Regional Customer Success Manager

👩‍🍳 How we use AI at Tech in Asia, thoughtfully and responsibly.🧔‍♂️ A friendly human may check it before it goes live. More news hereOla’s AI division, Krutrim, is under scrutiny after the reported suicide of machine learning engineer Nikhil Somwanshi on May 8.A Reddit post claimed Somwanshi faced significant work pressure.Ola responded that he had been on personal leave since April due to health concerns and granted his request for extended leave.Ola expressed condolences, saying, “We are extending our full support to Nikhil’s family and our employees during this time of grief.”Former employees have reported a toxic culture and nepotism at Krutrim, with several senior and mid-level executives leaving in the past year.Authorities are investigating Somwanshi’s death. The Indian Institute of Science, where he interned, has not commented.🔗 Source: The Economic Times🧠 Food for thought1️⃣ Tech industry workplace suicides reflect broader systemic pressuresThe Ola Krutrim case joins a troubling pattern of workplace-related suicides across high-pressure tech environments worldwide.Similar incidents have occurred at major tech companies including a 2019 suicide at Facebook that prompted employee protests over alleged workplace bullying and toxic work culture1.In manufacturing, Foxconn’s facilities producing Apple products experienced 14 confirmed suicide deaths in 2010, with workers describing 12-hour shifts, aggressive management, and a culture of public humiliation2.Japan’s advertising giant Dentsu faced criminal charges following the suicide of 24-year-old Matsuri Takahashi, who reportedly worked 100 hours of overtime monthly before taking her life3.These cases represent the most severe manifestation of workplace stress, occurring across different countries and sectors but sharing common elements: extreme work pressure, management intensity, and inadequate mental health support.Current research shows mental health challenges remain pervasive in workplaces, with 76% of workers reporting symptoms of mental health conditions and 84% linking their struggles to emotionally draining work environments and lack of recognition4.2️⃣ Companies struggle with the gap between mental health policies and implementationDespite appearing on “best places to work” lists, many tech companies continue facing serious mental health challenges among their workforce.Recent data reveals 75% of employees experience low mood, with 81% expressing a need for better mental health benefits, highlighting a significant gap between employer-provided resources and employee needs5.Only 36% of employees feel adequately supported by their company’s mental health offerings, indicating that even when programs exist, they often fail to address employees’ actual needs6.This implementation gap is compounded by persistent stigma, with employees hesitant to utilize available resources due to fear of judgment or career repercussions.A concerning 62% of employees report feeling pressured to work through burnout rather than seeking help, while 58% believe that workplace conversations about mental health are performative rather than sincere5.The disconnect is particularly evident in high-pressure tech workplaces, where competitive cultures and relentless productivity demands can undermine formal wellness policies, creating environments where employees like Ola Krutrim’s Nikhil Somwanshi may feel unable to access support despite its theoretical availability.3️⃣ Toxic workplace warning signs mirror patterns across companiesResearch shows that toxic work environments share consistent patterns that have been documented across multiple companies experiencing employee mental health crises.Approximately 67% of workers perceive their workplace as toxic, with common warning signs including poor leadership, ineffective communication, and unfair treatment of employees7.High turnover rates—like the dozen junior to senior management-level exits at Krutrim in the past year mentioned in the article—are a recognized indicator of workplace toxicity, often signaling deeper cultural issues.Excessive work pressure is consistently cited as a primary driver of workplace mental health challenges, with employees in toxic environments reporting significantly higher rates of burnout and depression8.The allegations from former Ola Krutrim employees about “utterly mediocre work with incompetent management” and “toxicity through the roof” mirror language used by employees at other companies that experienced workplace tragedies.Studies indicate that specific toxic patterns include public humiliation for mistakes, lack of recognition, and cultures that normalize extreme work demands—factors reported in cases from Foxconn to Japanese firms like Dentsu where “karoshi” (death from overwork) has become a recognized phenomenon3.Recent Ola developments

Hearst partnered with Spring Health to launch a highly tailor-made mental health programâ€"which included a dedicated, in-house clinicianâ€"that could reach their distinctive employee base as rapidly as possible.