The reality of India's toxic work culture | Faye D'Souza

[@Kali97]

What Faye said about people who can stay in office longer hours as they dont have children -- why should one pay a penalty for making different life choices than others?? If I dont have kids, why should I work overtime? I make that choice exactly so that I have time for other things I enjoy.

[@uskumarmate]

Excellent point mate

[@meghnagarg]

True… this is another type of bias one deals with because of a personal life choice you made

[@LikeDeep-q6w]

Very well said. I married late, but when I was single, my managers used to simply assume that I don't have a personal life on weekends, so I should do office work!

[@arundhatifit]

Yessss! 🙌

[@avsisters1]

💯💯💯

[@WhatsInAName222]

The elephant in the room is really the basic fact that there is no value of an individual human life in India. This is reflected at all level in society and is the main reason why there is little outrage at the routine ill treatment of domestic help (“servants” to those who are having a hard time understanding). The ONLY reason this is getting coverage is that the lady who died was a CA and worked in an international firm.

[@vikasreddy7647]

You hit the nail on the head.

[@Lucy-f1r]

Toxic work culture is there in japan, korea, taiwan, etc. too. But yeah..indian work culture is also toxic. And this kind of burnout culture is counterproductive actually. there are many findings in researches, that support few working hours lead to good productivity. The abusive & manipulative employers and indian employees who consider slavery as hardwork often forget it. Strong unionization of workers against exploitation and blacklisting is needed in corporate sector. But in the first place, government should be ready to enforce labor laws strictly, instead of being a bootlicker of corporates.

[@amulpandya]

Spot on...

[@aaditkamat4995]

@@Lucy-f1r I think it's a by product of pivoting hard on to capitalism. Think about it back in the 70's and 80's you had the "angry young man" films and films like Namak Haraam doing well because they resonated with the masses that were swayed by socialistic ideals. Now that capitalism is accepted as a "ground truth", such films are no longer mainstream and unions have weakened over time. Democratic governments where politicians are not paid highly will inevitably end up being more corrupted because politicians need financing for their campaigns and measures to enforce labor laws will end up being vetoed against by corporate lobbyists.

[@You12783]

​@@aaditkamat4995I agree with you. Look at America for example, most employees tend to have more than one job to combat soaring prices of goods. Leaves, Health insurance and other social security benefits are almost negligible in companies. Once you get sick you would go bankrupt by the bills. Moreover employee union are also being reduced and are just on paper basically. Excessive capitalism is a curse for humanity, that needs to be dealt with.

[@neil1037]

The HR guy in the panel literally represented everything that is wrong with the corporate culture.

[@oliveindia]

HR Guy proved he is a big C

[@ManishMishra-ef8fv]

I have gone through this. At one point, i felt like I should give a supari for my female manager. Infact i kept thinking about it for a week.. Luckily i shared it with a friend of mine and he made me understand how bad I am thinking. Today, when I look back i feel sorry for my thoughts but I am yet to find an answer to : "what made me think like that? Who's gonna compensate for my sleepless nights? Who is there to undo the panic attacks i suffered? Had my friend not counsel me that day, maybe my manager was gone by now.

[@domerino-ft6sd]

@@ManishMishra-ef8fv ooh i wanna do worse things lol

[@SA-lz1vx]

@@ManishMishra-ef8fvEsa kya hua?

[@subinpauljoy]

I don't understand how these companies get "Best place to work" awards and all?

[@rouge_it_up]

You buy it.

[@arjundarji-eth]

But why are we not talking her husband's workspace itself, do you know that controversy of qyuki media ? A sexual harrasment thing in the company which was founded by faye's husband Sagar gokhale

[@georgythomas8451]

All awards are bought. Even my company got "Best place to work" award from some random Magazine this year. 😂

[@mosmae]

Because people want to work there. It's the people stupid. People namely us have created this monster.

[@linuelizabeth2970]

HR plea employees to give a good rating while answering the questions asked in the surveys conducted..😊 and of course money must be playing its role...

[@nm-nm-nm]

For nearly 20 years, I have prioritised wellbeing and work life balance. I have immediately left toxic bosses and teams, even when staying would have made good financial sense. Work should feel natural and not like a painful ordeal. I make less money but am mentally in a far better place today.

[@Subuhi61]

Kudos. You have implemented that wisdom that most ignore till too late.🎉

[@luffywest]

Good.

