Lucknow Banker Dies After Falling Off Chair At Work, Peers Allege ‘Work Pressure’

Just days after the tragic death of an Ernst & Young employee in Pune, a similar incident has been reported from Lucknow, where a woman employee of HDFC Bank has allegedly died due to work-related stress. 

Lucknow Woman Dies After Falling From Chair At Work

According to reports from News18, Sadaf Fatima, who held the position of Additional Deputy Vice President at the Vibuti Khand branch in Gomti Nagar, collapsed and passed away while at work. Despite immediate medical attention, she was declared dead upon arrival at the hospital. A postmortem has been conducted to determine the cause of her sudden death.

The incident has sparked a debate over the increasing work pressure in both the private and government sectors. Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav criticised the harsh working conditions, stating that employees are being treated worse than bonded labourers and lack the freedom to speak out. He condemned the government's response, particularly Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s recent comments suggesting that young professionals should focus on stress management. 

लखनऊ में काम के दबाव और तनाव के कारण एचडीएफ़सी की एक महिलाकर्मी की ऑफिस में ही, कुर्सी से गिरकर, मृत्यु का समाचार बेहद चिंतनीय है।

ऐसे समाचार देश में वर्तमान अर्थव्यवस्था के दबाव के प्रतीक हैं। इस संदर्भ में सभी कंपनियों और सरकारी विभागों तक को गंभीरता से सोचना होगा। ये देश के… pic.twitter.com/Xj49E01MSs

— Akhilesh Yadav (@yadavakhilesh) September 24, 2024

In July, 26-year-old Anna Sebastian Perayil, a woman chartered accountant, tragically passed away just four months after starting her job at Ernst & Young (EY) in Pune, reportedly due to work-related stress. 

In September, her mother wrote to EY India Chairman Rajiv Memani, accusing the company of imposing excessive workload and long hours, which she believes contributed to her daughter's death. EY has refuted these claims. Meanwhile, Union Labour Minister Mansukh Mandaviya has confirmed that Perayil’s case is currently under investigation.