Work pressure, unreasonable deadlines and threats of salary deduction drove Tarun Saxena, an employee of Bajaj Finance, to suicide.
In his suicide note, Saxena mentions the unbearable work conditions, with senior officials threatening to cut his pay if he failed to meet the set deadlines.
Saxena, a resident of Jhansi, had reportedly locked his wife and children in one room before ending his life, reportedly by hanging himself. Clearly, he felt he could not earn respect and appreciation from his seniors at work even though he had tried his level best.
His role at Bajaj Finance required him to collect the monthly instalments for the company. He reveals in the suicide note how tense he was and how the stress at work had made him incapable of even thinking, which is why he had decided to put an end to it all for good.
He mentions in the letter that he had been deprived of sleep for 45 days and had barely eaten. The pressure of achieving targets and fear of losing his job had driven him to take his own life.
In the letter, he requests his parents to take care of his wife and children. Calling this his only request of his parents, Saxena asks them to build a second floor so that his family can live in comfort.
India Today reports Saxena’s cousin as admitting that the former was being pressurised by his area manager to increase his collections. His salary was being deducted on failure to do so.
According to Wion the employee has named his seniors in the note, clearly holding them responsible for his death. He even asks his family to file a police complaint against them.
News of employees suffering cardiac arrest and dying by suicide are increasing these days, drawing attention to the need for improving work conditions.
Last week, Karthikeyan, a 38-year old software engineer associated with a firm in Pallavaram, on the outskirts of Chennai, reportedly electrocuted himself at his home, because of stress at work.