Showing posts with label business. Show all posts
Showing posts with label business. Show all posts

Saturday, September 20, 2025

Swiped (2025) and the Evilness of Workplace Harassment

 

Watched ‘Swiped’ (2025), a film based on the life of businesswoman Whitney Wolfe. I was not aware what the movie was about before I started watching it and later discovered that an integral part of the movie’s plot was about workplace sexual harassment. The movie genuinely depicts the scenarios of workplace harassment which women face, as well as the working environment in the tech startups. Although, no movie can do 100% proper judgement to all the characters and all the events, so the movie can also be accused of showing a one-sided story from the point of view of the lead character Whitney. But being a biographical film, this comes hardly as a surprise.

When Whitney joins the startup, and she was not a coder or a software engineer or big marketing name; she joins from the scratch. The credit to spot talent in her goes to one of the founders, Sean. And for a while, everything goes in a dream-like fashion. She is happy at work, is appreciated by all, and the company gets its mojo and everything is going great. But then, she starts dating another co-founder named Justin. The movie does not even show a hint that there was anything objectionable in a “workplace romance”. And thereby, it tries to hide a very pertinent truth about the whole scenario about to unfold.

Workplace romance is riddled with dangers, that is why most good companies have a policy against it. It is a recipe of disaster. Whiteney and Justin are dating and in love, and it is not kept a secret. After a while, the real face of Justin starts showing off, as he starts taking credit for her work, starts sidelining her and pushing her away from the media limelight. Perhaps, he was cunningly aware of what was going to happen after the two broke up. The decision to break up was taken by Whiteney after she had had enough of sidelining by Justin. Things go totally downside after they broke up, with Justin showing totally abusive behaviour by harassing and defaming Whitney. I wondered what Whitney was thinking when she went on that road of workplace romance. Men are typically known to be sore losers when it comes to handling rejections from women they like.

Later, the whole story shows how Whiteney fought against the system which is against women as well as anyone who takes a stand against the workplace harassment. It is an inspiring story of how Whiteney goes on standing for what is right. But it is more of an inspiring story because of the fact that Whiteney did not go down fighting and goes on to achieve greater success in her career. And when a tricky situation comes again in the next company she joined, she still stands tall. Hats off to Whitney Wolfe and her inspiring courage.

At the same time, I can’t stop but reflect on the root cause of all the harassment she was subjected to, which was workplace romance to begin with. In one of my previous companies where I witnessed absolutely toxic work culture, workplace romance was not only tolerated but even ‘encouraged’. There was a policy banning it, but the management just went around the policy by changing the official reporting manager of one of the couples, to avoid detection. I knew of many colleagues, who went on to marry other colleagues, only by seeing the encouragement of this practice. I believe it was purely incompetence and a decision not to take a stand, which made the senior management not respect the company policy of not allowing workplace romance.

The truth is that workplace romance and workplace harassment go hand in hand. Male employees, often in superior positions in the company, if faced with rejection by attractive female employees in junior positions, are inclined to harass them until they are forced to resign or go emotionally broken. Whiteney Wolfe was able to come out unscathed, and the movie shows the harassment situations very well. She went through hell and came out safe, but unfortunately not all are strong enough like her. And even if one woman is subjected to harassment at workplace, it is a failure of the whole company’s policies and the senior management who are supposed to uphold the values.

I feel like wishing that may there be more Whitney Wolfes in the world, but I know this would be a wishful thinking. Laws and polices are designed to protect the weakest in the community; and the fact that the strongest ones come out unscathed of the hostile situations does not mean slacking the rules. Multinational companies are seen to be often lacking stricter enforcement of policies and rules because of lack of accountability of the senior management who know their ‘time is ticking’ and would be out of the door in a few years. So, why take stands and try to improve the workplace environment for the employees, and why not spend most of the time just to improve the company’s performance in the stock market, which is most rewarding for them.

