A leaked email from YesMadam, a tech-enabled home salon and beauty platform, has sparked widespread criticism online. The internal communication, shared by IndiGo's Associate Director of Digital Marketing on LinkedIn, revealed that the company terminated employees who reported significant stress in a recent workplace survey.
The email stated:
"We recently conducted a survey to understand your feelings about stress at work. Many of you shared your concerns, which we deeply value and respect. As a company committed to fostering a healthy and supportive work environment, we have carefully considered the feedback. To ensure no one remains stressed at work, we have made the difficult decision to part ways with employees who indicated significant stress. This decision is effective immediately and impacted employees will receive further details separately. Thank you for your contributions."
The decision, presented as a move to promote a stress-free work environment, was met with sharp criticism on LinkedIn. One user remarked, "This is the weirdest, most illogical, and unethical reason for layoffs. Tell me this is a joke." Another user questioned the company's intent, speculating it might be a publicity stunt: "Hope this isn’t one of those gimmicks for attention. This is going to backfire real bad."
This controversy has reignited conversations about India’s work culture and its impact on employee well-being. A report by MediBuddy and CII revealed that 62% of Indian employees experience burnout, significantly higher than the global average of 20%. Factors like poor work-life balance and intense work environments contribute to this alarming statistic. The study also highlighted that job seekers increasingly prioritize companies with robust employee wellness programs.
Concerns over workplace stress reached new heights after the tragic case of Anna Sebastian Perayil, a young professional at Ernst & Young (EY) in Pune. Her mother, Anita Augustine, accused the company of subjecting her daughter to excessive work hours, alleging it contributed to her untimely death just four months into the role.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), over half the global workforce faces mental health challenges, with anxiety disorders affecting 15% of working-age adults. Anxiety and depression are estimated to cause the loss of 12 billion working days annually, costing the global economy a staggering $1 trillion in lost productivity.
YesMadam’s decision underscores the need for a nuanced approach to workplace stress. Rather than penalizing employees, experts suggest fostering open communication, offering mental health resources, and implementing sustainable work practices to create genuinely supportive work environments.
As the online backlash against YesMadam grows, the incident serves as a critical reminder that mishandling employee well-being can harm both organizational reputation and employee trust.
Magicpin Offers Support to YesMadam’s Laid-Off Employees
In between the chaos, Magicpin has stepped in to help employees laid off by YesMadam, following the latter’s controversial decision to fire staff who reported workplace stress in an internal survey. Magicpin’s gesture, aimed at giving these employees a fresh start, has been widely appreciated online.
(Input from various sources)
(Rehash/Josna Lewis/MSM)