Hangin' Up

When the VSNl’s personnel department offered the VRS to its staff as a matter-of-course weight-shedding programme, it did not expect that 950 employees would opt for it. In 2001, just before the Tatas took over, only 87 VSNL staffers had taken the golden handshake. With 950 employees—245 executives and 705 non-executive staffers—offering to quit, the VSNL staff strength is down by one-third. The VRS package ranges from Rs 3.5 lakh for workers to about Rs 15 lakh for executives.