“Maar lo jhaapad…”: YesMadam CEO issues apology after backlash over mental health survey stunt

Mayank Arya, CEO of YesMadam, a Noida-based salon home services startup, has issued an apology following backlash over what critics described as a “cheap PR stunt”. The controversy arose after the company apparently “fired” 100 employees who spoke out about being burned out at work, later revealing this as part of a mental health awareness campaign.

In a video message, Arya admitted that although the campaign’s intentions were genuine, its implementation and messaging were inadequate, leading to widespread misunderstanding.

“People have given (a) lot of things,” ki ye sasta pr hai, chappalen maaro inko, kisi ne to ye tak comment kiya ki jhaapad maaro. “Mar Le… Mar Le Jehabad,” he said in a video posted on his LinkedIn account. “…Ye communicator jalat gaya…Nawi meri sahi thi…” he added, “Lord Krishna also told Arjun that if you are right, come in.” “I apologize from the bottom of my heart… Dell se… if I have hurt someone. No one was fired, no emails were sent and there was no panic in the company and every employee participated in this campaign,” he said. .

He also mentioned Mahatma Gandhi, along with Elon Musk and Steve Jobs, noting that their ideas were initially met with ridicule, but in the end, people rallied behind them.

A screenshot widely circulated on social media last week indicated that YesMadam had terminated 100 employees after conducting an internal mental health survey. The company has faced accusations of firing those who reported feeling burned out, leading to significant backlash. In response, YesMadam quickly issued a detailed 3-page clarification, explaining that the controversial ad was a strategic move aimed at raising awareness about the widespread issue of workplace stress in India.

In a 3-page LinkedIn post, YesMadam confirmed that the campaign, which initially suggested that employees were being fired due to stress, was intentionally designed to highlight this critical issue. The company also took the opportunity to introduce the ‘Happy 2 Heal’ program and India’s first-ever ‘De-Stress Leave’ policy, underscoring its commitment to employee well-being. YesMadam clarified that no employees were actually fired and apologized for any distress caused by the campaign.