Hello,

I work(ed) for an Indian IT Firm. My company has a notice period of 1 month. I resigned and requested for an early release and was ready for submitting one months pay in-lieu of 30 days notice. I also tried hard to negotiate for early release which did not go fine. I had informed them a date after which I could not continue. When that date arrived I informed them that I would not be in office from next day and I stopped going to office.
Now I am not being given the relieving letter/resignation acceptance letter.
I would like to know what options I have.

Thanks
Vatsala

I presume you had resigned to join another organization in India? If yes, did you tell them (during your interview) that you were required to give your current organization one month's notice, but yet they insisted on your joining earlY? If that is the case, your new employer should accept an undertaking signed by you, stating that your previous organization did not issue you a relieving letter, and that you had cleared all your financial dues before leaving the said organization, had surrendered all the property belonging to the previous organization (indlucind identity card and swipe card), and you will be personally responsible for any action initiated by the company for non-clearance, should one be initiated on a later date. Also write an email to the previous employer, stating that you had given your notice of intention on so-and-so date, and was prepared to pay for deficiency in notice period as stated in your original appointment letter (I guess it states so?), and that you are/were not in a position to continue beyond the stated date, that you had cleared all the known dues and had surrendered all the property, and that you had handed over your duties to XYZ (Hope you have done that) etc., and request them to issue you a relieving letter and send it to your postal address. Also state therein that you are prepared to go to them for couple of hours on any day mutually convenient to clear pending issues, if any. This should absolve you of any responsiblity on account of lack of a formal relieving letter, and a copy of this can be given to the HR department of your new employer as well.

Please let the forum know if your original appointment letter from the former employer contains any restrictive clauses regarding shortfall in notice period, except for cash payment in lieu, so that the seniors can offer their opinion regarding the same.