[@BadriYS]

I worked at EY and I know the harsh reality of EY. Extreme harassment, toxic culture, long working hours, high pressure & stress etc. I have encountered harassment, high pressure, discrimination, and bias from EY management. I reported this horrific incident to the ethics team, but without providing a solution, they closed the case and continued to target and harass me. I also reported it to CEO Carmine Di Sibio, Rajiv Memani, Sreekanth Arimanithaya, and Jaya Virwani, providing all the evidence-emails, call records, chat screenshots, etc.-but they concealed the issue and closed the case. It has been a truly traumatizing experience, and I do not recommend EY to anyone. When I reported harassment, fraud, bias, discrimination, toxic culture, and injustice to Sreenivasa Rao, Jaya Virwani, Rajiv Memani, Carmine Di Sibio, and Sreekanth Arimanithaya, they blocked me on all social media platforms. Imagine the trauma and anxiety I have faced. If you report any incident, they won’t take action; they don’t value human life. EY ethics forum is completely useless they will conceal the case, they wont take action.

[@csuryavanshi5976]

Almost every other employee is just trying to play the "victim " card. Nobody ever said about their fat & fatter pay packets they are after.😢

[@bhaveshbhatia5367]

they care about profits more than their employees

[@perincherigopinathan3586]

@@bhaveshbhatia5367 Who else not

[@raajacademychennai]

This man himself is an example of that culture. His manipulative language and perspective shows that.

[@randomlondoner]

This is one of the main reasons why I moved abroad,I worked at one of the big4.Ever since I have started working in Europe I have never worked after 6 o clock.And this isn’t just me,this is the general work culture.Everyone values their and others personal time.

[@Ta-mb2gy]

Bro I am a data analyst. Could you help me transition there

[@amritamuttoo6397]

Stay there.not wanted here.

[@shivvashishthabhargava4600]

Overworked and underpaid. Welcome to the Indian workforce.

[@LikeDeep-q6w]

What else do you expect when the country advertises itself as 'cheap labor destination' to attract foreign companies. Unfortunately, it has become our identity.

[@amritamuttoo6397]

Overpaid.

[@shrutipendharkar6699]

True

[@Jupi40]

When Anjali Chabria said “we need to raise confident kids, not competitive kids”

[@TheAshiissocoollike]

I heard from a trusted source that all employees of EY that they have been told not to like, share, or comment on any posts related to this news. Not sure if only issuing an Apology is enough action to rectify the issue. P.S. TIL that all HR's from various companies in my 10 year career have lied to me regarding overtime. Seriously, we should all start a corporate employees union if that is the only way out of this exploitation

[@lalitharavindran]

The HR guy on this panel really shows how insensitive people in Human Resources are towards middle and junior employees. They are typically cronies of top management who are eyeing at taking home obscene bonuses and use HR as a mafia.

[@maximumpotential3796]

You are absolutely right. Last year I joined a reputed MNC as an HR Officer, the pay was average at best, but I thought since it's an MNC I can add it to my CV. Within 2 days of joining, I found out the true reality of my job. They said it was a 9-5 timing with only Sunday off, but the workload was 9-8pm at the minimum. The department was understaffed, and everything was being piled on the few employees who had no choice but to keep things pending one after another. They gave me a company simcard in which around 500 employees will call me for solving their queries. I was engaged from morning 8am to night 10pm because each employee will call on their own free time, and I was expected to record each query and solve it in a reasonable time, at the same time I was also expected to complete office tasks and various HR functions with additional responsibilities being piled on me one after another. Sometimes I was also expected to go outside to represent the company on certain tasks. All these tasks were not possible to do simultaneously. Prioritizing only led to piling up of pending tasks, and to make matters even worse, due to poor work culture which existed, the data was not maintained properly, and without data, be it physical or digital, I could not do a magic trick to fetch past records. I suggested some changes but most of it was brushed aside, the top management was also seen laughing and smirking as if everything was alright. I quickly knew this place was only meant for the desperate and needy, and fortunately due to my ancestor's hard work, I didn't need to be desperate or needy. So, I quit the job within a few months. All these problems could have been solved if the company had hired a couple more employees in my department to spread the work and eliminate this un-attainable workload, but they didn't. Instead, they looked to cost cut and put additional responsibilities on employees. It is indeed a terrible work culture and policies we are facing today.

[@SandeepKulshrestha]

He need to save his job. See what happened to former Starbucks ceo

[@You12783]

​@@maximumpotential3796This is the reason we need a bill to limit working hours. Doing that would force the companies to hire more workers resulting in distribution of workloads.

