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Mayank Arya, CEO of YesMadam, a Noida-based home hair services startup, apologized following the backlash for what critics called a “cheap PR stunt”. Controversy arose after the company apparently “fired” 100 employees who had spoken out about overwork, then revealed it as part of a mental health awareness campaign.
In a video message, Arya admitted that while the campaign’s intentions were genuine, its execution and messaging were insufficient, leading to widespread miscommunication.
“People gave (many) things, ‘ki ye sasta PR hai, chappalen maaro inko, kisi ne to ye tak comment kiya ki jhaapad maaro. Maar lo…maar lo jhaapad,’” he said in a video posted on his LinkedIn account. “…ye communication galat gaya…meri intentions sahi thi…”, he added, saying, “Lord Krishna also told Arjun that if you are right, do everything.” “I apologize from the bottom of my heart…Dil se…if I have hurt anyone. No one was fired, no emails were sent and there was no panic situation in the company and all employees participated in this campaign,” he said.
He also referenced Mahatma Gandhi, along with Elon Musk and Steve Jobs, noting that his ideas were initially ridiculed, but eventually people rallied to them.
A screenshot widely circulated on social media last week suggested YesMadam had laid off 100 employees following an internal mental health survey. The company faced accusations of firing those who said they felt overworked, sparking significant backlash. In response, YesMadam quickly issued a detailed three-page clarification, explaining that the controversial ad was a strategic move aimed at raising awareness about the widespread problem of work stress in India.
In a three-page LinkedIn post, YesMadam emphasized that the campaign, which initially implied that employees had been laid off due to stress, was deliberately designed to highlight this critical issue. The company also took the opportunity to introduce its ‘Happy 2 Heal’ program and India’s first ‘anti-stress leave’ policy, underlining its commitment to employee well-being. YesMadam clarified that no employees had actually been fired and apologized for any upset caused by the campaign.
