Hyderabad: Multinational company Verizon Data Services India is resorting to mass layoffs of techies in Hyderabad. Employees of the US-based company in cities across India are being asked to leave immediately.
According to the Forum of IT Professionals (FORIT), 300 plus employees from Hyderabad, and overall 900 employees from India, have reportedly been shown the door.
Verizon did not disclose the number of employees whose services were terminated, but said, “Market reality is marked by fierce competition.”
From what employees reported later, the whole exercise was carefully planned, with security in attendance in case of trouble. Each employee was called to a meeting and informed about the termination of service by the HR department.
A retrenched employee said, “They called for a meeting saying that there is a discussion. There were bouncers, a doctor, and HR present in the meeting room. They took away my phone.”
Verizon did not cite reasons for sacking
A retrenched employed said, “They checked if I initiated a recording on my phone. I was informed of the termination. I resisted the termination, but the doctor counselled me that this is the best offer. Had I resisted further, they would have manhandled me. They gave back my phone and asked me to leave, without letting me to get to my desk.”
This employee had worked in the company for about four years and was told to leave without citing any reasons. Three months salary was given along with the termination letter. Security has been apparently beefed up at the Verizon office.
Kiran Chandra of Forum of IT Professionals (FORIT) condemned the cruel manner in which the layoffs are taking place. He said, “This is the meanest way of termination — attacking a law-abiding citizen’s self-esteem. They have employed bouncers and doctors along with HR managers. We can see uniformed hooligans patrolling at desks so that employees cannot talk to each other. Counselling them that the offer is good by a psychiatrist inside a meeting room is unimaginable. FORIT will reach out to Medical Council of India against such a doctor.”
FORIT is currently engaged in counselling the laid-off employees. Mr Chandra has also demanded that the government of Telangana intervene immediately as the labour commissioner has not heeded their request to do so.
Verizon’s official statement said: “We are consolidating our strategy so we can scale, compete and continue to be successful. The transformation entails rationalisation of roles which has an impact on headcount...We are doing role rationalisation not to meet a specific number but to match the talent with the requirements of the business for its future.”