[@pooja144100]

When i gave my resignation, after taking a 2 week break to recover from toxicity and get counseling, which was discussed and agreed by HR head. When i returned to serve notice period, i was told by HR head of company and my manger to reduce my term and leave sooner and said and quoting ‘we dont want to see your depressed face’. That explains how much company cares about mental health. Earlier too when i tried to discuss the long working hours, false urgency about deliverables, and created need to work on weekends and holidays, and I genuinely wanted to have dialouge that why is there a persistent issue and how can we solve this. To which i was replied and quoting again, ‘kyu nahi keroge itna paisa dete hai’

[@HerrScheufele]

no way it''s a global phenomenon..there are legal guidelines in other countries - aditya just doesnt want to admit HR is powerless and unwilling to bring about change..it starts with accepting that there's a problem, sad to see the lack of acceptance by a HR person here

[@Splash-nr8ot]

HR is a lame duck in most orgs. They're just puppets of the mgmt.

[@meghnagarg]

True … they just side with the business ..:

[@LikeDeep-q6w]

HRs are the dumbest in any org. They will wag their tails and become a henchman for the management to do all dirty jobs, but when layoffs happen - they are the first ones to be shown the door. So much for their loyalty!

[@NormalbutNotReally]

Dare one ask about the work hours at any company in India, they are termed as a “cultural misfit”.

[@megharajasekhar3238]

Lol the HR representative was delulu AF

[@HyperCS2]

His shop's gonna close if he admits otherwise.

[@sonaliralhan5950]

I studied in best art college in delhi , then masters from Australia. Came back to work in India as an art curator . Got job in one of the top art galleries in Mumbai. My female boss would expect me to do her makeup at work before some party , make me get a sandwich for her from the roadside . Help her mother understand her new Android phone. 1 year later , I left that job and said bye to India because this is the norm everywhere as work culture. I am very happy with my decision, I work on my terms and have a great work-life balance.

[@daredevil30000]

Demand extra money 💰💵 for extra work 😌

[@sonaliralhan5950]

@daredevil30000 What about self respect? I did not study so much to do that kind of work.

[@Hunter60273]

​@@daredevil30000kisike personal kaam karna?ye bhi koi kaam hai?

[@Subuhi61]

I used to take my bosses car for repairs & service, go to the bank for him, deliver other personal errands too reliably. It's an easy way to get a good CR I realised.

[@perincherigopinathan3586]

@@sonaliralhan5950 Correct. If you cannot cope with the work culture, GET OUT WITHOUT COMPLAINING. Exaggerating and exploiting an isolated incident is immoral. Thousands of employees of EY are not dying in droves.

[@DharmendraRaiMindMap]

Power wins over the powerless

[@rahul27668]

not always...

[@maximumpotential3796]

​@@rahul27668 so give an example when you comment not always

[@rahul27668]

@@maximumpotential3796 French Revolution

[@maximumpotential3796]

@@rahul27668 that was a few of the one off incidents in history where people as a whole suffered against massive depravation. The rest of the time the powerful have always won one way or another.

[@PSD1991]

@@maximumpotential3796we just need to come together, it won’t even be violent like the French Revolution. If all corporate employees can unite we can truly make a change.

[@DCM2463]

It is the Indian mindset. Even in Gulf countries people who used to work would always say dont work for an Indian company because they will ill-treat you and make you work long hours and pay you less salary.

[@nikhilagarwal5295]

working in UK. shifted a year ago. I have proper 9 to 5 for 5 days a week. But I work more here because I don't have house help, cook, etc.

[@georgythomas8451]

working 70 hours is OK for many people....if its for their own dream. Its not OK to work 70 hours for somebody else's dream and their financial goals throughout your career while they pay you only for 9 hours a day.

[@deadbutworking]

Amen

[@aaditkamat4995]

You think it's ok until you see it's effects when you are older. The human body is not built such long hours of work on a consistent basis. Not matter how much you try to weave narratives to justify the "hustle culture", it remains a problem. The narrative of social mobility is what keeps people from collectively having a proper discussion about the merits and demerits of a capitalistic system.

[@RashmithaDhanraj]

I worked in a big4 company for 4 years. It made me quit IT for good and i am doing well mentally since then. I'd rather work on my own venture than for money that I got from slogging 12 hrs a day, burning out often and ended up using that money to fix my health. Plus they keep dangling the next level promotion in front of you and normalise sacrificing personal time and sleep for it. One project manager even asked me if I was married or had kids, and that I could dedicate more time towards the project because I was single. It makes me so angry that it took a young girl to die for this toxic work culture to be exposed. I kept thinking about this all night - The rich keep getting richer, the poor poorer and the corporate employees remain the living dead!

[@saurabhreddragons]

The way all Panelists stood silent , Faye stood Silent when Carol was explaining her point. The pause , the silence and the given space to Carol just explains why Faye is Faye. 💙 I am thankful that someone is really wanting to listen to our grievances.

