Expected soon: a fair GAIL transfer policy
GAIL might soon have a more objective and fair transfer policy for its officers.
On November 10 (2023), the GAIL Officers Association (GOA) met company chairman Sandeep Gupta and HR director Ayush Gupta to push for a 'time-bound rotational transfer policy' of officers. Also on the agenda was a demand to fine-tune GAIL's promotions policy and address HR concerns at worksites.
A source tells us chairman Gupta pledged during the two-hour meeting to introduce a new transfer policy within the next few months. GAIL employs 3500 officers and 1600 staff.
Only officer-level employees are eligible for transfers. As of now, GAIL has transfer guidelines but no policy, leading to discontent.
"The guidelines are informal," we hear. "They are often implemented arbitrarily at senior management's discretion; a policy would be formal, and deviations can be legally challenged."
More than six months ago, the GOA had prepared and submitted a draft transfer policy at management's request but received no feedback. One of the main points of this draft transfer policy is that an officer should be transferred after working for ten years in one location.
"Sometimes we have officers at one location for 25 or 26 years after they joined as freshers," we hear. "As a result, officers cannot be groomed (to take on senior corporate positions)."
Most of these cases are at the Pata petrochemicals complex in Uttar Pradesh, which employs nearly 1000 people. "Such officers haven't worked at office locations," we are told.
"On the other hand, in Delhi and other office locations, some people haven't been transferred for up to 17 years and have never worked at GAIL's plants." The GOA also suggested that after an officer is promoted to DGM, he or she should be transferred more frequently, possibly once every five years.
Another suggestion is that postings to remote locations should be limited to three years from the present four. "Hardship location officers should get the next transfer to a location of their choice," we hear.
Also suggested is that officers with just two years to retirement at 60 should get their transfer postings within the same region as their current posting or at locations of their choice "to fulfil family and social commitments."