Startup fires stressed employees 'To ensure that no on remains stressed at work'

YesMadam, a home salon startup based in Noida, India, is facing backlash after reportedly firing over 100 employees via email following a mental health survey intended to gauge workplace stress and job satisfaction, according to The Logical Indian. The company's internal email from HR management, which has gone viral, stated: "Dear Team, Recently we conducted a survey to understand your feelings about work-related stress. Many of you shared your concerns, which we value and respect greatly. As a company committed to promoting a healthy and supportive work environment, we have carefully considered the feedback. To ensure that no one remains stressed at work, we have made the difficult decision to part ways with employees indicating significant stress. This decision is effective immediately. Affected employees will receive details separately. Thank you for your contributions. Sincerely, HR Manager, YesMadam," as reported by The Indian Express.

YesMadam, founded in 2016 by Mayank Arya, is a home salon service company based in Delhi-NCR, aiming to bring salon and wellness services to homes across India. The company provides its services in over 50 cities, including Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, and Bengaluru, according to OneIndia. It is supported by investors such as Peyush Bansal of Lenskart and Ritesh Aggarwal of OYO and received investments from four Sharks on Shark Tank India Season 3, as reported by The Indian Express.

Employees expressed outrage over the abrupt layoffs. Anushka Dutta, a former UX copywriter at YesMadam, publicly shared her frustration on social media. "What is happening at YesMadam? First, you conduct a random survey, and then overnight you lay us off because we are stressed? And it's not just me; 100 other people have also been laid off," she stated, according to ABP News. Her LinkedIn post included a screenshot of the HR email, which has raised further eyebrows, as reported by The Economic Times.

The post garnered attention online. Dutta's post received over 3,000 likes and more than 500 comments, Live Hindustan reported. Online commenters and critics described YesMadam's actions as indicative of a 'toxic work culture' and have questioned the ethics behind the company's approach to employee well-being.

"Laying off stressed employees is not solving their problems; it's against humanity," one user commented, as reported by OneIndia. Another commenter wrote: "This is toxic action and culture. Startups that begin on a foundation of toxicity end the fastest," according to Live Hindustan.

The Logical Indian reported that experts warn using employee feedback as grounds for termination can foster a toxic workplace culture where fear prevails over openness.

The authenticity of the viral email remains unverified, and the exact timing of these events is unclear, though email screenshots shared on social media indicate they are recent, according to The Economic Times. YesMadam has not issued any official statement regarding the controversy, as reported by ABP News.

"That's why there is a need for unions in companies. Because they should think before firing their employees under the name of a random survey," noted one user on social media, according to Navbharat Times. 

This article was written in collaboration with generative AI company Alchemiq