Bengaluru: IT industry is in the middle of a storm again. Initially it was the H1B visa and now the automation industry taking away almost 10 per cent of middle level jobs. It is hard to ignore IT in India, our biggest export. And it is no surprise that when we think of an IT professional, we think of a glass office with all modern amenities, a fat pay package and a rosy life in Silicon Valley or our very own IT capital, Bengaluru.

We rarely associate exploitation with IT professionals, because we have for very long donned rose tinted glasses. “The IT industry has mastered the art of camouflaging. There is a lot of exploitation in IT industry that no one talks about. Other professions are always hauled up for being unfriendly but funnily IT industry has been able to maintain an image. From the beginning, many of us have faced exploitation. Mid-level companies take your degree certificates and don’t return it to you before two years. Yes, you heard it right, they confiscate your priced possession to retain you,” says Ritoshuvro Banerjee, HP, Bangalore.

“As freshers we were paid peanuts for more than 9 hours of work,” he adds.

Sayantan Das, IT professional in Altran Technologies India, says, “It is usual for an IT company to not pay late night allowance, overtime allowance,and make you work for two people. This exploitation no one talks about. Also, the on site salary wasn’t up to the mark,now with the new rule in US, things might get better in that country. You are made to sign a bond before you leave for an on site.”

Arvind Turaga seconds that, “Without naming my company, I would say that companies owned by a single man are completely devoid of HR policies. They run on their whims and fancies. They resort to lowest level of work ethics. But in such a competitive IT market, we all keep mum to the onslaught.”