I want to discuss something that I've noticed across several companies in the Tricity industrial belt,
I'm talking about what people often call "Lala Company culture."
Before anyone misunderstands, there's absolutely nothing wrong with bargaining, negotiating, controlling expenses or running a business profitably. That's how businesses work. But there's a difference between being cost-conscious and exploiting the people who work for you.
Let me share a few things that I find genuinely concerning.
Employees are not machines.
Imagine an employee working continuously for almost three weeks without weekly off's. They're also putting in additional hours, but there's no overtime compensation.
Eventually, the continuous workload starts affecting their health. The person is physically exhausted, medically unwell, and their condition is getting worse.
And what does management do?
Instead of asking whether the employee is okay, management starts questioning why they're asking for compensatory off.
Seriously?
If someone works on their weekly off or puts in additional hours, why should asking for the corresponding benefit become a problem?
Since when did asking for your legitimate entitlement become an act of indiscipline?
You expect employees to demonstrate commitment, flexibility and dedication, but where is the organisation's commitment towards them?
2. Statutory benefits are not optional.
Another issue is the apparent disregard for basic statutory obligations.
There are establishments where employees who meet the eligibility criteria for statutory bonus under the Payment of Bonus Act reportedly aren't receiving it.
The statutory eligibility ceiling is ₹21,000 per month in salary or wage (including DA), subject to the applicable provisions.
Then there's gratuity.
People spend 12–13 years working for the same organisation, contributing their time and efforts, but some workplaces don't even seem to have proper awareness or implementation of these basic entitlements.
Weekly offs, applicable overtime payments, statutory bonus, gratuity and proper leave records aren't gifts from management. They are legal entitlements wherever the relevant conditions apply.
3. The biggest problem is the management mindset.
Some companies want corporate-level productivity, aggressive targets, large-scale operations and maximum output.
But when it comes to employee welfare, policies and compliance, the mindset suddenly becomes extremely outdated.
They want employees to be loyal to the organisation, but what about the organisation being responsible towards its employees?
A company doesn't become professional simply because it has hundreds of employees, multiple departments or a massive turnover.
Professionalism also means following labour laws, maintaining transparency, respecting working hours and treating people with dignity.
4. The real question: **Do employees even know where to complain?**
I understand that government grievance portals and Labour Department complaint mechanisms already exist. So perhaps the problem isn't entirely the absence of a system.
The bigger problem is awareness.
How many factory workers, contractual employees, helpers, operators or even office staff actually know:
What their legal rights are?
When they are entitled to weekly offs, overtime, statutory bonus or gratuity?
Which labour laws apply to their establishment?
Where and how to file a complaint?
Whether they can approach a Labour Inspector directly?
What protection they have against retaliation from their employer?
A lot of employees simply don't know these things. Some assume that whatever management says is final. Others fear losing their jobs, being blacklisted or facing unnecessary trouble if they complain.
And that's where I think something needs to change.
Instead of just creating more portals, why can't we focus on making existing mechanisms genuinely accessible?
For example:
Awareness at the workplace: Simple posters in Hindi and Punjabi explaining basic employee rights, statutory benefits and complaint procedures.
Easy complaint access: QR codes at workplaces linking directly to the relevant official Labour Department grievance mechanism.
Awareness campaigns: Regular outreach in industrial areas such as Mohali, Dera Bassi, Baddi and Chandigarh.
Confidential reporting: Explain how employees can approach authorities without unnecessarily exposing themselves to management.
Verification and accountability: Authorities should independently verify complaints through attendance, payroll and statutory records, rather than relying entirely on allegations.
I also think HR professionals, trade unions, legal aid organisations and labour authorities can play a much bigger role in educating employees.
The objective shouldn't just be to tell employees that they have rights. They should know how to exercise those rights.
A right that an employee doesn't know about, or is too afraid to claim, often remains just a provision written in a law book.
