Giving impossible tasks to employees

Dear Client,

In general, no, it is not considered fair or reasonable for an employer to assign unrealistic or impossible tasks and then judge an employee or decide on continuation of employment without proper consideration.

An employer is expected to act fairly and reasonably. While they can assign duties based on business needs, those duties should be aligned with the employee’s educational background, job role, and experience, or the employer must provide adequate training, time, and support. Expecting a science-background employee to independently learn Tally, GST registration, ITR filing, and DSC creation within just two months, without structured training or mentorship, can be considered arbitrary and unreasonable, especially if these skills were not part of the original job description.

If an employer evaluates performance or decides on termination without considering these constraints, it may amount to unfair labour practice and, in certain cases, wrongful termination, particularly if natural justice (fair opportunity, feedback, reasonable time) is not followed. Such actions can be questioned before the Labour Department, Industrial Tribunal, or raised through a formal written representation to HR/management, depending on the nature of employment.