Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Ending abruptly...search for a new beginning

Life’s is a bit tough
If you want to do your own stuff

I realized this today, when I had gone to Indian Architect & Builder, where I was previously working that there have been changes and revisions in the contract document after my final letter that was given at IA&B. Just to reinforce my thought that my resignation has brought in a change…in whatever way, though it may not have responded to the same points and issues I raised, but someone did consider the fact that things have to be defined more precisely.

The following is what I had submitted:

Thanks for giving me an opportunity to be a part of IA&B. it is interesting to observe how meanings of notions too change with perspectives. I am referring here to your comments on “professionalism”. I did not want to part at such unforeseen terms, but I have to share something with you, without any ill feelings towards anyone:

1. Firstly I donot feel that my resignation/conduct has been unprofessional.
My appointment letter clearly states that I am on a CONTRACT and as per
that, i am eligible to leave the company (on whatever reasons) at a notice
of a month, which i was willing to. But on the other hand, the contract also
states that if the company wants to remove me, it has to do so at a notice
of ONE MONTH. I donot know which one of the above must be applicable here,
but my termination today itself is completely incorrect and the decision is
totally "unprofessional".

2. As my appointment letter declares - i have been appointed as a "CONTENT
WRITER". I have been more than upfront in carrying out activities such as
designing, graphics, site execution, supervision, preparing 3D visualizations, transcription and a whole lot of 'undefined' works for the company. Your "verbal" argument about being "multi-tasking" doesnot substantiate the profile as all of the above jobs are functionally specialized fields and technically, the company must have separately accounted for all the above jobs carried out by me apart from "WRITING". According to me, this has been extremely "unprofessional".

3. My salary for the first three months was incorrectly notified by your employee and was only rectified after i pointed out (which otherwise would have been overlooked). Even after complaint, the issue took one and a half month to get sorted. On the other hand, there was no intimation about TDS deductions or any such curtailments at the time of appointment. I have still not received a detailed induction which states the company policies despite of repeated requests to our HR. This i feel should be termed as "unprofessional" behaviour.

4. Listed Holidays, unpaid for and not even readjusted. These are the only set of 10 holidays that employees on Contract are eligible for. I believe as a part of "professional" conduct, the company should have followed its own rules.

5. (Talking for myself) I have still not been reimbursed for the expenses that I have made at the Expo Venue. A "professional" conduct would imply immediate sorting of due transactions.

Above all, I think I have been sincere enough realising the urgency of the situation during the Expo, and turned up even when i met an accident and broke my face. Also, I have been extremely committed in delivering important files at the exhibition venue even when i was medically unfit and told to have a complete bed rest.

Finally, i hope that the company will hand me over The TDS certificates of the past four months at its earliest, such that i may file my Tax return soon. I do hope to receive my due expenses made for the company and i believe, the company would be extremely professional in taking care of these two small issues.

I believe that the employer-employee relations should always end on an amicable note. I would further say that i have been honest and sincere towards my work at IA&B during the last four months, and i thank the company for accommodating me.

I thank you.

Anuj Daga.


No doubts that Sarita replied me horribly in a following mail, which I donot wish to share, as I do not want to expose the naivety of the ‘Head’ of IA&B in her own idea of professionalism, but I am happy that I expressed everything that I had in mind, before leaving the job.

Monday, June 01, 2009

Absurdities

Mornings for me are completely charged with emotional and inspirational thoughts. Every morning i construct a story in my head and decide that i will write it down. But the speed of thoughts is so fast than that we write, that i always end up losing many good ideas to write upon.

Some of these ideas are purely graphic...i wish i could draw and explain. So the million and one absurdities that my journey provides me with, every day, are lost. I will try and find a better ways to document them all one day...but i fear that most of the better ideas will have evaporated by then...

I want to express my ideas in motion...because lately i have realised that the dynamics of form is accentuated in motion. At the same time, some things can not be conveyed if motion is not used. Like:

Every morning as i come out of the churchgate station, there is the tempo standing outside the BIG BOX(the station) where fisher-women line up to take up the huge baskets filled with sea food on their heads to carry it to the suburbs of the city. The interesting part, apart from the grace of the act is, i feel, the gang of hovering crows, who, while flying, try and pick up fishes for their day's food from the big baskets on the women's head. I have a whole post to dedicate on this exciting event that happens every morning.

It's very embarrassing for me to take pictures of absurd moments in the city. while this becomes a very easy job for an outsider, i have not been able to capture the above in my past four months of journey to churchgate.

There is another one of this woman, with a cow tied to a tree under which she sits, and sells fodder to the passers-by to feed the same cow. The situation, i feel, is terrible, because the fodder is before the cow's eyes, she knows she has to eat it sometime, but it is only at expense of the on goer that she may be allowed to eat...

The city operates in a similar fashion. People find similar ways of managing their existence. Those are validated somehow. And those who choose other means; well i have another story on that!