[@CarolBritto-r4h]

I was so nervous! Faye was so patient and kind. Let me finish, let everyone at the panel speak. She is such a beautiful amazing woman.

[@parveenbhardwaj2252]

One industry which no one talk about is Non-profit sector.. not only it comes with toxic work culture it also comes with 10-12 hrs of working hour with 1/3rd the pay of private sector. In addition epf of company also paid by employees, health insurance that cover as low as 1 lakh and no accidental insurance

[@abhip4538]

no achrya prashant is harmed.

[@annamalaian0711]

I hope you don’t join NPO for money.

[@mitalirajiv8769]

Priyanka’s expression when Aditya says some questionable things is priceless 😂🤌

[@krupadave1975]

France is ideal as far as work culture is concerned. Hours The standard workweek is 35 hours, with a typical workday running from 9 AM to 5 PM, Monday through Friday. However, hours can vary depending on the company and industry Work-life balance French employees value their free time and are expected to take their minimum five weeks of vacation time per year. It's also common for businesses to close for several weeks in the summer, especially in August. In France, work-life balance is highly valued, and it is not uncommon for employees to take a full lunch break and leave work on time. Overtime Any hours worked beyond the 35-hour workweek quota must be paid as overtime.

[@Subuhi61]

India is too poor and twisted to implement such a work schedule. In upcountry government jobs several dyed in the wool work shirkers turn up just to punch attendance. Morning punch, evening punch , beech mein lunch .

[@abc170000]

Priyanka Khimani rocks, she said exactly what the employees have to go through

[@khushalijoshi9478]

Unfortunately no amount of conversations is going to change the way Indian firms operate. Work life balance although preached by these firms is nothing but a myth.

[@kavitarawat9250]

Your career is a marathon, not a sprint - great line and advice.

[@alk6709]

I was working 12 hours a day and even on weekends. Wfh took away the weekends. My hairfall was unprecedented. I wasn't able to have dinner till 2.00 - 3.00 am. My mother pestered me till I quit that job. I am so thankful to her. My life is great now.

[@Ta-mb2gy]

Bro apply onion juice.

[@idreeskanchwala]

a point that needed to be spoken about for a long time. I too am a part of the same work culture. I kind of thank my family, my wife and son for making me change and break the norms. yes i am the first one to leave my office, intially was hard. but now many in the office want to do the same as me. I have juniors to whom i enforce them to leave the office at 6 or max 30mins more and not stay back till 9-10pm. i dont do it i dont want them to do it. but unfortunately the directors above me have this attitude that ohh I have a family so i can leave but the juniors are alone and have nothing to do so they can work all night and still expected to show up at 9am the next day. Horrible this. There is no talk about productivity, no idea of working smart. all we want is people to work smart. and it starts from the leaders in the office who make work their life and expect everyone to follow.

[@beezlebub9]

Unfortunately, Reddit is ablaze with the toxic culture at Faye’s hubby’s company, Qyuki Media. Faye can surely investigate that easily. Hey Sis, show us that you walk the talk.

[@amulpandya]

Faye should look into this.

[@Strongh1980]

lol.

[@AnginMThomas]

India has no laws controlling working time.. Is indian govt even aware of this global hazards for Indians?

[@You12783]

They are aware, but they won't do anything about it. Simply put they're corporate's biach, they're happy with the money they make.

[@DevikaSharma-bv9ro]

Kudos @Faye D'Souza! Though it is sad that it took a real tragedy to spotlight this issue. I wish that media was more proactive in uncovering issues.

[@ishitakumar2532]

It's hard not to feel trapped in this system. Without robust social security, employees are often left vulnerable, with their jobs dictating not just their livelihoods but their ability to meet basic needs. Employers are aware of how deeply dependent we are on our salaries-not just for today’s expenses but for tomorrow's uncertainties. It’s easy for them to exploit this dependency, knowing that even if you protest, there are countless others ready to take your place. The insecurity runs deep. We’re all trying to save for retirement, cover our parents' healthcare costs, and afford a decent lifestyle. Yet, the pressure to perform and the fear of losing our jobs hangs over us like a sword. In this environment, work-life balance feels like a luxury, and burnout becomes an inevitability rather than an exception

[@Liftsquat]

Another incident after all this yesterday i raised my voice that i wont be able to take this work now as most of the team members are on leave next month and i m 2 people backup.. additionally i cant take this project as well. Her reponse was “Its an extra work so you need to put extra hours we all do, i ll be staying more than 8 hrs too and will give some time to you “ despite considering im already the backup for other works!! We are actually going through hell lot of pressure, too much tight deadlines.. constant pressure with a peanut hike .

