Toxic Work Culture

Life is more important

The letter written by the mother of the deceased employee of Ernest & Young (E&Y) saddened me tremendously. She lost her daughter to a toxic work culture — toxic not because of harassment or racism, but because the principle occasionally followed — work and work alone suffice. This company or few managers are not an anomaly, it’s experienced by several individuals in different situations. Few have the courage and audacity to move out of such toxicity. Others will continue to suffer as their social contexts and external pressures force them to work and work and work.

1. You see children, as young as 15–17 years old preparing for IIT JEE or NEET exams. Some of them have such a rigorous schedule that once they enter the institution, they forget to study only. A good question to ask, is it worth? Many students face this tension, live their lives and don’t show any tangible evidence of difficulty. Still, is it worth?
2. Many management institutions have a schedule which is so tight, that students don’t get time to breathe. Sometimes it’s done in the name of helping them to cope up with the pressure of the future work place. Is it worth?
3. Then there are companies who don’t respect the private life of the employed. Most carry along as the job is important for them to survive. In many cases, it doesn’t go to the extreme of creating a breakdown or severe health issues. But is it worth?