Recently, the case of an Ernst & Young employee passing away due to alleged work pressure has started a massive discussion about corporate work culture in India. Many other cases of employee suicides, burnout, and toxic work culture have come out in the open, highlighting how we are in desperate need of office policies that ensure an employee’s overall well-being.
In another heartbreaking incident from Uttar Pradesh’s Jhansi, a 42-year-old area manager working for Bajaj Finance, Tarun Saxena, tragically died by suicide after facing alleged pressure from his superiors to meet unrealistic work targets, reported News18.
Tarun Saxena had worked with Bajaj Finance for eight years. Despite his years of service, he reportedly faced extreme pressure to meet aggressive loan recovery targets. Saxena was being pushed to recover unpaid EMIs from difficult-to-reach rural areas like Moth and Talbehat. When he failed to meet these expectations, he was allegedly threatened with salary cuts and even made to cover the payments himself, reported Business Standard.
In his five-page suicide note addressed to his wife, Megha, Saxena revealed the overwhelming stress he had been under.
“I have not slept for 45 days. I have hardly eaten. I am under a lot of stress. Senior managers are pressuring me to meet targets at any cost or quit,” he wrote.
The note also names two senior managers, Prabhakar Mishra and Vaibhav Saxena, whom Saxena accused of harassing him and driving him towards the breaking point. According to his family, these managers had verbally abused him in virtual meetings. His cousin, Gaurav Saxena, mentioned that after a tense call with the managers, Tarun was visibly distressed and ultimately took his own life.
What makes the situation even more tragic is that Tarun left behind his grieving parents, wife, and two young children, Yatharth and Pihu, who now face the aftermath of this devastating loss. In his suicide note, Tarun requested his family to ensure that his children continue their studies and that his wife is taken care of.
At the time of writing, Bajaj Finance has not responded to the allegations, and no FIR has been filed by the family. However, the incident raises critical questions about accountability. Should companies be allowed to push employees to such extremes? When will corporate cultures shift to prioritize mental health and provide adequate support for their employees?