Woman ‘forced’ to quit as company refuses to provide cab for late night shift

Manisha Kumari, working as a technical recruiter IDC technologies in Bengaluru had to quit IDC Technologies in Bengaluru She was working as technical recruiter and was refused cab even after the late night shift She was in the 6.30 PM to 3.30 AM shift The company even said that women employees were given higher CTC so that they could arrange their own transport!

Manisha Kumari, working as a technical recruiter IDC technologies in Bengaluru had to quit as the company refused to provide cab back home after her shift at 3.30 am.

IDC Technologies located on Hosur Road in Madiwala with its Global Operating Centres in the US, Canada, Mexico and India is the company accused of not providing a cab to the women employees returning home late light, reported India Today.

Manisha had joined the company in February this year. She was told that currently the company did not have any cab facility but would provide her with the same soon. But even after four months and series of meetings with the HR of the company, it refused to provide her with the cab.

Manisha was working in a 6.30 PM to 3.30 AM. She told India Today that many of her female colleagues waited till the sunrise in the office and then left for home. But her house was just 4 km from the office, and she was taking auto or radio cabs to reach home.

Manisha had even told Bangalore Mirror and India Today that she was harassed thrice when she was on her way back home in the private cab. When she requested a shift change, she was put in the 7.30 PM to 4.30 AM shift, which did not solve the problem. In fact, once she was harassed near Silk Board junction as the cab driver misbehaved with her, the second time she escaped from the clutches of two bike-borne men and the third time a passerby harassed her.

She also said that as the company was contemplating on layoffs, many women employees did not come forward to register a case or take the matter in their hand.

Speaking to the India Today crew, initially, the company tried to prove that they had cab facilities and women employees did not face any problem in the company. But when pressed for an answer on Manisha’s issue, one of the senior HR personnel told that earlier there were no women employees on the night shift, so the company did not have any cab facility. Now with women employees, numbers increasing the company was in talks with the cab services to provide the facility to women staff.

In addition, the company had told that the women employees were given high CTC so that they can spend on the transports themselves.

According to the amendment of the 'The Shops and Commercial Establishments Act, 1961' and the 'Factories Act 1948,' in Karnataka, provision was made for the women to work in night shifts with a slew of conditions to ensure their safety, security and privacy needs. This included written consent, provision of separate toilet facility, the first priority in pick-up and drop.

Manisha also had complained to All India IT Employees' Association (AITTEA) seeking help. She has also met ITBT Minister Priyank Kharge, and he has assured of helping her in this regard.