While this is a manifestation of a larger malaise affecting society, I’m sure professionals can play a role in influencing corporate behaviour, at least to some extent!

In any case, discussing these openly is indeed the right thing to do.

Regards,
Gopi

Dear Vivek,
Heart rending reality. And this is only one that is being publicized. In my work, many share similar stories and are trapped by compulsions of old parents, children and necessity to save for old age to stick to a job that makes them sick – literally.
Thanks for writing so lucidly and spreading the alternate reality which can be more successful as it is more human.
Warm regards – Zahid

Dear Vivek,

Thanks for the same. Very depressing. After having worked in big multinationals and in Indian Companies, I no longer believe that any of the multinationals behave in any manner more responsibly that any of the Indian Companies.In fact, it may be the other way round.

Look at the foreign financial services companies, the FMCG companies and the pharma industry- they all get away globally by paying fines to hide their sins.

The sad thing is that I suspect many of these are very deliberate and when caught some local guy becomes the scapegoat.

In the two cases quoted above, even though the parents have such policies in writing, I bet that their practices are far from what they preach and I further bet that most people in the companies would not even be aware of such policies as every body believes that they are only on paper.

So much for setting benchmarks and best practices.

Regards,
VJ

Thanks for bringing to fore this issue of gap between espoused and practiced values and bullying bosses! heart rending story indeed! RIP Awasthi.

Regards,
Sharad Sakorkar