Turning employees into little more than bonded labour not only affects productivity but also causes workers to look for other options at the drop of a hat. Recently, a Reddit user revealed how workers at his company, fed up with the low pay and lack of recognition during their bond period, have been making a beeline for an exit, leaving the company in a lurch.
Taking to the popular subreddit Developers India, she shed light on the internal conditions of a company where new hires—both fresh graduates and professionals with prior experience—are bound by a compulsory two-year commitment. During this bond period, employees receive extremely modest salaries ranging between Rs 12,000 and Rs 15,000 per month.
What has added to the frustration is the absence of a merit-based appraisal system. Salary increases are linked only to the number of years served, not to actual performance or contribution. Even then, the annual raise is a negligible Rs 1,000 to Rs 3,000—and not every employee receives one. This rigid structure has naturally bred dissatisfaction across the workforce.
Over the past year, the organization has refrained from hiring any new employees. Instead, the entire operational burden has been carried by the existing staff. Most of them are nearing the end of their bond period or have just completed it. Unsurprisingly, many are now actively seeking new opportunities that offer better pay and recognition. After spending years stuck in a low-paying, underappreciated role, the desire to move on is both rational and expected.
However, the management’s reaction to this growing trend has been troubling. Instead of addressing the core issues—such as salary disparities, lack of appreciation, or career growth—they’ve resorted to stricter control. Employees have reported an increasing number of leave requests being denied without valid justification. Moreover, some team leaders and supervisors have begun exerting undue pressure, taking advantage of their positions to control or intimidate their teams.
This has further fueled an environment rife with internal politics, favoritism, and intrusive micromanagement. These actions appear to be hasty and panicked attempts to curb attrition, rather than thoughtful strategies to retain talent.
The overarching sentiment among the workforce is clear: the company never intended to invest in the long-term growth of its employees. Its goal seemed limited to extracting maximum output at the lowest cost for a fixed duration. Such short-sighted tactics have begun to backfire. Rather than fostering loyalty, the organization is inadvertently pushing talent out the door.
In an era where employees have access to better job options and platforms for voicing grievances, companies clinging to exploitative practices risk not just losing their workforce—but also their reputation.