“Maar lo jhaapad…”: YesMadam CEO apologizes after backlash over psychological well being investigation

Mayank Arya, CEO of YesMadam, a Noida-based residence providers startup, has issued an apology following backlash over what critics referred to as a “low cost PR stunt”. The controversy arose after the corporate apparently “fired” 100 workers who spoke out about being overworked, solely to disclose it as a part of a psychological well being consciousness marketing campaign.

In a video message, Arya admitted that whereas the intentions of the marketing campaign have been real, its execution and message weren’t up to speed, resulting in widespread miscommunication.

“Individuals gave [a] many issues, ‘ki ye sasta PR hai, chappalen maaro inko, kisi ne to ye tak remark kiya ki jhaapad maaro. Maar lo…maar lo jhaapad’,” he mentioned in a video posted on his LinkedIn account. “…you communication galat gaya…meri intentions sahi thi…”, he added, saying, “Lord Krishna additionally informed Arjun that if you’re proper, go all out” . “I apologize from the underside of my coronary heart…Dil se…if I damage anybody. Nobody was fired, no emails have been despatched and there was no panic state of affairs within the firm and each worker participated on this marketing campaign,” he mentioned.

He additionally referenced Mahatma Gandhi, in addition to Elon Musk and Steve Jobs, noting that their concepts have been initially ridiculed, however finally folks got here round to them.

A screenshot extensively shared on social media final week advised YesMadam had fired 100 workers following an inside psychological well being investigation. The corporate was accused of firing those that reported feeling overworked, resulting in important backlash. In response, YesMadam shortly issued an in depth three-page clarification, explaining that the controversial advert was a strategic transfer supposed to lift consciousness concerning the widespread downside of office stress in India.

In a three-page submit on LinkedIn, YesMadam highlighted that the marketing campaign, which initially implied that workers have been fired resulting from stress, was intentionally designed to spotlight this vital challenge. The corporate additionally took the chance to showcase its ‘Completely satisfied 2 Heal’ program and India’s first-ever ‘De-Stress Go away’ coverage, highlighting its dedication to the well-being of its workers. YesMadam clarified that no workers had been fired and apologized for any misery brought on by the marketing campaign.