Pink slip fear drives Bangalore techies to docs

August 27, 2009 by sarath

IT professionals in this tech hub are battling the global downturn with
the help of doctors. Living under the constant fear of losing their
jobs or trauma of seeing their colleagues getting the pink slip, the
techies are increasingly seeking medical help to survive what experts
call the "layoff survivor syndrome".

The intensity of the syndrome could become severe when a team member
working on a project is benched or sent out, a leading psychiatrist
said.

"It's a mental situation where IT professionals who of late have seen
their colleagues, who are often friends too, being laid off," B.N.
Gangadhar, professor of psychiatry at the premier National Institute of
Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS) here, told IANS.

"First, it is the anxiety that the axe may fall upon them the next time
and, secondly, a sense of remorse, with a tinge of guilt that they have
survived, whereas their colleagues sitting next to them have lost
jobs," Gangadhar said.

Two million people were employed in the Indian IT and BPO industry in
2007-08, according to the National Association of Software and Service
Companies (Nasscom). The BPO sector employed more than 700,000 people.

"These are bad times. Recently two of my colleagues, who are also close
friends, were fired. I am feeling terrible after the episode," said
Sundar Gopal working with a reputed Indian IT company.

Permalink