my Uber ride. I was also feeling little restless. But that I thought is because it’s my first day in new organization. It’s okay. New organization, new city, new school. First days are always less normal than regular days. I reached 15 minutes early. Entered the building. Met with HR. She took me to owner’s office. He welcomed me again. He looked like a nice guy. Must be in 50s. White beard. Not all of it was white. More like salt and pepper look. But he had positive aura. I liked his energy. Till then, at least. He told me that HR will take care of all the formalities today. Please sit with her and do the needful. I obliged. It’s first day. I am like a new code. This organization is like an experienced programmer. Put me at right place, please. HR and I moved to her office. She asked me for a list of documents. Meanwhile she got a call on her landline phone. “Hello, Tarun Sir”. Pause. “Yes Tarun Sir, I spoke to Mr Owner”. Pause. “No it will take time”. Pause. “Yes, you will get your documents”. Pause. “You should speak with Mr Owner”. Pause. “I am sorry”. Pause. “I spoke to him. But now you should directly speak to him”. Pause. “Okay, Bye”. Phone receiver was back at its original position. She printed a set a of documents. Organized it. Stapled it. And handed over to me.
“Please sign this document”
“Can I please read it first?”
“It is a standard document. Nothing unusual. But yes, go ahead read it”
After few minutes..
“Excuse me. Here, it says I cannot leave this organization in next 2 years”
“Oh that’s nothing”
“Nothing, as in?” I was curious. It doesn’t mean much, just sign it. She replied. But it says, I can’t leave within next 2 years. Yes, that’s because many people leave us within an year. “Do you plan to leave us within next 2 years?”. “Not right now. But I would still like to keep that choice open”. “Look if you plan to stay for longer time here, it should not matter to you” she persuaded. “Ma’am, that is not the point” a voice from my restless body replied back. “Well then you must discuss this with Mr Owner”. “I would like to, please”. After 20 minutes we both were sitting in Mr owner’s office, again.
“What happened child?”. His words felt like I was in company of some spiritual Guru. But I wasn’t feeling spiritual right now. I was feeling furious. And this wasn’t even half of the story. Day was still young. “Sir, this document says that I cannot leave this organization within next 2 years. It was never discussed or even mentioned during interview process”. “Do you plan to leave us before 2 years?” he repeated HR’s words. “Not as of now. But this is life. I can’t predict my next 2 years”. “You just moved to this city. I am sure you plan to stay longer here. And in this organization people have been working for last 10 years. You should not worry about this 2 years thing”. “That is not the point Sir. I might also stay here for 10 years if things work out the way I have planned. But you can’t bind me for next 2 years. And why this was not mentioned during interview?”. He looked at me as if he was trying to understand my situation. “Look I would need something from your side as a guarantee that you would stay with us for longer time. We will keep your degrees and certificates for next 2 years. Whenever you need them, just sign an undertaking, use them, and then submit back?”. “What?”. I wanted to say so much more than just ‘what’. But I couldn’t. My emotions pushed me out of words. I felt as if I was about to get locked up in a room, against my will. I wanted to argue, reason, shout. There were so many different emotions in that moment. I did not know for which emotion should I speak now. So I kept quite and waited for him to continue. “Look I have students here. I can’t allow a teacher (Assistant Professor, in my case) to leave in the middle of a semester”. That’s reasonable. I muted all my emotions. “Sir, I am a responsible person. I was a responsible and respected teacher in my previous organization. I am in this profession for love of teaching. I wouldn’t do anything that would risk students future”. “I know that. I like you. You’re the best candidate we could get for this position. If you care about students then you should not have a problem with submitting your documents here for next 2 years”. “Sorry, but I am not comfortable with it”. “Take your time Son. Think about it. Talk to your family and then decide. You just moved here”. Child. Son. Their was empathy in his words but no understanding.
I excused myself. Went out of the building. Called my family. Spoke to all of them. None of them was happy about latest developments, obviously. All because of that stupid organization. I wondered. Was it actually even an organization? Or was Mr owner in himself was the organization here. I pondered. HR did not have much say in all this so far. While trying to make sense of all this I was standing on a busy road. It was so loud. That noise of congested slow moving traffic. Car horn. Scooter horn. Auto rikshaw horn. In my country people are obsessed with honking. We honk even without a reason. Sometime just to entertain a kid, or to get rid of boredom in dead slow traffic. We honk to communicate. We honk to show anger. We honk to tease a girl. We honk to create pressure on traffic ahead of us. We honk to prove that we are superior, or impatient, or dumb. I am afraid if people stop honking on roads in my country, everything will standstill. Honking is keeping this country moving. Not politics, not capitalism, not democracy. It has to be honking. Automobile companies should not invest on more efficient cars. Probably they should invest on more powerful horns in cars. We love honking. We have so much variety of horns on road. Every popular song becomes a horn in cars and motor-bikes. We don’t honk for traffic. We honk for pleasure. We honk so often that sometimes we don’t even notice it. I hate it. But we do. Pooon Poooon! Beep Beeeep! Horn from a car broke my chain of thoughts.
I went inside the building. Met with HR again. After 30 minutes of awkward silence she took me to Mr Owner’s office, again. “We have come-up with a solution”. I felt hopeful inside when I heard those words from him. “If you are not comfortable submitting your documents. It’s okay. We will deduct 5% of your salary every month and then that amount will be given to you after 2 years. In between if you leave us, you won’t get any of that. Is that okay with you?”. How do I reason with these people? First, they wanted me to sign a 2 years binding contract on my joining day. Then they wanted to keep documents for 2 years. Now they are after 5% of my salary every month. And none of this was even mentioned during interview process. I wanted to run outside, rent a car, and honk.
