Wipro Chairman Rishad Premji disclosed on Wednesday that one of the top 20 employees had been let go due to serious integrity problems. Premji, who had stirred up controversy by firing hundreds of employees due to their involvement in side jobs, said that the decision to fire them "took about 10 minutes" when speaking at the Nasscom Product Conclave.
"The staffer was playing an important role in the company. Tough calls have to be made at tough times," he said.
"The policy related to integrity is black and white. The policy is clear on integrity violation and harassment. An employee won't be in the company if he violates any one of them," he stated.
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"He was well-connected and made all possible attempts to get a clean relieving letter. He had also put a lot of pressure on the organisation and reached out through all means. He was clearly told about the company's policy on integrity," he said.
Additionally, Rishad Premji urged the startups to make difficult choices and said that they must concentrate on creating profitable businesses since building a sustainable business takes time and complexity.
Noting that there is "an obsession to get unicorn status", he said that the founders must pick the right people. "The most successful people are more dangerous. They leave 1,000 dead bodies on their journey to success.
"This won`t take anyone far, (though) this might take one till a certain point," he observed.
