Fearing a Layoff, 25 Year Old Techie Commits Suicide

What we had feared has happened. The string of layoffs in the IT industry has claimed its first life.

Fearing his job prospects following the layoffs in IT, a 25-year-old software engineer allegedly committed suicide by jumping off the 4th-floor terrace of a Pune hotel, on Wednesday 12th July.

Gopalkrishna Durgaprasad Gowda, who hailed from Konduru Mandal in Krishna district of Andhra Pradesh, and was employed with a Delhi-based company, left behind a suicide note which said –

In IT (sector), there is no job security. I am worried a lot about my future, my friends… I am scared that I may not (be able to) look after my family properly. Please take care of my family. Sorry guys, I am worried about the future as we are not that much strong. Love you all

Source – TOI

Before taking this drastic step, the victim also resorted to self-harm. His body was discovered with 25 self-inflicted cuts.

Layoffs have rocked the IT industry. News reports announced 6,000 –10,000 layoffs in Cognizant, 600 layoffs in Wipro, and thousands more totaling 56,000. The situation is predicted to get worse in the next 2-3 years.

The loss of this young life leaves many unanswered questions –

Did Gowda talk to his family? Did he reach out to anyone for support? If he did, did someone help him?

In these trying times, the societal stigma of losing a job and the consequent ignominy can be very detrimental to the mental health of professionals.This aspect of layoffs is hardly given any thought in our society, if at all. Our data shows that Over 50% of the professionals affected by layoffs didn’t reach out to anyone for support and over 60% displayed signs of anxiety or depression.

There is one question that can be answered. Could this have been avoided? Definitely. The loss of even a single life is unacceptable.

Are you affected by layoffs? Are you looking for support? We’re here for you. Talk to an Expert at YourDOST today.

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