A.
Dear Client,
If you tendered your resignation following the terms of the offer/appointment letter then on the expiry of the notice period, the relationship between employee and employer gets severed/seized. , A service/employment bond itself does not create any relationship between an employer and an employee unless and until it is followed by the essential steps required to make the Bond valid and enforceable under the law. The validity of Employment bonds can be challenged on the basis of Section 27 of the Indian Contract Act,1872 which prohibits any agreement in restraint of trade and profession. The law states that an agreement (employment bond) will be illegal only if it restrains someone from exercising a lawful profession/ trade/ business. As per the mandate of Section 27 of the Indian Contract Act,1872, any terms and conditions of an agreement that directly or indirectly compels the employee to serve the employer or puts a restriction on them joining the competitor or other employer is not valid. The employee has the right to resign from the employment even if he has agreed to the employment bond to serve the employer for a specific period of time. In the case where the employer is able to prove that the employee is joining the competitor to disclose the trade secret then the court may issue an injunction order restricting the employee from joining the competitor. Further, Section 73 of the Act makes provision for unliquidated damages (not stipulated in a contract), Section 74 deals with liquidated damages (stipulated in a contract) and no compensation is attracted for mere breach of contract u/s.73. 74 of the Act unless such breach resulted in an actual loss or damage to the opposite party employer. Withholding of academic certificates, and relieving letter, F & F dues of an outgoing employee amounted to unfair labour practice on the part of the Employer. So, in the prevailing situation, if the Company takes any legal action against you and you are not holding the position of Manager/Supervisor but a workman as defined u/s.2(s) of the Industrial Dispute Act then after serving a legal notice to the Company, reach out to the office of the Labour Commissioner concerned for filing a complaint against the employer over alleged unfair labour practice to resolve the grievance. Otherwise, you need to file a civil suit against the Company in Civil Court seeking appropriate relief in the matter.
Posted On 08-Jan-2024
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