Remember S Gupta, the young tech analyst, who allegedly committed suicide early this year and the female constable who consumed poison to end her life? Even if you do not know about these , you must have heard other similar cases where young, dreamer and once enthusiastic minds become so hopeless that they think of nothing more dependable than death.
And yes, you are right. While we are talking about them, let’s not forget that they were the competitive, educated brains that worked hard to have a career and finally ended it all so sudden, so untimely. They had family and friends who cared and yet they felt alone enough to decide to leave them all.. reason? Stress.
Workplace stress scores highest among other reasons that paralyze people today. So who can actually help? We all can..
As an employer, its our responsibility to provide employees with a safe and supportive work environment where they have flexibility to manage work-life balance. Pay fair and treat them with respect.
As HR, its our responsibility to frame policies that treat employees as human with sensitivity and responsibilities outside work. Give them an ear when they come to you with their problems, help them deal with the conflicts within team, coach them to work with the Manager/boss who might make them uneasy at work.
As team, its our responsibility to accommodate someone who is struggling at work, upgrading skills or is dealing with personal issues. Sometimes, its our behaviour that hurt people more than their shortcomings.
As family, its our responsibility to be reasonable with our demand and expectations. When someone is dealing with pressure at work/career, family and friends must function as a support system. Show acceptance, not rejection.
As individuals, its our responsibility to reach out for support whenever we need it. Work, home, relationships – what may be the situation ,there are always ways to approach those who can help. No job is the last, no relationship is the only one, no circumstances are everlasting. There’s always a better tomorrow.
While IASP recognizes 10 Sep, 2015 as World suicide prevention day, how are you planing to contribute to the cause?
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