In a controversial employment dispute, an Indian company terminated an employee during their notice period after they took time off. The employee, who had joined the company just two months ago and was still on probation, had resigned citing a toxic work environment and excessive unpaid overtime. Adding to their troubles, the company also refused to issue a relieving letter, leaving the employee in a difficult position for future job prospects.

The employee, who goes by the Reddit username oreki791, took to the “developersIndia” community to share their ordeal and seek advice on obtaining an experience letter.

“I was on notice period in this company I joined 2 months ago (put papers because toxic environment – making me do unpaid overwork) and after I took a couple of leaves during the notice period, the HR called to tell me that the company has decided to terminate me and that they will not be providing any relieving letter etc.,” the Reddit user wrote.

The employee expressed concern over the impact this would have on their job search, stating that their salary had been hiked by 200% from their previous job, and without official documentation, their current CTC would be significantly lower, potentially affecting their prospects.

Following the post, several users on Reddit responded with advice. One of the most common suggestions was to hire a lawyer.

“Happened to my colleague. Don’t lie about this to your next employer. Get this in writing. Don’t worry about spending 50k on a really good lawyer. Please get a lawyer,” one user advised. Others echoed the sentiment, suggesting that the employee send a legal notice to the company.

Some urged the employee to document everything and communicate via email to have proof of correspondence. “First, get it on email. Then check with lawyers,” a user recommended. Another pointed out that the company could not legally withhold a relieving letter, stating, “They don’t have to give you a recommendation or anything. But they should at least provide a start and end date of your employment.”

However, some users questioned the necessity of an experience letter from a company where the employee resigned within two months. “Why do you need an experience letter from a company where you resigned as soon as you joined? If you tell this to future companies, it will only reflect poorly on you. And not to mention when they do a reference check with this org, it’s not as if your current org will sing your praises,” one comment read.

The post highlights a growing concern over employment practices in India, where companies sometimes use probation periods and terminations to sidestep employee rights. Legal experts suggest that employees in such situations should document their employment history, ensure all official communications are in writing, and consider seeking legal recourse if necessary.

The employee’s case serves as a cautionary tale for job seekers to conduct thorough due diligence on prospective employers before signing a contract. Meanwhile, the conversation around fair workplace practices and legal protections for employees continues to gain traction.