Bangkok

Amid all the chatter about toxic work culture and its effects on employees, another woman has succumbed to the stress of work, this time in Thailand. Bangkok Post reported that the 30-year-old factory worker died a day after her request for sick leave was rejected by her manager. 

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Identified as May, she had been sick for a few days and was hospitalised. She worked at an electronics plant in the Samut Prakan province of Thailand. May had availed sick leave from Sep 5 to 9 after being diagnosed with an inflamed large intestine. May had provided the company with a medical certificate as well.

May was discharged after spending four days at the hospital. However, she continued to feel sick and took two more days off. 

Since her condition hadn't improved, May requested her manager for another day off. But she was asked to come back to work since she had already been away for a long time. May was told she needed to submit another medical certificate.

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May had no choice but to return to work the next day. However, after being on the floor for only 20 minutes, she collapsed, according to her friend.

She was rushed to the hospital where she underwent emergency surgery. She died from necrotising enterocolitis the following day.

Also Read: All workplaces need fixed work hours, say Shashi Tharoor and EY employee Anna's father

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Delta Electronics, May's employer, issued a statement following her death, saying that it was “devastated” on losing an employee. 

“At Delta Electronics, our people are the foundation of our success, and we are devastated by this loss. Our priority is to provide unwavering support to the employee’s family at this trying time,” said Victor Cheng, CEO of Delta Electronics (Thailand) PCL, in a statement posted on Facebook.

He also promised to probe her death. 

"The company has launched a comprehensive investigation to establish the facts surrounding this incident," the statement said.

Anna Sebastian Perayil dies due to work stress

The latest incident comes after a 26-year-old woman died in India after putting in tremendous hours at work. 

Ernst & Young employee Anna Sebastian Perayil, a chartered accountant at the company's Pune office, died after just four months on the job. Her mother in a letter to EY India Chairman Rajiv Memani blamed overwork and stress for her untimely demise. She further stated that no one from the company attended her funeral. 

Her parents said that they advised her to quit but she looked at it as "valuable professional exposure".

EY, Rajiv Memani, in a statement, said that the company places the "highest importance" on the well-being of its employees.