Hope you shall take this post in positive spirit.
Making a choice for Employment and Employer is different from making a choice for pickles or sweets where customer is offered a piece to taste and decide before buying.
Employee should inquire from seniors, peers, employees of the company, Ex. Employees about the work culture (work hours), ranking, standing, quality, status, regularity in payouts, settlements, HR practices, training, scope to grow, conduct of seniors, HR practices, appraisal, increments etc before making a decision to join………………………
There is a compelling reason and need to inquire about such employers that insert conditions on service agreement/bond etc in job advertisement, selection letter, offer letter, appointment letter……………………………….The employee should be alert on seeing such conditions and must consult elders, lawyer/law firm before accepting the offer.
Employee should not act in haste or without consultation and thus avoid legal; traps.
Majority of the employers are inserting such conditions and are having their own battery of lawyers to advice them hence employee should also keep access to lawyer/law firm.
Employee should become member of trade unions. Support of trade unions help to become properly informed and take qualified decision……………
If the company has not provided any training that added to your special/extra ordinary skills, qualifications the company may not be justified in asking for some bond.
Did the company commit to provide anything to you/incurred heavy expenses in lieu of which it asked for bond…………………………………The liquidated damages inserted in bond are in lieu of what favor by the company?
In the absence any special favor by the company/incurring any cost it may not be justified in imposing any condition to serve for say 2 years…………………………….
Bonded labor has been abolished long back.
You have concurred to conditions laid by company in writing and have also filled, signed and submitted HR forms………………………….
If company is in the habit of making the employees work for extended hours then you could have raised an objection or asked for OT…………………….OT policy.
The work hours, OT hours, OT wages, Wage rates etc. are well defined in enactments e.g; Shops and Commercial Establishments Act....................................
There can be many reasons to declare employer as unworthy of being employed with and to contemplate separation.
If you just stop attending to office the company may issue mailers, phone calls, notices, legal notice, show cause notice, before termination on account of misconduct due to absenting, abstaining, absconding...............and claim dues from you...................
If the company issues any communication or notice in writing you may show job advertisement, interview call letter, job application, selection letter, offer letter, appointment letter, bond, show cause notices, termination letter, FNF statement and all other communications you have exchanged with company to a competent and experienced labor consultant/service lawyer specializing in such mater and give inputs in person, and proceed under expert advice of your lawyer.
You may find the attachments useful.