Hyderabad psychologists urge reducing stigma around workplace stress

The death of a 23-year-old fresher at Ernst & Young (EY), just four months into her job, reportedly due to overwhelming workplace stress, has sparked widespread outrage, highlighting the toxic work culture ingrained in corporate India.

32-year-old, Hyderabad-based clinical psychologist, Zoya Ahmed, shared that many of her clients feel guilt and shame when admitting they are experiencing workplace stress or burnout. She recalled a



case of a 22-year-old man who recently entered the corporate world. 

He often expressed to Zoya that he felt compelled to “do it all” and “be resilient,” fearing that acknowledging his workplace stress would brand him as someone who “can’t work well under pressure,” jeopardising his job. He believed his seniors expected him to take on more work because of his age, viewing any admission of stress as a sign of weakness.