A startup in India named YesMadam is getting its ass beat on social media this week after an email purporting to be from “Seasoned HR Manager” Ashu Arora Jha to employees went viral. According to the email the company was letting people go, specifically people who responded to an internal stress survey in a way that demonstrated they were super stressed. Although the company has nothing to do with accounting (they’re ironically in the health and beauty business) we posted the email on Twitter and are writing about it here because work stress and asshole management is a universal experience for all of us.
Bruh pic.twitter.com/KLlFfDKbdv
— Going Concern (@going_concern) December 9, 2024
Text:
Dear Team,
Recently, we 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 that 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.
Best regards,
This email serves as further proof that “best regards” actually means “fuck you.”
As expected, the internet found this behavior abhorrent. See also, the 1,019 comments on this post alone:
In a statement published to LinkedIn, YesMadam denied that anyone had been fired and claims this was all a PR stunt meant to highlight new wellness initiatives. Yikes.
Here’s what they said:
No one was fired at YesMadam!
To our YesMadam family and community,
We sincerely apologize for any distress caused by recent social media posts suggesting we dismissed employees for being stressed. Let us be clear: We would never take such an inhuman step. Our team is like. family, and their dedication, hard work, and passion are the foundation of all our successes.
The social media posts were a planned effort to highlight the serious issue of workplace stress. And to those who shared angry comments or voiced strong opinions, we say Thank you. When people speak up, It shows they care and care is at the heart of our business.
Were YesMadam employees really fired for being stressed? Absolutely not.
- They weren’t fired; they were given a break to reset.
- They weren’t let go; they were encouraged to release their stress.
- They weren’t laid off; they were offered a chance to relax.
- They weren’t sacked; they were urged to rest and recharge.
In today’s hyper-connected world, work-life boundaries are fading, stress is widespread, and productivity often overshadows employee well-being.
Oh Lordt this is somehow worse than the original premise if true. “Haha jk everyone, this was actually clever marketing to announce our new in-house head massages!”
Plot twist! The employee who originally shared HR’s email is a copywriter for YesMadam and says the viral screenshot was “a planned move.”
“Aaj Bhot Stress Hai Yaar” = “There is a lot of stress today, man.” And you thought a marketing campaign casually centered around one of the most stressful experiences an adult can go through was a good idea?
The still-outraged internet isn’t buying it. Some are calling it ‘tone-deaf’ if it really was a PR stunt while others insist YesMadam’s statement is simply damage control to cover for the firing of stressed employees after being caught.
Do you buy it?
What a stupid article. This is nothing remotely similar to accounting.
The corporate BS is nonstop, constantly evolving. But hey, they said they were both a “family” and a “team,” rather than mere coworkers, so this is what family members and teammates do, I guess: they pull stunts for comic effect.
How did corporate America get so stupid? Probably too many make-work jobs. They then have to dream up nonsense to take the place of actual work.