'Not a normal death': Wife claims 'relentless workplace pressure and harassment' at HDFC Bank led to husband's death

Last year, EY faced significant backlash after the tragic death of 26-year-old employee Anna Sebastian Perayil, whose mother blamed the company's extreme work pressure in a letter to the EY India Chairman. Less than a year later, another shocking incident has occurred, this time involving an HDFC employee. In a LinkedIn post, Nida Mushir has attributed the sudden death of her husband, Safi Khan, to "relentless workplace pressure and harassment."

'Not a normal death, it is the result of toxic work culture'

Nida Mushir's LinkedIn post highlights the toxic work culture her husband, Safi Khan, had been facing at HDFC Bank.

In her emotional message, she shared the devastating loss of her husband - the "family's sole breadwinner" - who collapsed from a sudden cardiac arrest on November 19, 2024.

Despite having no medical history and two decades of banking experience, the doctors were unable to determine the cause, citing "unknown reasons." But Nida claims she is clear about what led to his untimely death.

"This is not a normal death," she alleged. "It is the result of toxic work culture, a system that pushes employees beyond their limits and ignores their cries for help."

Nida claimed that her husband endured harassment at work. "My husband repeatedly complained about harassment where he was hounded over leaves and other issues by super seniors," she wrote.

Despite resigning months ago, Nida alleges that Safi had been convinced to return to HDFC Bank, only to face the same hostile environment that ultimately contributed to his collapse.

'Why are employees treated as if their lives are expendable?'

Nida questioned how an organisation could ignore the mental and physical well-being of its employees. "How can a man with over two decades of experience be so hesitant to share his struggles with senior management?," she asked, highlighting a failure to address the concerns of employees.

Nida's post raises critical questions: "Why is taking leave to care for one's health or family members' health treated as a crime? Why are employees treated as if their lives are expendable? How many more lives will it take before HDFC Bank changes its toxic work culture?"

Credit: PTI

She further questions, "Excessive pressure for insurance sales and no insurance for employees themselves?"

Nida called out the leadership at HDFC Bank and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) by tagging both organisations. "I am left with two grieving children¡ªaged 10 and 16¡ªand a lifetime of unanswered questions," she wrote.

'Three consecutive deaths in just three months'

Nida says that she did reach out to the authorities at HDFC: "I mailed the authorities in the month of Dec and was expecting some assurance but words of condolence mean nothing if there's no action."

She writes, "This is not just about one family. It's about every employee who fears speaking out, every worker pushed to the brink, and every family left behind to pick up the pieces," demanding justice for her husband and for all the employees who are "forced to suffer in silence."

She also highlighted a disturbing pattern of similar incidents: her friend, Sadaf Fatima, collapsed at work in the Lucknow office, and another colleague, Shivam Mehrotra, tragically passed away during a conference call in Mumbai. "All of them were between 35 and 45 years of age," Nida alleged.

"This cannot be dismissed as coincidence," Nida wrote, "three consecutive deaths in just three months at HDFC Bank, all while employees were fulfilling their job obligations. This is a dire reflection of the toxic pressures that employees are subjected to."

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