Workplace harassment should be taken more seriously by all companies as well as by the lawmakers of every country. And when it comes to harassment as an aftermath of workplace romance, the only way to prevent it is not to go down the lane in the first place. I am of the opinion that everyone should maintain a purely professional relationship at the workplace, for one’s own safety and for the safety of others.

- Rahul

Thursday, April 9, 2015

Colleagues Offering Paid Carpool Ride: It is Business!

Recently there was a discussion in office about the colleagues who offer paid carpool rides to and from office daily, to other colleagues. They pick up and drop colleagues who pay them anything from Rs 10 to 40 or 50 depending on distance. As per company policy, company does not allow commercial solicitations inside office and hence it becomes tricky affair since the car-owners post ads offering paid carpool rides in the company’s online message portal. The car owners definitely like to say that it is not a commercial activity and they are merely “sharing the fuel expense”. Is it really so simple? A lot of people don’t agree with it. At the same time many colleagues who take up this paid carpool ‘service’ complain that the car-owners are often rude towards them and never agree to slight requests for example of taking a slight different route.

I think the person charging money for a car ride essentially means he wants to “earn money”; something which car-owners don’t want to accept. Because from fuel expenses to insurance cost, total expense almost remains the same no matter if they pickup colleagues or not. Hence whatever they get out of colleagues’ pockets is their “income”. Fellow travelers don’t have a problem in paying; because in all alternative modes of transport they were to pay anyway. But it is the car-owners’ ‘inferiority complex’ at accepting the fact that they are taking ‘money’ which is revealed in lots of indirect manners and gestures. Sometimes it shows in the manner they try to “justify” why one doesn’t really take money while taking money; sometimes it shows in their rude manner and attitude towards fellow travelers, which in a way is exerting their right, in a way telling the other guy who is the boss who makes decisions here, and hence we have this scenario where fellow passengers sometimes feel that the car-owner is not civil enough.

If you are running a business by running a carpool; what is the shame in accepting the fact that you are earning money? The moment one is not ashamed of taking money; his/her ethics will follow; as one would accept the “rights” of the fellow travelers. If only we think that we are not really taking money; we would like to believe that the fellow traveler does not have any right to demand (e.g. change of route). So the bottom line is – car owners, don’t be ashamed of the fact that you are earning money; and behave accordingly.

As soon as someone mentions that car owns take money and hence should be a bit more polite; they become angry and refute strongly the fact that they are earning money and they try to taunt at the persons who question them by claiming that they want “free rides”. This annoyance at a mere mention of the monetary part is interesting. I don’t think anyone is asking for free rides. But the monetary part is mentioned to drive the idea that the occupant is not beyond his humor to ask for a bit of flexibility (e.g. by going via a different route) from the car-owner.

Coming back to the rude behavior of car owners; I think basic courtesy is much needed. Kindness is very much missing these days of inflated egos. People offer carpools to earn a few bucks – but when it comes to take a bit of trouble to help a fellow person – they act as if their royal ego is hurt if the person dared to make a request. It is easy to guess that they are driven by greed (money) and not by compassion or make-the-world-green kind of ideas which could do any greater good for the world.

Even if the occasional lift-givers who act out selflessly (without taking money) appear rude, if they would, it could be tolerated or ignored. But the professionals who I think are more likely to have learnt and perfected the tricks of the trade and having optimized their route, picking points and timing to start and drop they are less likely to be flexible when occasional customer makes a demand; also fearing that other participants may learn to ask and may start demanding stuff which would need frequent changes in plan. If it were a matter of one day or occasional days, they still may oblige but since this is their daily routine, they don’t feel encouraged to be flexible.

Someone asked what should be a fair price to ask so that the persons taking the carpool service find it not in excess. I think there are no calculators but one could use benchmarks to estimate. One figure is the public bus’ ticket rate; another shared-auto rate; so one could charge slightly higher than these two other options which occupants have.

