Company in India denies firing stressed employees after screenshot of HR email circulates, says posts were planned

Stressed at work?

Fret not, because you won't be once you're fired.

That's the approach a company in India appeared to have taken, much to the shock and horror of both employees and consumers alike.

An internal email apparently sent by YesMadam's human resource manager Ashu Arora Jha to the employees of the home-based beauty service provider has been making its rounds on the internet.

In the email titled "Update on Stress Survey Results", the email references a recent survey — though when exactly it was conducted is unknown — to understand how employees feel about stress at work.

"As a company committed to fostering a healthy and supportive work environment, we have carefully considered the feedback," the email read.

"To ensure that no one remains stressed at work, we have made the difficult decision to part ways with employees who indicated significant stress."

The email stated that the decision was "effective immediately".

'This must be a joke'

Horrified netizens overwhelmed YesMadam's social media pages, demanding an explanation and clarification regarding the dismissals.

Responding to the feedback, the company shared an apology letter via LinkedIn on Dec. 10, and wrote that they "sincerely apologise for any distress caused" as a result of recent posts.

YesMadam assured followers that the company would "never take such an inhuman step", and thanked people for speaking up.

The company also took the opportunity to announce two new schemes: a "Happy 2 Heal" initiative of offering head massages and spas sessions at work, as well as its very first "De-Stress Leave Policy" with six days of paid annual leave.

The statement was also published on its Instagram page.

Netizens question apology, demand proof

Despite the apology, many were unconvinced, questioning the company's true intentions and demanding greater transparency.

Some netizens noted the language used in the email was odd when it was supposedly about giving employees a break.

One commenter asked if this meant that the organisation had actually fired the employees, just in a "fancy" and "kinder" manner.

The organisation has not responded to newer comments.

Top image from @yesmadam_official/Instagram