[@Splash-nr8ot]

There is a clear double standard when it comes to Indian workers. The same companies in other countries won't expect employees in that geography to stretch work hours. The government could do a lot to set expectations by introducing better regulation, but no one bothers.

[@udayandutta3121]

It's disappointing to see why we don't have any govt. official from the labour ministry on the panel.

[@ebenezerking475]

They are busy for winning votes, in next elections.

[@gayatrishevdepowar8959]

We as Indians celebrate Tatas Birlas and Ambani’s and Murthy’s and their donation work but the reality of their employees one should check, how much salaries they are getting, how much are they working

[@Successzone1234]

Donation? They all donate to save taxes lol

[@sushilti80]

There is company in HR who has lift for senior executives and normal employess strictly prohibited to use that. They even do not provide clean drinking water to their employess

[@csravikumar9171]

in my opinion it white collar slave job. Second most depressed persons are information and technology jobs.

[@sandhiyad194]

The HR when asked about what policies can a company bring onto the table, speaks about youngsters not self reflecting, glued to mobiles on a date and lacking listening capabilities; His speech concluded again that HR will never help even when you're dying, maybe you'll get advised about self reflection or your own capabilities

[@RahulGautam746]

I am so happy to see this video that at least somebody is talking about this I am working in a export house and -there is no culture here. -Working 9-7 till Saturday -Late coming deduct pay in minutes -No Saturday off and if u take leave they deduct money -Working underpay for the sake of learning because i am a fresher -PF deduction is from my side only for both the company and my share -No tea coffee on some days There is more i can count, So at some level i saw that the people at the top also don’t want to make difference. So the option is to learn and exploit and leave the place.

[@rahul27668]

Aditya spoke like a true HR..

[@ben-dr3wf]

The world is so surprised!! This is the inherent power relation in capitalist mode of production to extract maximum surplus value from the workers .

[@gmi_edits8734]

More power and love to you Carol for sharing your story with us of choosing yourself and your well-being above everything else, we all are in awe of your courage and determination keep shining🔥🔥😊😊😊😊

[@CarolBritto-r4h]

♥️♥️♥️

[@gmi_edits8734]

@@CarolBritto-r4h 😊😊😊

[@sahayaagnel]

Don't worry Fay, corporate won't accept. I started as a fresher 15 years back from a small town with enough skills to start with, however i worked easily around 20 hours in office and remaining 4 hours for my life to get public transport to go home, sleep 1 hour and come back again with public transport and have breakfast. If i get an opportunity, i can tell everyone how badly it was. In my case, i enjoyed my technical work ( but not just like slaves ) and I was doing well in Job and HR was also well aware of what was happening for an entire team of 30 members day and night for 3 years without a weekend! Just coz of company screwed up that project in couple of locations and spent and the money client has provided, then they need slaves like me to do work 20 hours a day for three years.

[@MalenaduHuduga-u2h]

i worked for well established mnc in india, in bengaluru. the manager who has beacme manager recently also my manager recently. i was at my ant funeral and he called me and asked me to update something. asked me come to office even though i had breathing issue. Finally when i shared the same with my coworker, he put me in PIP, failed me in PIP and asked me to resign.

[@parul0401]

This HR guy just doesn’t get the point and kind of proved the whole purpose of this debate. He confirmed why things are the way they are… because this is how HR thinks!

[@paranoah8550]

It is his job to not get it. He represents the company and his job is to represent and protect the company. Some of the worst things that have happened to people at work have been done by HR especially the part that is meant for employees to go and raise their complaints with

[@amitd5134]

Thanks Faye for this much needed topic, but the question is do we really care about employees wellbeing, this will be forgotten in some time

[@Rrrr-yh9qz]

In India there is no Concept of Hourly wages that’s why this Toxic Concept of Expectations that people will be working for 12 to 14 hours a day!! It’s unethical, toxic, and damaging for health, social relations, even for the economy (ppl having to work more do not get time for socialising which affects sectors like hospitality, etc.)!! The Entire Outsourcing Industry thrives on this Toxic work element - where VPs and Directors are on Calls for 14 hours while juniors are working for 14 hours 😮😢!! It’s a shameful culture which has been normalised in 🇮🇳 while the Western counterparts enjoy good work-life balance and vacations 🏝️ 🌊 ✈️ 🚂!! 😮

[@janhitmedisclaimerjaari]

I have worked in the NGO and academic sectors. Both are exactly the same as the E&Y case

[@soniaverma4631]

Resonates with everything I have gone through in India.

[@zahabiyajumboo922]

I feel there should be a law made for the work areas, there should be strict rules regarding how much time,one can work, There should be no overtime,incentives to lure the employee, and there should be a employee "s law,where an employee can sue the company,if it overdoes with the rules .

