New Delhi: A shocking incident has come to light from Uttar Pradeshs Lucknow, where a woman employee of HDFC Bank reportedly died due to overwhelming work pressure on Tuesday. This incident follows a similar tragedy involving an Ernst & Young employee in Pune just days earlier.The employee, identified as Sadaf Fatima, held the position of additional deputy vice-president at HDFC Banks Vibuti Khand branch in Gomti Nagar. According to reports from colleagues, Fatima collapsed from her chair while at work. She was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital but was unfortunately pronounced dead upon arrival. Her body has since been sent for a postmortem examination.Reaction from political leadersIn response to the tragic event, Akhilesh Yadav, president of the Samajwadi Party (SP), commented on the escalating work pressure affecting employees across various sectors, both governmental and private. He stated that many individuals are compelled to work under severe stress, likening their conditions to that of bonded laborers, who lack the right to voice their concerns.“The condition of employed people has become worse than bonded laborers because they do not even have the right to speak. The government is there to solve problems, not to give baseless suggestions,” Yadav expressed on X.He also criticized Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharamans recent suggestion that young professionals facing work pressure should learn stress management techniques. He argued that instead of addressing the root issues, the ministers advice merely adds to the distress of employees in a time of grief.लखनऊ में काम के दबाव और तनाव के कारण एचडीएफ़सी की एक महिलाकर्मी की ऑफिस में ही, कुर्सी से गिरकर, मृत्यु का समाचार बेहद चिंतनीय है।ऐसे समाचार देश में वर्तमान अर्थव्यवस्था के दबाव के प्रतीक हैं। इस संदर्भ में सभी कंपनियों और सरकारी विभागों तक को गंभीरता से सोचना होगा। ये देश के… pic.twitter.com/Xj49E01MSs— Akhilesh Yadav (@yadavakhilesh) September 24, 2024What happened at EY PuneThis incident echoes the recent death of Anna Sebastian Perayil, a young employee at Ernst & Young in Pune, who also passed away allegedly due to excessive work demands. Anna, who had recently passed her CA exams, worked for just four months in the Audit team at S R Batliboi, a member firm of EY Global. Her mother highlighted that Anna succumbed to what she termed the “glorification of overwork.”In her heartfelt letter, Annas mother noted that her daughter was thrilled to begin her first job but soon faced an overwhelming workload. The report indicated that Anna frequently worked late into the night and weekends, returning to her living quarters utterly exhausted. The demanding nature of her job, described as “backbreaking,” was compounded by a lack of support from her colleagues, as no one from the company attended her funeral.
