‘No one was fired!’ says Yes Madam post fiasco

Yes Madam, a beauty and wellness platform that provides salon and spa services at home in India, addressed the backlash it received after an “internal mail” went viral. According to the HR manager’s mail, employees who took part in the company’s internal survey and shared concerns about work-related stress were seemingly told that they were fired.

So recently a startup named YesMadam sent out survey to team members on how stressed they are AND? Guess what... fired the ones who had voted they are under extreme stress.

Source: https://t.co/o8PnoRMlax pic.twitter.com/RSxQBUW1Gj

— Deep Ganatra (@DeepXP) December 9, 2024

The post went viral on social media and many were stunned by the contents of the mail. But some netizens were convinced that it was a marketing gimmick to rake in some publicity for the company. Yes Madam previously orchestrated a viral video of a fight between two men arguing over haircuts in the Delhi Metro to promote its ‘Harr expert, salon expert nahi hota’ campaign.

When the backlash was amplified after many media outlets covered the news, Yes Madam issued a clarificiation.

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A post shared by YesMadam (@yesmadam_official)

However, the clarification raises more questions regarding shock marketing. Some netizens are convinced that there was no gimmick and the company was simply doing damage control.

“So my dear comment readers, this is known as “Damage Control”. They would have fired if not for the backlash, thats for sure,” wrote one Instagram user.

“Not convinced. Share us trail of your planning, and show it predating the mail from HR. Damage control karne chale,” said another.

“So what exactly does “we’ve made the difficult decision to part ways with employees…” mean?” said one user.

The company calls itself a "home salon expert" and has actor Shraddha Kapoor as its brand ambassador.