What a nightmare.
Working as a woman in Pakistan is tough enough as it is. In fact, working as a woman anywhere in the world can be extremely challenging.
Everything from balancing your work life/personal life, raising children alongside pursuing a career and most of all, being seen as an equal in the eyes of your peers. Especially, your male peers. All of this can be extremely challenging.
However, this woman’s story goes to show that in many ways, we as a country have a lot of hard work ahead of us. This woman is making allegations of a horrific experience with her employers in Karachi is absolutely disgusting, unethical and inhumane. Asma Ziaq was hired as a Marketing Manager in AJM Pharma, in Karachi. However, when it came to it, her journey there did not end up going the way she thought it would.
In a series of tweets, Asma laid out her entire story from start to finish on how her pregnancy was allegedly used against her, ultimately leading her to resign.
Here’s Asma’s story in her own words:
This is about a toxic organization that I had an unfortunate experience to work for after graduating from LUMS with an MBA. I joined ICS Group of Companies (comprising of AJM Pharma, ICS Logistics, Scanwell and the e-commerce business ICS Xpress) in May 2017 and was hired 1/12
— Asma (@zeeq_am) November 18, 2018
as a Marketing Manager in AJM Pharma. I was under direct reporting to the Managing Director and de facto owner of ICS Group who promised me a salary of Rs.125,000 after probation as stipulated in the employment contract but starting bullying and harassing me when the time 2/12
— Asma (@zeeq_am) November 18, 2018
came for the salary increase. Over the course of my service I was transferred to ICS Xpress as Head of Merchandizing and reported to MD through Director ICS Xpress. Despite numerous confrontations the MD never paid me as per the actual agreement. The tipping point came when 3/12
— Asma (@zeeq_am) November 18, 2018
in May 2018 I became pregnant and potentially eligible for maternity benefits as per company policy. Within two weeks of the knowledge of my pregnancy I was suddenly terminated because I requested the Director that I want to avail my annual leaves for going to Lahore for 4/12
— Asma (@zeeq_am) November 18, 2018
Asma went on to say that the leaves had been rejected by her Director and stated that Asma did not have sufficient grounds for approval, while a male colleague was granted approval almost immediately even though he had no days left.
completing medical formalities as I intended to have consultancy in Karachi but delivery in Lahore where my in-laws and family resides. The Director denied me the leaves and said that I don’t have sufficient grounds hence the leaves are not approved whereas, 5/12
— Asma (@zeeq_am) November 18, 2018
problems for my pregnancy I was instantly terminated for being rude and unprofessional.
The purpose of this post is to highlight that women are still suffering workplace bullying and harassment at the hands of toxic managers today. I was told to go on tiresome field 7/12— Asma (@zeeq_am) November 18, 2018
visits in the heat of May and June even after the Director had the knowledge of my pregnancy. I was threatened by the MD of being fired every time I asked for the payment of my due salary. I had to support my parents and the knowledge of my financial hardships was used 8/12
— Asma (@zeeq_am) November 18, 2018
At this point, according to Asma, her salary had been withheld, no bonus paid, no settlement communicated, no termination notice and all the emails to her superiors had been blocked.
I sent 14 reminders to HR requesting for response before I got blocked from there as well, my calls are not put through and my maternity benefits are uncertain. All this mental torture and psychosocial harm has made my pregnancy really difficult as I fight depression and 10/12
— Asma (@zeeq_am) November 18, 2018
literally cry most of the nights.
The company was sent a legal notice regarding this but they refused to acknowledge the points mentioned. Apart from highlighting such workplace harassment issues, another purpose of this post is to encourage other females to fight for their 11/12— Asma (@zeeq_am) November 18, 2018
rights if they are going through the same problems and I would also like to get recommendations and feedback that could assist me in tackling this issue in the best way. 12/12
— Asma (@zeeq_am) November 18, 2018
Since the thread was posted, we reached out to Asma to get the full story and see how she’s been doing since the whole issue allegedly took place. Asma said she learnt a couple of lessons from the whole experience, unfortunately, not the best ones.
She said: “Seths like Adnan Hussain believe that they have the power to do whatever they want, not considering the situations of their employees and a toxic environment is created mainly for females who are already few in number in such organizations.”
She went on to say, “The weaknesses of the employees are used against them during times of needs. The MD Adnan Hussain was already aware of my financial situation and that I was supporting my parents back in Lahore and was also responsible to pay back the loan taken to complete my MBA however this situation was always used against me to force me to step back and not retaliate.”
“Companies like these mention “company policies” when hiring and firing employees when in reality they have no such policy at hand and no one pays heed to contractual obligations.”
Asma provided the official legal notices in her possession as well.
She added, “Unfortunately, I was not the first person to go through such a tormenting experience within a passage of one year. Based on the experience of some employees/ex-employees, the modus operandi of this company is that they first hire you on a certain salary with the promise to increase it on completion of probation. Then, they extend the probation again and again (in many cases up to one year).”
“If the employee survives all this and finally confronts them regarding their salaries, then they tell him/her to it her resign or be terminated or settle for the lower pay.”
“The culpability of the company is evident from the fact that 14 reminders were sent to the concerned executives requesting them to provide the company policy, the HR regulations, Anti-harassment policy, the composition of the inquiry committee for handling harassment complaints as necessitated under “The Protection Against Harassment of Women at the Workplace Act 2010”. Not only that the company never replied to any query they even blocked my email so that I wasn’t able to approach the concerned officers.”
“As a last resort, I have served a legal notice to the company and I currently intend to file a suit in the courts of law if no remedy is provided. Apart from highlighting such workplace harassment issues, another purpose of this post is to encourage other females to fight for their rights if they are going through the same problems.”
All we can try and do is make sure that if such a thing did happen with Asma, the message of intolerance should be reprimanded loud and clear. The way Asma and many other women out there are treated in professional environments is unacceptable and we must make sure it is stopped immediately. It is the system’s inability to provide support for women to continue being part of the workforce as productive members and not a fault of their own that they have to leave when pregnant, or raising children.
What do you think of the thread? Of Asma’s experience? Let us know what you think in the comments below.
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Cover photo source: The Express Tribune