Now I am going to make a few strong points:

1) Carpools are not eco-friendly. A lot of people can’t afford to come to office daily in their own cars; and they are coming only because they are “subsidized” by fellow occupants. If fellow colleagues stop taking their carpools, such guys will find it too costly to pay for fuel from their pocket alone, and hence will take up “buses”. So carpools are actually cannibalizing “bus” service and if we have to promote buses, we should discourage cars as well as carpools.

2) People who earn money from offering carpools are basically making “black money”; because otherwise they should be showing the income under “income from other sources” field while filing IT returns – and I guess none of them would be doing it…

3) It is still better to take Cab service than this paid-carpool from un-acknowledging colleagues, because – taxi services ultimately pay taxes to the govt and hence all their earnings help in our country’s economic growth. But our colleagues only earn black money and it does not help our nation. So I think it is better to take any Cab service than carpool.


Have you thought about this issue before? What is your opinion on this? Let me know what you think using the comment box. 

Monday, March 26, 2007

Brand Building: Behind every successful Brand

Inspired by an article written by Mrs. Sudha Murthy; the original piece attached with at the end.  

Do you know what some people do when they see so many companies spending millions in the ‘brand building’ advertisements? They just laugh. They laugh because there are companies, though few, which are able to create such an incredible image for themselves that they dont need any advertisement. Their name is their advertisement.

The mon(K)ey minded

Both at the beginning and at the end, nothing we do is just for money. If profit-making is the sole interest of some company, I doubt it is in the wrong business. Then everyone should run F-1 races and every company should own a soccer club. There is something beyond money. Business is indeed business, but there is no compelling reason to bury your soul under the carpet (or corporate!). The worst thing about the race is that it is not a ‘nice’ race, but a ‘mice’ Race, and if you start comparing yourselves with the other rats who are ‘also running’, you end up becoming one of them. The message is that making an altogether different image for your company really counts. And to be 100% sure, that image should be of a helping ally, not of a raging bully; of a garden, not of a mountain; of a sea, not of a busy bee; of a home, not of a sulking dome; simply put, of someone who contributes to the society, not contradicts from the society.  

Can’t say ‘tata’ to TATA and the infinity approaches Infosys

Some companies like Tata Group companies and Infosys Technologies have created a niche for themselves in this regard. The impressions of Tatas have entered our bloods, as we have been ‘born and brought-up’ looking up to them. Some other Indian companies also put emphasis on ‘ethics’ and ‘human touch’ and this brand image pays them in multiple ways. But the hard world of business respects only the profit generating firms and one shall make a mockery of self, if one talks about ‘creating value’ and ‘affecting lives’ while the company bleeds financially. I believe the marriage of a humanitarian face and generation of economic value is a block buster combination in any market on the globe.

Proud to be ‘We the people’

The attached article will leave your heart swelling. See, how proud we all Indians become whenever another Indian does good. I wish more Indian companies can actually do as much to attain the ranks of Tata and Infosys.

I(a)mpossible?

The article is also a moral booster for the ladies. No one can stop them, if they choose not to stop. We fall, we get up; we again fall, we try to get up. Though the world is not as fair as ‘fair and lovely’, in the marathon of life, endurance, perseverance and attitude are the things that count. Whatsoever is the extent of globalization, successful and down-to-earth ‘Indian’ ladies like Mrs. Sudha Murthy will continue to touch the Indian heart and inspire the Indian minds. There are some messages which are beyond the bands of noises and beyond the valleys of silences to be calmed down. I suggest you should take a printout of the attached document and make all your daughters, sisters or friends go through and grasp it well.

- Rahul

***

A Humble Story

It was probably the April of 1974. Bangalore was getting warm and gulmohars were blooming at the IISc campus. I was the only girl in my postgraduate department and was staying at the ladies’ hostel. Other girls were pursuing research in different departments of Science.

I was looking forward to going abroad to complete a doctorate in computer science. I had been offered scholarships from Universities in the US. I had not thought of taking up a job in India.

