In the span of just a few months, two young professionals have died under circumstances reportedly linked to extreme work pressure see media reports here and here.
Both were part of consulting and auditing firms, sectors often associated with high pay, prestige, and career acceleration. But anyone who has worked in these environments, or has friends or family who have—knows the other side: relentless workloads, long hours, and a culture that often glorifies burnout.
Ironically, consulting firms exist to help other companies perform better. Yet, the intense demands of their own business models are increasingly unsustainable and, as these tragedies show, potentially deadly. The problem is not unique to these two firms. It’s systemic. Similar cultures exist across the industry, where billing targets, client expectations, and internal competition leave little room for rest, reflection, or real work-life balance.
These deaths should serve as a wake-up call. The question is: who will act?
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Regulators need to examine workplace health and safety beyond physical hazards, incorporating mental health and workload limits into compliance standards.
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Clients should recognize their role in driving unreasonable deadlines and expectations, and push for sustainable working arrangements in the firms they hire.
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Firms themselves must acknowledge the human cost of their current models and explore changes whether it’s more realistic project timelines, capped hours, or cultural shifts that truly prioritize well-being over output.
Because the cost of doing nothing isn’t just talent attrition or reputational damage - it’s lives lost.
These tragedies are not isolated incidents. They are symptoms of a deeper issue in the way we define and measure “high performance.” And until we challenge that definition, the pressure cooker will keep claiming lives.
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