[@RSB413]

the colonial era & raj era , master to servant culture is still prevalent in the society, best example is the Indian hospitality industry where customer is god and never wrong vs western hospitality industry where customer is just a customer

[@abhisekjd1397]

Toxic work culture stems from a lack of balanced, long-term vision/strategy. It's fueled by: - Misaligned metrics - Poor leadership priorities - Insufficient support - Unrealistic expectations - Investor/stakeholder pressure Fix the root, not just the symptoms.

[@manuelrambo3264]

I faced challenges in this video due to the recent acquisition of the company I worked for by an Indian firm. All the managers are now from India, and there's currently no work-life balance. I often receive calls from my manager outside of normal working hours and am forced to work on weekends. From what I observe, there is no clear strategic plan, and the projects we're handling have tight deadlines that disregard our actual schedules. My mental health is clear deteriorating and I am really considering leave this job.

[@pradeepshetty9269]

It is the quick culture that we are living in created by the corporates. Also with technology getting advanced turnaround timelines have become shorter and we need everything immediately. Has anyone thought the amount of time we are spending on decision making on every level. What to watch, what to eat, what to wear and social media pressures to become rich and successful before 40. Our mind is constantly under stress for all the decision making we need to do even when we are not at work. Just look at the amount of information we consume on a daily basis from all the screens we are exposed to. Processing that can be so stressful for our mind. Imagine the pressure a delivery guy goes through if the delivery isn't made within 10 minutes because some joker on the top has decided it can be done. It's not just corporates but also delivery guys who face tremendous stress at work. These corporate stooges on the top under the pretex of "its India's time to rise" are sucking the life out of our people and accumulating their wealth.

[@prajaktakulkarni2453]

It is important to understand that although many people passionately work for longer hours, it must be taken into consideration that they will need enough time to rest to be efficient and productive the next day onwards. So may be rather than a 9-5 job, a 15-hour rest between two working days should be normalised? What could go wrong?

[@Sachi26291]

I dont understand the credibility of the HR representative present. CIEL has nothing to do with the topic as they are just a maas recruiting firm. They are one of those firms on third party contracts when companies when companies dont want to hire people full time or on a direct payroll. CIEL takes no responsibility when on their payroll but we still dont even get the benefits of the company we actually work for. This comes from personal experience.

[@WatermelonSugar1209]

Read Anna’s mother’s letter. There were no urgencies, her manager would watch cricket World Cup and give work at night and then expect it to be done by next morning.

[@shomasreem]

Most teachers are overworked and criminally underpaid. Working on weekends is the norm, as is working through vacations. Schools, even those with ample resources, spend significantly more on electricity, TVs, and windows, but when it comes to paying teachers fairly, they would rather bargain. I was told to "burn the midnight oil" by a school coordinator when I expressed feeling exhausted. I was responsible for twice as much as I had been hired for, yet I was paid nothing extra. That's just how it works.

[@NMVJ]

This is nothing but exploitation of middle class... We pay our taxes diligently and in return, unfair pay, unfair workload, high cost of living, high gst, no human rights, no lobby, no union...Its sad that it took a life for everyone to call out the toxic work culture/ exploitation in the social media that is going on for past 20-25 years ever since these MNCs opened shop in India....if this happened to a farmer, farmer unions would have gheraoed the capital on their tractors ..unfortunately we middle class dont have a union or lobby...so who will protect our interests?

[@marthaudom6543]

One thing is in Canada people work only from Monday to Friday, and here in Canada people are important and family oriented here they don’t have stress and anxiety in their workplace I think people should take care of themselves because lives matter at the end of the day

[@Icare99999]

I am so glad that I am the only Indian in my team. My previous team had more than two Indians and it was a blood bath. They only compete with Indians in team 😂 and wanna "show off" that they are better.

[@koshyp.georgefcacisacpa4055]

@Faye thanks for taking up this pertinent discussion. Having been born & raised in India as well as having worked for EY in India & abroad as well as other Big Four & Multinationals across the globe permit me to observe & comment to say: “Sir” culture & interspersing “Sir” in every official discussion by juniors must END & that “Sir” business itself is taken advantage of by Superiors on Subordinates. There is NOTHING respectful about this “Sir-baji”. Addressing any boss in a Work Environment by First Name or Mr. so & so or Mrs. or Ms. itself will usher in a positivity & a sweeping Change. The anathema of Ji Huzoori needs to ends socially. It’s a vestige of the Age old Caste System & the continuation of the “British Raj” hangover even after 75+ years….my 2 Cents.

