A LOVE ABRIDGED BY VOWS OF CONTRACTS AND CLAUSES

The story of Pritam Singh and Jagruti was an accident waiting to happen. Unlike their self-narrated description of “Love Contract” as a thunderbolt that hit them, the reality is it is hardly a novelty in today’s time. Companies adopt such doctrines and norms as standard procedures and culture that needs to be adhered to by the entire hierarchy from top to bottom in the company. Intermediaries technology is in fact a quintessential IT company that has to survive on two main fronts – Ward off its competitors and second, Preserve and then try and swell up its clientele base. A striking feature of the IT revolution in India is almost all IT companies seem to have similar culture. Or else how would you explain employees frequently changing companies or hardly any reports of an employee saying he is finding it hard or its taking him a long time to get used to the culture. So as such there is hair breadth difference between all rival firms and IT companies in particular.

Its no surprise the companies want a clearly laid out contractual terms and conditions and clauses explicitly stating their scope and breadth of its reach. They would prefer all rules and regulations of the company’s work ideology and corporate governance in Black and White with minimal human intervention needed to address issues. Everything needs to be specified and accounted for in the company’s own “Manual Of Policies”.

In the given case, it is quite a curious fact to note the GM(HR) in fact endorses Pritam Singh’s abilities. What he doesn’t endorse is his relationship with Jagruti and within the office promises. Hint of jealousy! The GM(HR) feared Pritam’s love for his work and career is being diluted and superseded by his growing fondness for Jagruti. In fact his attitude clearly reflects his bias when he asks if one is to quit among the two, it has to be Jagruti, the Software engineer. What is puzzling is why bring up such a “Love contract” now and enforce it with immediate effect. Wasn’t he aware such a situation could arise? and if not create a clause banning Dating and any kind of Romantic relationship in the office is a decision taken in haste and definitely not in good taste. There are some contexts that will enumerate a company’s hypersensitive reaction to any discrepancy in employee behavior.

First up let’s consider the movie Philadelphia in 1993. I am doing so because let’s not get caught up only in the Love contract issue but also analyse certain parallel scenarios where the company’s behaviour has been questionable. The movie deals with Andrew Beckett, a senior associate at the largest corporate law firm in Philadelphia. Once he contracts AIDS, the clients that once called him as their “Friend” now desperately want to wash their hands off him. In one such case when he is supposed to file complaints for a case, he leaves it with his assistant while he undergoes emergency treatment. To his horror he is accused of not submitting the complaints in time and fired from his job for inefficiency. Surely there is more to these lines than meets the eyes. All these measures depict the firm’s resolve to show the world and its clients that it is clean and safe. There are no AIDS patients out here even if they have been loyal over the years. This depicts a company’s myopia in foregoing the reality and relying excessively on the doctrine of clauses.

Much has been said of the vices of such a “Love contract”. Now let us imagine some scenarios where such a contract may not be all that questionable. In this case Pritam Singh and Jagruti are involved in a romantic relationship and they hug and kiss and have no inhibitions when it comes to demonstrating their affection in public. All said and done what if they break up tomorrow over some irreconcilable differences. Will the bitterness vanish and both will move on without hampering their performance. In most cases No. Indians are more circumspect in getting involved in a relationship and for sure less adept at getting over a relationship gone sour and move on unlike the West. Mr. Pritam can then use all his reach and influence to harass and block Jagruti in her career growth within his capacity.

Again there is every chance Mr. Pritam will look to favour Jagruti than her colleague in cases of promotion and preferential project allotment. It is easier said than done to maintain absolute and transparent distance between professional and personal life. Then there is this case of Pritam being considered for promotion to Detroit office. Surely she would like to follow him and pressurise the company into sending her abroad too. And this there will be constant hedging by both of them to be posted in same city which is only an added nuisance to the company. As such certain firms even base their recruitment criteria on the mobility of the employee like Sales oriented job or Banking job and yes IT jobs. So such a development will severely curtail the mobility of Pritam and Jagruti. And if the company refuses to oblige there is every probability she will quit her present job and go job hunting at place where Pritam is based. So right under the company’s nose, a high performing resource is at risk of defection and another employee is no longer as open in absorbing the company’s ensuing course of action.

All in all the company wants to stress there is only one code-like Napoleon’s war cry. The soldier is not supposed to form his own tactics, he has to blindly follow the General’s order. The company has one big, integrated plan and it discourages any small individual plans that don’t comply to it. Such Love Contracts only prove contracts are neither water-tight nor strictly they strictly adhere to employee’s rights , rather they are an instrument that is used by the Top brass to make, break , mould and rewrite all in their interests. A couple owning and running the business is acceptable but a couple as employees of the firm is a source of consternation. Finally I would conclude by saying that the very origin of “Love Contracts “ is an apt diagnosis for any future crisis and organisational diseases that may arise like the Bill Clinton sex scandal or the stalking of co-employee by Infosys’ Phaneesh Murthy,” Love contract” in itself is a flawed solution and a remedy that goes bust in addressing the core issue of how best to make the employees internalise the company culture without alienating them.