The tragedy of a 35-year-old Indian origin Microsoft engineer has got the attention of big tech firms and people, shedding light on the toxic work culture prevalent in these big organisations. Pratik Pandey, a resident of Mountain View, California, is found to have died from stress stress-induced heart attack while attending to his work at his desk.
Now, Pandey’s family is urging tech companies to address the issue of overworking and extreme work pressure. Following the incident, Pandey’s uncle has made a public plea to tech corporations, calling on them to implement measures to monitor and limit employee working hours to prevent similar tragedies in the future.
“That will probably save a life,” said Pandey’s uncle. “It’s a lot of pain for the family when a loved one passes away,” he added.
Work-life balance pleaded
Pandey’s uncle highlighted the need for a healthier work-life balance and a culture that prioritises employee well-being over relentless productivity, especially in an industry where long hours and tight deadlines are often the norm.
Pandey’s remains are being sent back to India, where his family resides. The incident serves as a reminder of the human cost due to a high-pressure work environment, thus sparking conversation about corporate responsibility and mental health in the workplace. The added stress from jobs getting replaced by AI tools and chatbots has also led to employees in the tech sector working under immense pressure to retain jobs, thus affecting their work-life balance.
Late-Microsoft engineer had a glorious career run
Pratik Pandey hailed from Indore, a city in India’s Madhya Pradesh state, and had a distinguished career in the tech sector. He had previously worked with leading companies such as Apple, Illumina, and Walmart Labs prior to joining Microsoft in July 2020. His uncle shared that Pandey used to frequently work late at night to juggle between the various office projects assigned to him. While he was a hard-working man in the office, Pandey had an affinity for sports such as soccer, ping pong and cricket.
