After tragic death of EY’s Anna Sebastian Perayil, a woman employee of HDFC Bank in Lucknow, Sadaf Fatima, tragically passed away at her workplace on Tuesday, September 24, 2024, after collapsing on the ground, allegedly due to work-related stress.
Fatima, who served as an Additional Deputy Vice-President at the bank’s Vibhuti Khand branch, suddenly lost consciousness around 3 p.m. and fell to the floor. Her body has been sent for a post-mortem examination, with preliminary indications suggesting she may have suffered a heart attack. Colleagues reported that Fatima, who was in her 40s and hailed from the Wazirganj area of Lucknow, had been experiencing significant work-related stress.
This tragedy unfolds against the backdrop of national outrage following the death of Anna Sebastian Perayil, a 26-year-old Chartered Accountant at Ernst & Young (EY) in Pune, who reportedly died due to excessive workload and stress. Her family alleged that the intense demands of her job contributed to her untimely passing, igniting widespread discussions about the precarious work-life balance faced by many corporate employees.
Also read: Unseen, Unheard: The Invisible Struggle of Non Lawyer Professionals in Indian Law Firms
The incident has sparked sharp criticism from opposition parties, who attribute the increasing work pressure in both government and private sectors to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government’s ineffective economic policies.
In response to Fatima’s death, Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav expressed his deep concern, labeling the incident as emblematic of the current economic pressures plaguing the nation. He emphasized that true progress should be measured not just by economic output but by the mental well-being and happiness of citizens.
Yadav stated, “The news of the death of a female HDFC employee in Lucknow after falling from her chair in the office due to work pressure and stress is extremely worrying. Such occurrences highlight the dire economic conditions in our country. Companies and government departments must take these issues seriously, as this represents an irreparable loss to the nation’s human resources. The increase in service or product figures is meaningless without a focus on the mental health and happiness of our people.”
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, 2024
He further criticized the BJP government, claiming that its failed economic strategies have led to a contraction in business, forcing fewer employees to bear an increased workload. Yadav urged for immediate and meaningful changes in workplace practices to prevent further tragedies, underscoring the responsibility of both companies and the government in addressing these pressing issues.
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