New Delhi, July 29 -- On Sunday, 27 July, a techie's quiet afternoon nap was abruptly snapped by the sharp ping of a mobile notification. It was an email from his employer of four years, Tata Consultancy Services. The information technology (IT) services giant informed him (and others) that 2% of its workforce would be 'affected' as "part of strategic initiatives including investments in new tech areas". In other words, they would be asked to leave the company.

Within a few hours, the techie, who declined to be identified when he spoke with Mint, received another email, this time from his HR manager, requesting that he attend a meeting on Monday. The meeting has since been postponed to an unspecified date, so his fate is yet unknown. But...