One day, while on the way to my hostel from our lecture-hall complex, I saw an advertisement on the notice board. It was a standard job-requirement notice from the famous automobile company Telco (now Tata Motors). It stated that the company required young, bright engineers, hardworking and with an excellent academic background, etc.

At the bottom was a small line: “Lady candidates need not apply.”

I read it and was very upset. For the first time in my life I was up against gender discrimination.

Though I was not keen on taking up the job, I saw it as a challenge. I had done extremely well in  academics, better than most of my male peers. Little did I know then that in real life academic excellence is not enough to be successful.

After reading the notice I went fuming to my room. I decided to inform the topmost person in Telco’s management about the injustice the company was perpetrating. I got a postcard and started to write,
but there was a problem: I did not know who headed Telco.

I thought it must be one of the Tatas. I knew JRD Tata was the head of the Tata Group; I had seen his pictures in newspapers (actually, Sumant Moolgaokar was the company’s chairman then). I took the card, addressed it to JRD and started writing. To this day I remember clearly what I wrote.

“The great Tatas have always been pioneers. They are the people who started the basic infrastructure industries in India, such as iron and steel, chemicals, textiles and locomotives. They have cared for higher education in India since 1900 and they were responsible for the establishment of the Indian Institute of Science. Fortunately, I study there. But I am surprised how a company such as Telco is discriminating on the basis of gender.”

I posted the letter and forgot about it. Less than 10 days later, I received a telegram stating that I had to appear for an interview at Telco’s Pune facility at the company’s expense. I was taken aback by the telegram. My hostel mate told me I should use the opportunity to go to Pune free of cost and buy them the famous Pune saris for cheap! I collected Rs 30 each from everyone who wanted a sari. When I look back, I
Feel like laughing at the reasons for my going, but back then they seemed good enough to make the trip.

It was my first visit to Pune and I immediately fell in love with the city. To this day it remains dear to me. I feel as much at home in Pune as I do in Hubli, my hometown. The place changed my life in so many ways. As directed, I went to Telco’s Pimpri office for the interview.

There were six people on the panel and I realised then that this was serious business.

“This is the girl who wrote to JRD,” I heard somebody whisper as soon as I entered the room. By then I knew for sure that I would not get the job. The realisation abolished all fear from my mind, so I was rather cool while the interview was being conducted.

Even before the interview started, I reckoned the panel was biased, so I told them, rather impolitely, “I hope this is only a technical interview.”

They were taken aback by my rudeness, and even today I am ashamed about my attitude. The panel asked me technical questions and I answered all of them.

Then an elderly gentleman with an affectionate voice told me, “Do you know why we said lady candidates need not apply? The reason is that we have never employed any ladies on the shop floor. This is not a co-ed college; this is a factory. When it comes to academics, you are a first ranker throughout. We appreciate that, but people like you should work in research laboratories.”

I was a young girl from small-town Hubli. My world had been a limited place. I did not know the ways of large corporate houses and their difficulties, so I answered, “But you must start somewhere, otherwise no woman will ever be able to work in your factories.”

Finally, after a long interview, I was told I had been successful. So this was what the future had in store for me. Never had I thought I would take up a job in Pune. I met a shy young man from Karnataka there, we became good friends and we got married.

It was only after joining Telco that I realized who JRD was: the uncrowned king of Indian industry. Now I was scared, but I did not get to meet him till I was transferred to Bombay. One day I had to show some reports to Mr Moolgaokar, our chairman, who we all knew as SM. I was in his office on the first floor of Bombay House (the Tata headquarters) when, suddenly JRD walked in. That was the first time I saw “appro JRD”. Appro means “our” in Gujarati. This was the affectionate term by which people at Bombay House called him.

I was feeling very nervous, remembering my postcard episode. SM introduced me nicely, “Jeh (that’s what his close associates called him), this young woman is an engineer and that too a postgraduate.

