BPO/KPO’s: Shades Of Sexism, Regionalism By Raja Ram in Bangalore

When companies advertise on their websites that they are an equal opportunity employer or that they support workplace diversity, exactly what do they mean? Biases at the workplace exist just about everywhere. Gender biases are probably the most prevalent, while regional biases come a close second.

Employment rules in India are at a stage where just about anything is allowed. In a society where complete strangers can ask you the most intimate of questions, members of interview panels believe that this is probably their birth right because they are on the other side of the table. More often than not, women bear the brunt of this. Single women are asked of their plans to get married, while married women are questioned about when they plan to start a family. A few BPOs in Gurgaon have gone to the extent of asking women to sign a declaration that they are not pregnant at the time of accepting the offer. Interview panelists are also asked to be wary of women candidates as they are flaky and may leave because of marriage, childbirth or husband’s transfer. Sources close to techgoss also tell us that at several BPOs do not confirm the services of female employees giving a variety of reasons so that they are not compelled to give maternity leave if the need arises.

Top employees in a large BPO in Gurgaon have been known to make regionalist remarks at public forums. In any team in any company across the industry, biases exist. Be they biases of region, language, or loyalty. While BPOs hire people from all over the country, there is, more often than not, a north-south divide. At a leading KPO in Bangalore, the HR Director is known to only hire people from his former organization. Anyone on the team who did not work with him earlier is mistreated, given poor ratings at appraisals, and not nominated for any training that the company provides. Such sidelining by the boss makes people leave in frustration. The positions created by the departure of these people are, then, filled with people from his previous organization.

In a classic case of regional bias, a Bengali team leader at the same KPO, gave his Bengali team member a 70% increment, just before he himself left the company. Another member of his team, who had earlier been adjudged the most valuable employee and whose contribution to the company was well known and documented, was given a mere 20%. And as in every BPO/KPO or IT company, people talk to each other about their salaries and hikes. These are nothing but open secrets. But questioning such things is not the prerogative of any individual.

The plight of employees in captive centres is even worse. When an employee from India is sent abroad, all he/she gets are some traveler’s cheques, some cash, and maybe a corporate credit card. No one is there to receive the person at the airport. One just hires a cab and goes to the hotel or apartment and lives off the per diem allowance. Whereas when someone from the “home” country visits, not only is someone at the airport to receive them and take them to their hotel (whatever the time of the night it may be), the person is waited upon hand and foot. This includes taking them sightseeing and shopping, keeping them occupied on weekends, endless lunches, dinners and cocktail sessions, all on the company’s money.

Are these declarations only meant to be on paper? A lip service of sorts? Is it that difficult to weave into our lives a common thread of respect and appreciation for our fellow beings, regardless of gender, age, region and caste? Racism of every kind has become part and parcel of the fabric of our society. Only the educated workforce can work towards changing it.