Stir now part of ‘corporate social responsibility’ of firms

Joshua Madan, co-founder and CEO of Covenant Consulting, had given a paid-holiday to his employees. What prompted him to do so was the unprecedented scale of the protest.  

“People gathered at the Marina beach were college students, IT employees or small vendors, who were protesting leaving their jobs and businesses behind. Why can’t corporate companies do that? People are boiling inside and want to be a part of something like this. Tamil Nadu has never seen such a movement,” he said. With the protests poised to continue over the next few days, Joshua said he is pondering on alternate working options. 

“We are morally responsible for the commitments of our clients too. We are thinking of options such as flexible hours or working in shifts to meet the deadline, while also participating in the movement,” he added. 

While many other companies haven’t granted official permission for its employees to participate in the protests, they haven’t prevented them either. Sujith Kumar, President of National HRD Network, Chennai chapter, said, “Though none of the companies are making an official response, they are not stopping people from taking part in the protests. Employees are mature enough, responsible and sensitive to the needs of the organisation. They may feel strongly about the subject and would want to stand by their brothers and sisters, to show their solidarity. 

While some have taken casual leave, others finish their deliverables and attend the protest. If they take an hour off to join the protest, they compensate for it. I don’t think work has been affected.” 

Shruti Parasuram, an internal branding associate at an IT company in Sholinganallur, has been participating in the protest at the Elcot SEZ since January 18. She said that her manager and teammates were quite supportive. “If the day’s targets are met, the organisation doesn’t have a problem. All the employees are taking turns, going in batches to support the agitation,” she concluded.