I’m not going to lie, I’m pretty angry with what I have to write about today. Hopefully, my seething tone and use of profanity is a call to action that we need to change. NOW.

Work Is Literally Killing Us

If one more person dies from corporate greed this year, we've failed.

In a chilling reminder of the dangers of toxic work environments, two recent incidents have shaken the working world.

Let's break down what happened and why we all need to give a lot more fucks about this.

📆 Timelines of Tragedy

EY Employee Dies

• July 20, 2024 - Anna Sebastian Perayil, 26, collapses at home after returning from work at EY in Pune, India. She's declared dead on arrival at the hospital.

• September 18, 2024 - Anna's mother, Anita Augustine, pens a heart-wrenching letter to EY's India head, alleging "work pressure" led to her daughter's death.

• September 19, 2024 - EY Chairman responds on LinkedIn - they didn’t event go to her funeral…
  “I truly regret the fact that we missed being present at Anna’s funeral. This is completely alien to our culture. It has never happened before; it will never happen again.”

• September 20, 2024 - The Indian government launches an investigation into EY's work environment.

Wells Fargo Employee Dies

• August 16, 2024 - Denise Prudhomme, 60, dies at her desk at Wells Fargo in Tempe, Arizona.

• August 20, 2024 - On Monday morning, her body is discovered. Four days later.

These aren't just tragic incidents. They're damning indictments of a system that values profit over human life. And it's high time we called it out for what it is: corporate manslaughter.

Workers Are More Stressed Than Ever

1. 😓 Relentless Productivity Demands: The expectation to be "always on" has skyrocketed, especially with remote work blurring the lines between office and home.

2. 🪓 Job Insecurity: With AI and automation looming, workers are pushed to prove their worth constantly, often at the cost of their health.

3. 🤲 Stagnant Wages vs. Rising Costs: While corporations post record profits, workers struggle to make ends meet, adding financial stress to their already overwhelming workload.

4. 📉 Decreased Worker Protections: Union busting and the gig economy have left workers more vulnerable than ever to exploitation.

5. ☠️ Toxic "Hustle Culture": The fetishization of overwork has created an environment where burnout is seen as a badge of honor rather than a serious health concern.

Why Don't Companies Give a 💩 ?

Let's cut the bullshit. Companies know exactly what they're doing.

Here are a few hints of where their priorities are. TLDR - Greed.

1. 🤑 Short-term Profit Focus: Quarterly earnings reports drive decision-making, not long-term employee wellbeing.

2. 👋 Expendable Workforce Mentality: With high unemployment rates, companies view workers as easily replaceable cogs in the machine.

3. 🤷 Lack of Accountability: Weak labor laws and toothless regulatory bodies mean companies face little consequence for pushing workers to the brink.

4. 🙅 Shareholder Primacy: The obsession with maximizing shareholder value comes at the direct expense of worker welfare.

5. 🤯 Disconnect at the Top: C-suite executives, insulated by their massive compensation packages, are out of touch with the day-to-day struggles of their workforce.

It's Time for Action

Enough is enough. We can't stand by while corporations literally work people to death.

Here's what needs to happen. For my founder and C-Suite readers- take at least one of these on in your organization.

1. ⚖️ Strengthen Labor Laws: We need robust legislation that puts worker health and safety first, with severe penalties for companies that violate these standards.

2. 🧠 Mandatory Mental Health Support: Companies should be required to provide comprehensive mental health services and regular check-ins for all employees.

3. 🌴 Right to Disconnect: Implement and enforce laws that give workers the right to ignore work communications outside of working hours.

4. ⌛️ Cap on Working Hours: Strictly enforce maximum working hour limits, including for salaried employees.

5. 🗣️ Worker Representation on Boards: Ensure workers have a say in company decisions that affect their lives.

6. 🔪 Public Shaming: Name and shame companies with toxic work cultures. Hit them where it hurts – their reputation and bottom line.

7. 💪 Support Unionization: Strengthen protections for workers trying to unionize and make union-busting tactics illegal.

The deaths of Anna and Denise aren't just tragedies – they're wake-up calls. It's time to dismantle the system that values profit over human life. We’re all to blame for contributing to this. We need to create workplaces where people can thrive, not just survive.

Remember, your job should never cost you your life.

It's time to fight back against corporate greed and demand dignity and respect for all workers. Your life literally depends on it.