Toxicity Derailing You?

A young lady employee in Pune apparently died due to work stress. This elicited a severe backlash. Platforms are abuzz with the urban educated venting about exploitative practices, dealing with stress and a toxic work culture. Looking at this trending topic from a different angle.

- DOMINIC COSTABIR

Work stress and dealing with verbal and emotional abuse are not new to the hospitality industry. Even in the unorganized sector, housemaids, drivers, waiters, and even children are employed at low salaries and deal with inhumane working conditions. I condemn exploitation and toxicity, but understand it from a different context and perspective.

Corporations exploiting children, naive villagers, the illiterate and the undereducated is deplorable - they are literally unarmed. The government, NGOs and unions must intervene. However, how can the urban educated, upwardly mobile, tech savvy and networked young individuals living in a rapidly growing capitalist economy like India be exploited? In rare cases, it may happen but it can't reach epidemic proportions. Unless people allow themselves to be exploited and then blame others.

If the so-called 'exploited' resist and communicate their challenges to the right person in the right way at the right time things can be sorted out. If not, just resign. Why bear with and encourage exploitative practices and a toxic culture? There is no neutral; you are part of the solution OR you are part of the problem.

"And if it is a despot you would dethrone, see first that his throne erected within you is destroyed. For how can a tyrant rule the free and the proud?" Khalil Gibran.

It is your own erroneous beliefs that compromise your position and make you suffer the consequences.