Company suddenly closed after Diwali celebration, employees left without salary

As the festival of Diwali approaches, working people often have questions about holidays. In this regard, one company published a schedule that caused a big stir on social media. The company provided employees with a continuous five-day break during Diwali, followed by the option to work from home for three days.

According to the company's email, employees will have November 6 off for Dhanteras. Following this, November 7 is Small Diwali, and November 8 is a holiday for Diwali, which coincides with regular weekend days (Saturday and Sunday). Additionally, November 9 is announced as a holiday for Govardhan Puja and November 10 for Bhai Dooj. Thus, employees will receive a continuous five-day break from November 6 to November 10, which includes three public holidays and two regular weekend days.

In addition to the holiday leave, the company also supported its employees after the festive break. According to the letter, on November 11, 12, and 13, employees can work remotely instead of coming to the office. The company also noted that the workload will be reduced during these three days. This will be followed by the regular weekend days—November 14 and 15. This gives employees the opportunity to both work from home and rest after the holidays.

An employee shared her joy about this announcement on LinkedIn. Shivani Singh posted a screenshot of the email, expressing that the happiness from such a number of holidays is hard to describe in words. She thanked CareerPartner, noting that she is proud to be part of a company that values its employees' happiness.

Shivani's post received many comments. Some users called the schedule wonderful, while others mentioned the holidays at their offices. One user noted that they have no holidays in November except for Sunday. Another user jokingly asked the company for employment. Some users called the employees happy, while others questioned the availability of open vacancies at the company.

A dispute arose in a Bangalore residential complex, which became the subject of discussion in a WhatsApp chat after one resident shared a screenshot of correspondence on the social network X. The discussion concerned the advisability of hiring a nanny who already works in another household by offering her a higher salary.

The situation began when a resident expressed dissatisfaction in the group chat. He noted that some people are trying to hire a nanny from another place by tempting her with an increased salary. Specifically, a case was mentioned where one family offered the nanny a salary of 20,000 rupees per month for work from 9 am to 6 pm.

This resident questioned the necessity of trying to attract a nanny from another home, arguing that the relationship between the nanny and the family goes beyond just finances. He emphasized that trust is built in the care of young children, and children gradually get used to the nanny. Therefore, if another family hires this nanny for a large sum of money, it could create problems for the first family, forcing them to find someone new and wait for the children to adjust to new care.

Other chat participants also received a message warning about attempts to hire a nanny for increased pay. This message recommended looking for new nannies through specialized websites and platforms instead of attracting those who already work in another household.

Following the publication of the X correspondence screenshot, a wide discussion started on social media. Many residents of the complex expressed disagreement with one participant's position. They argued that the nanny has every right to work wherever she is offered a higher salary. One user asked: if a company employee can change jobs for a 10% salary increase or leave a bad boss, why can't a woman working at home make a similar choice?

Another commenter stated that a person's job in someone's home does not mean they must stay there forever. If a family offers better conditions and higher pay, the nanny should have the freedom to choose. Some also noted that if a family wants to keep their nanny, they should increase her salary and provide good treatment.

The central issue in this situation is the rights and preferences of domestic workers. On one hand, families want the worker to stay with them for a long time to ensure uninterrupted childcare and household duties. On the other hand, domestic workers also have the right to choose better working conditions and fair pay. A person cannot be forced to stay in a less favorable job just because they previously worked in another household.

Currently, the discussion in the WhatsApp chat of this Bangalore residential complex remains a topic of attention on social media. According to India Today, the post published on X garnered over 44.5 thousand views. This incident raised an interesting question: if high-ranking officials can change jobs for more money, why are women working in homes deprived of such a right?

In the corporate environment, layoff announcements are often limited to workforce reduction and cost-cutting measures for the company. However, this also affects individuals who have to tell their colleagues about the necessity of layoffs. One employee, working as a delivery manager at an IT company in Chennai, shared a similar experience on the Reddit platform.

In his post, he stated that senior executives instructed him to fire twelve employees by Friday. He specified that all these people had worked with him since 2016 and addressed him affectionately as 'Anna,' which means older brother.

The manager wrote on Reddit that the company's senior management invited him to a closed meeting. There, they handed him an Excel spreadsheet with the names of twelve employees and required him to dismiss them all by Friday. According to the manager, he was supposed to hold a separate 15-minute meeting with each of these employees. He had worked with these people for about ten years, and for him, they were not just team members but like family.

The manager touched upon not only the topic of layoffs in his post but also many emotional aspects. He recounted that the team had repeatedly stayed in the office until three in the morning to solve production-related problems. Their daily life included shared meals, off-site tea breaks, and attending each other's weddings. The fact that team members called him 'Anna' made him upset when he was tasked with the responsibility of firing people he had worked with for so long.

In the post, the manager also mentioned the personal issues of some team members. He noted that one senior developer had taken out a large mortgage loan just four months prior. Another employee was dealing with his mother battling cancer, and his family depended on the company's medical insurance for treatment. A third employee was preparing for childbirth the following month. The manager expressed concern about how he could inform these people about the reduction during such a difficult time.

The manager also questioned the decision of the top management. He stated that layoff decisions are made by senior officials, but the responsibility for informing employees and managing their reaction falls on managers. He admitted that at one point, he considered quitting to avoid the duty of firing his colleagues. However, his wife explained to him that if he refused this job, someone else would take on this responsibility.

After publishing this post on Reddit, a discussion began regarding employment stability. Some users deemed government service more reliable, while others pointed out that in the private sector, despite better salaries and career opportunities, there is a risk of layoffs. Some also questioned whether the concept of job stability should mean the absence of accountability. During the discussion, many users agreed that the role of those making layoff decisions and the role of managers delivering that decision to employees are different. The manager's story shows that firing is not only a difficulty for the laid-off workers but also an emotionally heavy ordeal for those forced to announce it.