Work Culture, Policies, Management & Leadership Issues - Data Team Photon Employee Review

1. I worked in a Data Science team, and the organization does not provide long-term or stable projects. Most assignments last only 1–2 months. 2. After project completion, employees are often kept on bench without salary, and later terminated, reflecting very poor job security. 3. The project allocation team lacks technical and domain understanding. Allocation decisions are poorly planned and not skill-driven. 4. There is clear favoritism, with candidates from Chennai frequently preferred during project allocation. 5. Work-life balance is extremely poor: a. Employees are expected to work at any time b. No defined working hours c. Very tight and unrealistic deadlines 6. Micromanagement is excessive, with constant pressure and monitoring. 7. On multiple team calls, management uses aggressive and unprofessional language, creating a toxic work environment. 8. The company follows a hire-and-fire culture, with no focus on employee stability or long-term growth. 9. Teams are often led by people with limited technical or leadership knowledge, resulting in poor guidance and confusion. 10. During variable pay cycles, unnecessary issues are created, and in many cases variable pay is not released, without transparent explanation. 11. HRBP teams are not supportive: a. Genuine concerns are rarely addressed b. More focus on internal events than employee well-being c. Poor understanding of real employee challenges 12. Senior leadership involvement appears symbolic rather than effective. The COO is frequently seen walking around the work area with a cup of tea, but there is no meaningful engagement on employee issues, workload pressure, or toxic management behavior. 13. There are instances where certain managers, including leadership, have publicly scolded employees during calls, using a threatening or disrespectful tone, which seriously impacts morale and psychological safety. 14. The company uses ProHance monitoring tools extensively. If an employee is inactive for around 20 minutes, ProHance automatically asks for a justification (e.g., “Where were you?”), creating constant surveillance pressure. 15.Employees are required to complete exactly 8 hours inside the office. Even 7 hours and 59 minutes is treated as insufficient and may result in Loss of Pay (LOP). 16.Apart from attendance, employees are also expected to maintain 8 hours of recorded productivity. Any shortfall in productivity hours can also lead to LOP, regardless of actual work output. 17. This level of monitoring creates a highly stressful and trust-deficient work environment, focused more on tracking than outcomes. 18. The company does not provide basic office refreshments: a. No complimentary tea b. No coffee machine c. No tea bags or basic beverages Employees are expected to purchase everything on their own, even during long working hours.