Cognizant, Accenture, Caspex accused of employee exploitation
The India branches of IT firms Cognizant, Accenture and Caspex have been accused of white collar slavery due to their bad leave policy, long working hours and poor incentives. Three Hyderabad-based employees and the Forum Against Corruption recently filed a case seeking improvements in work culture and an end to employee exploitation, said Vijay Gopal, president of the Forum Against Corruption. IT sector employees said white collar slavery is rampant in the state of Hyderabad, with complaints ranging from having to work extra hours without overtime pay to spending four to five hours commuting to work.
According to the Public Interest Litigation (PIL), “white collar slavery prevailing in the state in the name of employment should end”. The Telangana High Court ordered the IT firms to respond to the PIL within a month, and also sent the notice to the Telangana state government. However, the government can only give the IT companies a fine of INR100 if they are found to be breaking any law.
