Pune: A case of an IT company terminating a cancer-afflicted employee has sparked renewed debate in the IT industry over job security and ethical responsibilities in Maharashtra's Pune, at the Commerce Zone in the Yerawada area.
The man is currently staging a hunger strike outside the company’s Pune office, demanding justice and medical coverage. Santosh Patole, who had been working as a Facility Manager for the past eight years at a multinational IT company named SLB, has alleged that the company terminated him while he was undergoing treatment for cancer.
Patole, who has more than two decades of professional experience, was diagnosed with cancer during the company’s annual health check-up conducted in April this year.
He was found to have thyroid nodule isthmus cancer. Immediately after receiving the report, he took medical leave in May and June for surgery and treatment. Until June, his treatment expenses were being covered by the company. On 1 July, the doctors also issued a certificate permitting him to return to work.
Patole was preparing to resume his duties in July when, on 23 July, the company suddenly handed him a termination letter. This not only cost him his job but also left him solely responsible for the expenses of his ongoing and costly treatment.
Patole alleges that the company cited, as the reason for his termination, that one of his decisions on a project could have caused a loss of ₹2.5 to 3 crore. He claims this allegation is completely false and baseless, as the project in question had not even been implemented.
He said the company refused to listen to any of his explanations and terminated him while he was still undergoing treatment. Since then, continuing his treatment has become financially difficult. Patole stated that the hospital care previously covered by the company has been discontinued, increasing both his mental and financial stress.