She is the first woman to work on the Telco shop floor.” JRD looked at me. I was praying he would not ask me any questions about my interview (or the postcard that preceded it). Thankfully, he didn’t. Instead, he remarked. “It is nice that girls are getting into engineering in our country. By the way, what is your name?”

“When I joined Telco I was Sudha Kulkarni, Sir,” I replied. “Now I am Sudha Murthy.” He smiled and kindly smile and started a discussion with SM. As for me, I almost ran out of the room.

After that I used to see JRD on and off. He was the Tata Group chairman and I was merely an engineer. There was nothing that we had in common. I was in awe of him.

One day I was waiting for Murthy, my husband, to pick me up after office hours. To my surprise I saw JRD standing next to me. I did not know how to react. Yet again I started worrying about that postcard. Looking back, I realise JRD had forgotten about it. It must have been a small incident for him, but not so for me.

“Young lady, why are you here?” he asked. “Office time is over.”
I said, “Sir, I’m waiting for my husband to come and pick me up.”
JRD said, “It is getting dark and there’s no one in the corridor. I’ll wait with you till your husband comes.”

I was quite used to waiting for Murthy, but having JRD waiting alongside made me extremely  uncomfortable.

I was nervous. Out of the corner of my eye I looked at him. He wore a simple white pant and shirt. He was old, yet his face was glowing. There wasn’t any air of superiority about him. I was thinking, “Look at this person. He is a chairman, a well-respected man in our country and he is waiting for the sake of an ordinary employee.”

Then I saw Murthy and I rushed out. JRD called and said, “Young lady, tell your husband never to make his wife wait again.”


In 1982 I had to resign from my job at Telco. I was reluctant to go, but I really did not have a choice. I was coming down the steps of Bombay House after wrapping up my final settlement when I saw JRD coming up. He was absorbed in thought. I wanted to say goodbye to him, so I stopped. He saw me and paused.

Gently, he said, “So what are you doing, Mrs Kulkarni?” (That was the way he always addressed me.) “Sir, I am leaving Telco.”

“Where are you going?” he asked. “Pune, Sir. My husband is starting a company called Infosys and I’m shifting to Pune.”

“Oh! And what will you do when you are successful.”

“Sir, I don’t know whether we will be successful.” “Never start with diffidence,” he advised me. “Always start with confidence. When you are successful you must give back to society. Society gives us so much; we must reciprocate. I wish you all the best.”

Then JRD continued walking up the stairs. I stood there for what seemed like a millennium. That was the last time I saw him alive. Many years later I met Ratan Tata in the same Bombay House, occupying the chair JRD once did. I told him of my many sweet memories of working with Telco. Later, he wrote to me, “It was nice hearing about Jeh from you. The sad part is that he’s not alive to see you today.”

I consider JRD a great man because, despite being an extremely busy person, he valued one postcard  written by a young girl seeking justice. He must have received thousands of letters everyday. He could have thrown mine away, but he didn’t do that. He respected the intentions of that unknown girl, who had neither influence nor money, and gave her an opportunity in his company. He did not merely give her a job; he  changed her life and mindset forever.

Close to 50 per cent of the students in today’s engineering colleges are girls. And there are women on the shop floor in many industry segments. I see these changes and I think of JRD. If at all time stops and asks me what I want from life, I would say I wish JRD were alive today to see how the company we started has grown. He would have enjoyed it wholeheartedly.

My love and respect for the House of Tata remains undiminished by the passage of time. I always looked up to JRD. I saw him as a role model for his simplicity, his generosity, his kindness and the care he took of
his employees. Those blue eyes always reminded me of the sky; they had the same vastness and  magnificence.

*(Sudha Murthy is a widely published writer and chairperson of the Infosys Foundation involved in a number of social development initiatives. Infosys chairman Narayan Murthy is her husband.) *


Article sourced from: Lasting Legacies (Tata Review- Special Commemorative Issue 2004), brought out by the house of Tatas to commemorate the 100th birth anniversary of JRD Tata on July 29, 2004.