A former employee of IndiGo has said he resigned from the airline after being subjected to humiliation in the workplace, and was instructed to touch his boss’s feet during all the time he was working. The allegations have received a lot of attention on social media and in the public sphere, and are the basis for the discussion of workplace dignity, professional behaviour and what employers are doing to create a good working environment.
At this point, they are only allegations, and the company is required to respond with its own processes and any official response it will be entitled to.
According to the employee’s account, he was asked to perform the gesture as a sign of respect or apology in a senior official meeting and he felt humiliated and degraded in a professional setting.
The allegations have generated strong online discussion and many users say workplaces should be professionally, democratically and equally respectful but not coercive and humiliating. But others say it should not be rushed and that the parties need to be given a chance to say what happened before any conclusions can be drawn.
Corporate workplaces have codes of conduct that they have for employees and managers in place for everyone. These policies also involve respectful communication, non-discrimination, equal treatment and protection against harassment or intimidation. Human resource departments typically investigate complaints about inappropriate workplace behavior and remedy the problems with these issues in the workplace and settle them in a fair and confidential manner.
Employment law experts emphasize that employees must have a safe working environment. In case an employee believes they have been harassed, humiliated or subjected to inappropriate conduct, they might have access to internal grievance mechanisms, ethics committees or other dispute resolution mechanisms that the employer has set up. Complaints may be considered under labour laws if legal rights were violated.
An understanding of workplace culture in India that professional boundaries are important, regardless of the organizational hierarchy, is just one of the reasons why the incident will be at the center of our thoughts. While touching the feet of elders is a cultural tradition that exists in many Indian families and social situations, workplace professionals stress that it should never be forced in a professional environment. Respect is expected in organizations through the quality and maturity of conduct and manners as our leaders, not by the act of touching.
Industry observers say that the aviation industry employs thousands of professionals in highly structured operational environments where teamwork, discipline and communication are fundamental. Airlines usually have very detailed human resource policies and employee conduct guidelines to ensure respectful interactions between staff and operational efficiency.
The case has also increased the need for grievance redressal mechanisms in big companies. Not only should employees report workplace behaviour in question without fear of reprisal, but they should be confident that they will be heard. Whistleblower mechanisms, ethics hotlines, and internal complaint processes have been developed in many companies in recent years to increase transparency and accountability.
At the time of publication, there is no judicial decision on the allegations and the facts are being tested. Like any workplace dispute, it is important to distinguish between allegations and established facts until any internal investigation or official inquiry is conducted.
As a business culture, it should be a part of the culture that promotes dignity for all employees, not just those on a higher level. Businesses should promote professionalism, fairness, and ethics. The outcome of this matter will further fuel the conversation around employee welfare, workplace ethics and organizational accountability in India's corporate sector.