[@MsEternalpeace]

Thank you Faye for addressing this important issue. Few vital points in the show that are blatantly wrong. One of the guest(no.2) saod they expect us to do that, they should also do the same. This thought process is the root cause. No. NONE of the oarties should do that kind of inhuman work schedule. 2. Saying people without fml/children can/shoudl work longer. No. EVERY Employee must leave at the official shift end time.

[@daricanongrum9780]

If this was in their home country of America it would have been a million dollar lawsuit they would never but in india

[@ayushmankumar1483]

These EY India guys will just pay lip service and continue. Not just EY India, most of the companies either underpay and exploit their employees, or they overpay and exploit their employees. This can only be curbed if we, the youngsters get over Hindu-Muslim issues, and keep up the pressure on the MPs to introduce special laws to punish errant CEOs, founders, CMDs with life imprisonment, if they flout court orders to compensate the family of that deceased employee. Plus if the employee names his/her manager in the suicide note, then the manager should be IMMEDIATELY ARRESTED. Just like we had 304-B in old IPC, dealing with dowry deaths, similarly in BNS, there should be a similar clause dealing with employee deaths at workplace, and having prison terms for managers. These companies will fight tooth and nail to oppose this. They will pay electoral bonds to the political parties, but we the people should keep up the sustained pressure on them.

[@JankiMehta-c4d]

I love you Faye, extra work extra payment! It's just Fair...

[@MithileshJha-tn3ks]

Some people say its only India ,sorry my friends its even in USA in big4

[@shellyjain8872]

Stress, pressure, and depression have resulted in people addicted to smoking, drinking, drugs. This is another area which is romanticised from college days

[@abc170000]

Salute to Carol, Priyanka, and Dr Anjali

[@archiedsouza2001]

Thanks for this video Company managements, especially the HR divisions, should not look at their people as separate from the companies that hire them

[@sonfire1]

No matter what happens just take 7 to 8 hour sleep everyday, Our body need recovery time while sleep so if enough sleep will be taken, it can still make you healthy.

[@DeadlySpecies]

Overtime doesn't apply to white collar workers in consulting audit etc

[@AmitKumarHere]

It is truly heartbreaking to read about the incident mentioned in the article from The Times of India, where work pressure at a multinational corporation had such a tragic consequence. This resonates deeply with my own experience from 2014 when I worked as a fresher at Birla Sunlife Mutual Fund. My boss, Mr. Shiva Kumar Kannan, subjected me to continuous mental torture, causing immense stress. The constant pressure and psychological harassment made my professional life unbearable. Thankfully, I made the decision to resign after two years, saving myself from further distress. The incident in the article is a stark reminder of how toxic work environments and excessive pressure can have devastating impacts on mental health. No job, no position, is worth sacrificing one’s mental and emotional well-being. It's important for organizations to recognize the critical need for mental health awareness, support systems, and a humane work culture. Such stories must serve as a wake-up call for both employers and employees to ensure that no one has to suffer in silence or face such extreme consequences due to workplace stress.

[@dimitrz2000]

2 month 3 month notice period is also toxic , designed to trap employees in work place.

[@Anamika2577]

How does one come live on the show...I have been a victim of corporate sexism and got laid off on maternity grounds...I wish to talk about it !

[@nervesofsteel]

It is essential to prioritize the implementation of a nationwide hourly wage system initially, as other solutions hold comparatively lesser significance.

[@ritureigns]

I believe it is company to company and even manager to manager! I have worked at Infosys for 16 years, 6 of which were in India. I had a lot of support on not only day to day, but sick days, maternity.

[@Clear12345-l]

A lot of the hours are smoke breaks and lunch breaks also - it is the overall bully pressure of the bosses or colleagues that employees need to be able to tackle

[@anjalinegi4128]

I have worked with a big 4 and 100% agree with what Priyanka mentioned !!! There is this unsaid rule to work at all times 24*7 , and if ever you have personal reason for unavailability even so much so as being pregnant going for doctor visits or being in the middle of your engagement literally everything is taken in a very passive aggressive way and most often than not used later during appraisals to evaluate the performance.

[@supriyamathur5629]

Why nobody is talking abt the consulting firms..... where working around the clock is considered inherent, and raising voice is called out as being inefficient

[@ishitamaheshwari2479]

My father is a retired airforce officer and has mental health challenges which are undiagnosed. My mother, brother and me are an outcome of that - physical, psychological and sexual violence within the family unit. I for one am working on making that better for myself and understand how difficult it is. My dad does hold his profession in high regards and rightfully so given it has financially supported us. But saying that he loved to work on a 24 hour long mission is obnoxious. For most parts they are in a war situation which in it self is a trauma. I once found a letter by my father from when he was 30 that says "I am an officer in the Indian forces and I want to be free". It all flows downwards and it is all connected. Human bodies are not meant to function beyond a certain point in highly stressful situations.

