Mayank Arya, CEO of Noida-based salon home service startup YesMadam, issued an apology following backlash over what critics labeled a ‘cheap PR stunt.’ The company had seemingly ‘fired’ 100 employees who talked about being overworked, but it later emerged as part of a mental health awareness campaign.
Arya shared a video message in which he admitted that the intention was noble and genuine, but the execution fell short, leading to miscommunication.
People said ‘ki ye sasta PR hai, chappalen maaro inko, kisi ne to ye tak comment kiya ki jhaapad maaro. Maar lo…maar lo jhaapad. I am not here to cover up myself, I am not here to defend myself. I am not here to justify myself. I apologise from the bottom of my heart…Dil se… if I’ve hurt someone. No one has been fired, no emails were sent,” he said in a video message on LinkedIn.
Arya mentioned Mahatma Gandhi, Elon Musk and Steve Jobs in his video message, stating that these all were ridiculed but later people rallied behind them.
Last week, a screenshot went viral on social media stating that YesMadam had fired 100 employees during an internal mental health survey. The company faced widespread criticism over firing employees after they reported feeling overworked.
But, later the company issued a 3-page clarification, saying that the announcement was a strategic move to highlight the issue of stress at the workplace.
