'Slap us if you want': YesMadam CEO apologises after stress survey backlash

In an eight-minute video shared on LinkedIn, YesMadam CEO Mayank Arya acknowledged that the campaign had been 'poorly communicated' but stood by its intent

YesMadam CEO Mayank Arya issued an apology for his company’s ‘planned effort’ to raise awareness about workplace stress, which went viral for all the wrong reasons. 

Last week, a screenshot of an email sent by the company’s HR Manager circulated online, revealing that YesMadam had decided to ‘part ways’ with employees who indicated they experienced stress in a workplace survey conducted by the startup.

The company later clarified in a statement that no employees had been terminated and the controversy was part of a campaign to highlight the stress employees face at work.

  In an eight-minute video shared on LinkedIn, Mayank Arya acknowledged that the campaign had been “poorly communicated” but stood by its intent. “People said a lot of things, like ‘this is cheap PR’, and even suggested we be slapped for it,” he said.

 

“Go ahead...slap us if you want,” he said, adding, “This communication went wrong... but my intentions were right.”

 

Company’s survey backfires

YesMadam, a beauty service platform that offers doorstep services, faced scrutiny after reports emerged that it dismissed employees who expressed experiencing ‘stress’ in response to an in-office survey. A LinkedIn post revealed that the company sent emails notifying these employees of their immediate termination, sparking concerns about workplace ethics.

  The email sent to the affected employees stated: “Dear team, recently we conducted a survey to understand your feelings about stress at work. Many of you shared your concerns, which we deeply value and respect. As a company committed to fostering a healthy and supportive work environment, we have carefully considered the feedback.”

  It continued, “To ensure that no one remains stressed at work, we have made the difficult decision to part ways with employees who indicated significant stress. This decision is effective immediately, and impacted employees will receive further details separately. Thank you for your contributions.”

 

Company apologises for miscommunication

Following the backlash, the company issued a statement issuing an apology. “We sincerely apologise for any distress caused by recent social media posts suggesting we dismissed employees for being stressed,” the statement read. 

“Let us be clear: No one was fired at YesMadam. We would never take such an inhuman step," it further said.