[@aman-alytics]

I really appreciate these panalist debating on such topics. 😊 You know I left such company last year. I got another life because of that decision. 😊 I live on rented basis and having a job was necessity but still I took decision to left because we get life once. Enjoy the moment ❤. I do have gap of a year after that company but I got on track working as freelancer now. She should have left on the spot. 😢 She even had a family and home to live. 🥺

[@pinkyghoshonpinkroute]

i am sorry, it is not a global phenomenon. only toxic Asian phenomenon. Period.

[@mmjpune]

So true. Not many people posting here will even understand what it means...

[@Breeze702]

Have a balanced approach ! The way Faye is summarising clearly reflects she understands very little about the cascading effect pointed out by Priyanka that the market is driven by clients and there are unreasonable demands by them which the organization has to succumb to because at the end of the day it spins around revenue from where the salaries get generated and options to switch to another service provider is always there for the client . That is the environment we need to change. The term Work life balance itself suggests that you are segregating work which is a part of life . This rant is not expected from a mental health expert ! Plz ask her to explain how the earlier generation survived the same culture? This has always been there and today we are talking in the open. They should analyse the root cause rather than jumping to conclusions. Don’t analyse things through one lens .Also lot of leaders and peers face harassment many times by some individuals who are nuisance value . How do you take care of that ? Easier said than done. Nobody is dragged to a particular job which is true for any employee. People are there by choice . You should assess yourself before you take that plunge . Although every leader , colleague should remain sensitive towards not overwhelming any team member in an organization.

[@jeetlahkar894]

These things should also be considered at the time of family planning.

[@LIFE-CRICKET-TRAVELS]

I am an architect and like doctors and lawyers we can set up our own office and work on our terms which I did. , I never bought the corporate dream because wearing suites with ties in an office reminded me of school time. Also growing up I watched so many American films that I realized that how modern than slaves are made. I watched " office space " , a great movie which shows the way out for everyone from a really toxic office.

[@tmi3977]

This work culture is everywhere in India. There is no escape. 😢

[@lifeandtimes8317]

Very good and valid points by the entire panel.

[@TheAshmali]

good that we have CIEL HR so that we have both sides of the story. :)

[@IlovezCooking]

You are correct, the government has no regulations on corporate. That's the truth.

[@elviesmascarenhas6059]

Passed away on 20 July and we are talking about it after two months

[@ankitasharma_14]

I think as a country India fails to provide a good work culture. We will talk about education later.

[@Nina-oi1qk]

I live in Canada and I am shocked at the work culture in India, that I have observed in my visits to India. There is no concept of work life balance at all and literally no concept of accommodation for family status or health status. It's a very ugly situation. I hope the government can enforce some legislation to control the abuse of employees.

[@amritamuttoo6397]

Its more about sfter work culture. Pubs, eating unhealthy ordered food,late nights,weekend hectic outings,over indulgence in shopping,salon,fashion etc No time for rest and family time.

[@rohitnayak9952]

Also bring Tammana Bhatia in the next corporate interview

[@Liftsquat]

Also there was a time when i tried complaining to my manager that i had to stay up long to complete the work. Her response was why?? Are you not efficient enough? Put all blamed on me and made me wonder if i dont have enough skills to do it on time, self doubt creepeed in when i was fresher…but what she was doing was giving us overwork and was keeping expectations to be done !! There should be a strong law for private sector people. This happened in big4 , after 4 yrs of overworking i couldn’t take it more. The next switch i did i was more focused and was praying to get a better team and work culture , salary was my 2nd priority. Read my second comment, met again with even more worse people and it was not even in big 4 . So for how long you will keep switching? Something needs to be changed

[@ABHINAV9321]

The audacity of the man to come on a panel about toxic work culture and compare the work with armed forces. I need that confidence

[@premaaiyer958]

Most consulting companies have work pressures because of the nature of the industry. Interestingly, when I was checking in chat gpt about Gen Z lifestyle, I got the following insights 5 to 6 hours of screen time a day spent mainly on social media, ott platforms, online gaming and chats and maybe 30 to 60 mins of exercise. Gen Z spends a significant amount of time on screens, whether for work or leisure. Prolonged exposure to blue light from devices disrupts the body’s natural circadian rhythm, leading to difficulties in falling asleep​ On average, many employed Gen Z individuals get less than the recommended 7-9 hours of sleep, contributing to feelings of fatigue and burnout. Sleep hygiene is becoming a growing concern for this group They reach office in a fatugued state which affects their productivity as well