HR Guru Mayank Rautela offers practical advice.
Dear reader, are you just starting out in your career and want to know the right steps you need to take?
Not sure how to prepare for your first interview? Or your first online interview?
Struggling with office politics? Or with working from home?
Have a bad boss? Or a colleague who is undermining you?
Nobody seems to listen to you at meetings?
Have you hit a dead-end at work and see no way out?
Please send in your concerns to our HR guru Mayank Rautela at getahead@rediff.co.in. (Subject: Mayank, can you help?).
Sir,
I am 36 years old. I completed my BE in 2007 in electronics and telecommunications.
But I couldn't get any job and with lot of difficulty I got a job as a clerk in private bank in 2012.
Two months ago, I quit my job to give some time to my son. The management was also harassing me for canvassing third party products like insurance and accounts. And the working hours were too long.
I couldn't bear it and decided to quit.
I am at fault that I was too comfortable with the bank’s job and didn't learn anything new or get out of my comfort zone and try new things.
Now, I have exited my job and am also at a higher age. I want to learn something which can be beneficial and maybe I can get opportunity to work after one year.
I’m confused as to what to learn. Can you guide me? I live in a semi-urban area and in future also I would like to be here only.
Can you also tell me about some home-based jobs to boost my income?
I am ready to learn but I still don't know what to do.
Regards,
Confused and Anxious Viewer
Hi.
I can understand your situation and would recommend these possible options:
1. You can start your own business dealing with multi-level marketing.
2. You can consider a data processing/accounting role in a BPO.
3. Pursue a course in an area of your interest that can sharpen your competencies.
4. Teaching could be another possible career option.
Dear Mayank,
I am 42 years old, based in Mumbai.
I left my earlier company in July 2021 after working with them for six years.
They have not released my F&F worth Rs 5 lakhs (including my salary for last two months).
The company has a tradition of holding the money owed to employees who have left and not paying it for at least 2-3 years.
The company is a family run business and is operating profitably.
Mailing them and requesting them to release the money they owe me has not yielded any results.
Please let me know how I can get my F&F.
Thanks,
P
Hi.
I would strongly suggest that your reach out to a lawyer who specialises in employment law and send a legal notice to your organisation.
If that does not work, then raise a compliant with the labour court.
Dear Mr Rautela,
I am Himanshu Anand, 35 years old, from Delhi. I saw your article on Rediff and wondered if you can help me out.
I graduated with BTech in information technology in the year 2008 but, due to recession, placement letters were held back by companies.
I became depressed and decided to join my father’s distribution business where I handled sales and marketing for leading brands like Exide, Luminous, etc, and increased the turnover four times.
But now it all seems gloomy again, starting with demonetisation, GST and then coronavirus.
I have worked for more than 11 years but I can’t find a job now.
Please suggest how can I move ahead.
Regards,
Himanshu
Hi Himanshu.
I would suggest two possible career paths for you.
First, since COVID has now receded, you can get back to your family business.
You can increase your understanding and knowledge in this sphere by doing an online course on managing family businesses.
The second option is sales; since you have done so well in your own business, I am certain you will be a successful sales professional. Take up a course in sales management and look for opportunities in sales or even customer relations.
Dear Mayank,
My company has been taken over and while we have been told our jobs are safe, there are hints now that this may not be true.
I have been with this company for only a year and I am worried that our track record -- mine is good as per past reviews -- does not matter.
The culture of the two companies is also very different.
Our bosses have been changed, some of us have been asked to move to another city or to a far suburb.
The new bosses seem to be favouring their own employees over us.
Given the condition of the job market, how do I ensure I retain my job?
Thanks.
AD
Hi AD.
Let me start by stating two realities of a corporate job.
1. Mergers and acquisitions are a reality and consolidation of business will happen all the time.
2. No company can assure you for a permanent job.
In this situation, my advice to you will be to give your best in the current job and have an open discussion with your management.
Meanwhile, be open to external job opportunities
Dear Mayank Sir,
This is an off-beat question and I am hoping you can help me.
While we have parental leave, maternity leave, etc, do Indian companies have special leave, WFH, etc, for pet emergencies?
If not, is it okay to request HR to consider it or will it come across as frivolous?
For those of us who have pets, they are as much our family as humans are and sometimes they do face emergency health or other situations.
Thank you,
Ravi
Hi Ravi.
I am myself a pet parent and devote a lot of time towards the well-being of our pet.
Having said that, asking for pet leave will be too much in the Indian context, considering that such leave does not exist even in the Western world where many in the workforce have pets.
You can plan to take care of your pet by utilising your existing leave/entitlement.
- You can read all of Mayank Rautela's columns here.
Mayank Rautela is the chief human resources officer at Care Hospitals.
He is a management graduate from the Symbiosis Institute of Management Studies and holds a master's degree in labour laws from Pune University.
He has over two decades of experience in the field of general management, strategic human resources, global mergers and integrations and change management.
He has held various leadership positions across marquee companies, including the Piramal Group, the Tata Group and multinational healthcare organisations like CR Bard and Becton & Dickinson.
Please send in your workplace concerns to Mayank Rautela at getahead@rediff.co.in. (Subject: Mayank, can you help?), along with your name, age, where you work (eg, Mumbai, Lucknow, Agartala) and job profile. Do let us know if you wish to keep your question anonymous.
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