Love as IPR (Intellectual’s ‘Pyaar’ Rights)

At the time of posting this blog enough has already been said about the love contract, why is it used by a company, when it is invoked, its implications keeping in mind the employee’s and employer’s interest. I worked for two years in a manufacturing set up where the possibility of such a situation is remote simply because of the conspicuous absence of the fairer sex( To our disappointment even the HR managers were male). So when I first went through the blog I was a little surprised that such contracts even exist and more importantly invoked by the employer in certain cases. May be people from IT/ITES/BPO background will have seen this from a closer point if not firsthand (god forbid). But looking by putting on their glasses also I felt a tad disturbed. Not because as many reason that it is an infringement on personal rights. Some have counter argued saying its necessary because it discourages such practices which may eventually lead to sexual harassment or situations which do not bode well for the organisation’s PR. This ‘discouragement’ is where i felt a pinch. Feelings of love and intimacy cannot be dismissed as something that emanated from the non-intellectual part of the brain. The organisation’s goals are achieved not by the prowess of one individual but by a team effort. Each individual of the team interacts with one another, goes through the highs and lows before achieving the goal. Sure the organisation recognises this and compensates for the end result achieved. But does it recognise the realignment of likes and prejudices which the members go through while achieving this goal. A particular member may develop an affinity or dislike of varying degree while achieving the goal. It’s a by- product of the interaction process which the company facilitates and gives resources for the same. The company very ruthlessly sees it as a liability and wants to dissociate itself from it while it takes full ownership of the product that it delivered. IPR rules are framed to capture any product or idea from a person’s brain while the emotional by products which are but natural are termed as unhealthy, and are discouraged by rules or contracts. Love contracts are nothing but a de-recognition , dismissal and an attempt to inhibit this natural emotional change that takes place inside a human brain after a certain process intended to achieve a goal. Applying this concept to the story it is not surprising that the GM(HR) forced Pritam to sign the contract as he saw the relationship as an undesirable by-product of the powers which the company vested in Pritam and wanted to dissociate the organisation from it. Whether he was within his rights to force Pritam to sign the contract can be debated but by doing so demonstrated that he is not a guide but just a superior, in other words another brick in the wall.