YesMadam denies sacking 'stressed' employees, offers mental health leave
Noida start-up says the social media posts were a 'planned effort to highlight the serious issue of workplace stress'; is now offering a new 'De-stress' policy
Noida-based start-up, YesMadam, a home salon and a tech-enabled platform for beauty and wellness, who allegedly sacked employees suffering from significant stress during an internal mental health survey, has clarified today that “no one was fired”.
On December 10, the company released a three-page long statement claiming that it would never take such an “inhuman step”.
It dismissed all social media posts by employees who had made these claims and said, "Our team is like family, and their dedication, hard work, and passion are the foundation of all our successes."
According to YesMadam, the social media posts were a "planned effort to highlight the serious issue of workplace stress". Moreover, to reinforce its commitment to employee wellness, YesMadam has announced a programme to offer in-office head massages and spa sessions to help employees destress.
It is also offering a 'De-stress Leave Policy', allowing employees to avail up to six paid leaves annually for mental health and rejuvenation.
Also read: Noida-based startup asks employees if they’re stressed, fires over 100 after they said ‘yes’
Start-up receives flak
The start-up received a lot of flak after this news appeared on social media. While some users accused the company of being part of a 'PR marketing gimmick', another firm,Magic Pin, a food delivery app, offered to hire all the sacked employees of YesMadam.
One social media user posted a picture of said, "When so many CEOs and startups are looking down on employee mental health, it’s refreshing to see @mymagicpin standing up for their well being…"
Stressed employees sacked
Earlier, one of the reportedly-terminated employees triggered widespread discussion on social media platforms like X and Reddit, after she posted an email from YesMadam.
Lashing out at the company, an employee Anushka Dutta, wrote on LinkedIn, “What's happening at YesMadam? First you conduct a random survey and then fire us overnight because we're feeling stressed? And not just me 100 other people have been fired too.”
Also read: EY India employee death: Company denies work pressure killed Pune CA amid uproar
The post, accompanied by a screenshot of the alleged termination email, quickly went viral, receiving over 500 comments.
A screenshot of an email from the Human Resources manager at YesMadam has gone viral on social media.
“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,” says the screenshot of the alleged HR mail.
On the basis of the survey result, the company took the "difficult decision to part ways with employees who indicated significant stress".
The company has now claimed that the employees were not fired but given a break to reset; encouraged to release their stress; offered a chance to relax; and urged to rest and recharge.