I was feeling impatient. I had just moved to this city. I needed this job. I thought for a moment and then reluctantly agreed to that 5% thing. He asked me to wait outside. Told me that I can peacefully sign new document now. I waited for around 50 minutes. This time in reception area. HR was done with me, I guess. This time other lady came with newly printed documents. “May I read it?”. “You don’t have to. But you can if you want”. What does that reply even means? So you have some experts, who scribble some words on a piece of paper, I have to sign that paper, but I am not expected to read it. Stupid Organization, I told you in the beginning. After all this drama. I couldn’t take a chance of not reading that document. While I started reading that document, I thought to myself, I can’t trust them, should I even work here? On second page I saw that 5% salary deduction thing. It was expected. I was unhappy about it. But I needed this job. I flipped the page. On third page, I read a sentence. To be sure about it, I read it 3 times. It said, I will not leave this organization within next 2 years. It was still there. Maybe they forgot to remove it. Happens. I pointed this out to that other lady. She seemed less empathetic than HR. She read it carefully. “Yes, this everyone has to sign”. I thought to myself, lady, did you just wake up from sleep? I have wasted more than 6 hours discussing about it since today morning. I agreed for 5% salary deduction because I was not comfortable with 2 year term. I did not even know from where to start with her? I kept my calm and said, “but I have already discussed about it with Mr Owner. I am not comfortable with this”. “No, you discussed about not submitting original documents. That we are allowing you now. But this remains” she was rude in her gestures. With a smile on face kind of rude. I felt heavy inside. As if everything was about to repeat itself. “I would like to speak to Mr Owner again” I requested. “He is busy for today” she replied. “I can’t sign this. I never agreed to this”. I returned that document to her. “Your choice” she replied. “We are about to close for the day. You can leave if you want” she informed and went back to her office.
I hired an auto-rikshaw. Weather outside was still pleasant. But it was loud. Auto-rikshaw is an excellent mode of transport to suffer in pollution and traffic noise. Though it is practical in congested traffic. Driver just twisted its handle and moved forward while all other fancy cars looked sad and tired in office-hours traffic. Additionally auto-rikshaw has got its own kind of horn as well. That horn reminded me of my childhood days. Bajaj Chetak scooter days. That was my first experience to closely observe, touch, feel and try this horn button. Back then I did not know that my nation was so obsessed with this thing. I was running all different possibilities in my mind. I am new in this city. It will be hard without a job here. But on other side I felt a sense of relief. I was free. I just saved myself from getting locked somewhere for next 2 years. Or maybe that’s how they made me feel today. Sky was the limit now. Let’s say polluted sky.
I reached home. Briefed my spouse about entire day’s drama. We discussed various possibilities. We agreed that we would try to deal with this situation in a positive way. It’s not easy. Moving to new city. Planning future with a job in hand. And then within few hours everything changes. My phone rang. Reluctantly I glared at it. That HR was calling. It was 7 pm. Are they working so late? Why HR was calling now? Well, there was only one way to find answer to this. I answered, ‘hello!’. “Hi A, I am sorry about whatever happened today. This was not right. I can understand your situation. You are new in this city. It will be difficult without a job here”. “Thanks for calling R Ma’am. Yes it will be difficult. This is not how I had imagined it”. “Then you should think about signing that document. That 2 years thing is nothing. It’s just for sake of it, there”. “If it is nothing then you should remove it from that document”, I was disappointed. I thought she had called to inform that they will remove 2 years condition and I could start working from next day. But that wasn’t the case. During my further discussion with HR. I got to know that once I left that building in evening, Mr owner had called her in his office. He told her that she was not doing her job properly. It was her responsibility to convince me for signing that document. It was her job to convince me for everything that they were expecting from me. And that’s why she called me back. To convince me. “You should take this job, A. He will never agree to your request. He is like that” she continued. “Sign that document. It’s nothing. Find a new job. Once you have new job you can leave this one in next few months”. It felt childish. Her convincing skills. Or maybe she was genuinely trying to help me. But I couldn’t work at a place where very first day I experienced lies and manipulative behavior. I politely declined her request. What she had suggested felt morally incorrect.
I opened my laptop. Wrote an email to Mr owner, informing how they as an organization broke my trust? How it will impact me professionally? I wished them success for future. But I was hurt. Of course I never got back a reply to that email. But it was important to put it out there. I did get a call from HR after one week. Mr Owner wanted to meet me again. But by then I had decided not to work with them. I replied I can’t meet him again. They called again after one year. Obviously I had no respect for them as an organization. I declined again.
Professionally I had a tough time after that first incident. But I felt happy that I took stand for something. Our country has over 1.3 billion people. I am sure I am not the only one who had experienced something like this. There must be billions of other stories. Even terrible than this one. But we get used to them. We make peace with them. We cringe and then we move on. When you have people in excess, then they are nothing but like a honk in congested traffic. Some organizations would blow us like a car horn, just to prove that, they can! Of course there are good organizations. But this story wasn’t about good one. This story was about a stupid organization. That stupid organization.
Such organizations are the reason that people lose trust in them or feel demotivated at work. It’s a two way street. Both, employer and employee, need to work hard to build that trust. If an organization is worried about employee retention then it should act on improving its work culture. Make employees feel valued. Show genuine concerns. Asking to sign binding contract in last minute, keeping documents or deducting salary to retain employees, is so old school and inhuman in modern world. But I guess only smart organizations understand this. Stupid ones are still stupid.
