This morning, as I was taking off the label of a new pair of jeans my father-in-law bought for our toddler, I was secretly hoping not to read the words ‘Made in Bangladesh’. Not only was the pair made there, but a special accompanying label also extolled its ‘artisanal’ quality as an explanation for its particularity. I saw the price tag: 35 Euros. I have my doubts if the artisan (most likely a woman) who made the piece earned that much in a week. It is a special kind of horrifying, retail shopping in Europe when you know the steep prices are premised on exploitation. There are countless stories recounting the toxicity of the working conditions of the people who make all these garments, either in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Vietnam, China or Turkey. The whole fast fashion industry relies on the cheapness of their labour. It’s turned me off shopping. I continue to recycle the clothes I brought with me when I arrived four years ago and buy second-hand as much as possible.

But this morning my rage on account of global inequality was further stoked because I was still processing the news about the death of Anna Sebastian Perayil, an Ernst & Young employee, and the letter her mother, Anita Augustine wrote, chronicling the deterioration of her daughter’s health after having joined the company. Augustine cited the overwhelming workload as an important contributing factor. I’ve been following some of the news coverage around it and I think it struck me as surprising that people are only talking about this now. This has been a problem long before I joined the workforce, but over the course of my working career, I have seen it worsen. I have witnessed up close how many of my peers and close friends have struggled with toxic work environments, where the hours are long, and the pay is simply not commensurate. People who work in private companies rarely have recourse to exercise their rights, and many are not allowed to join unions. The HR wings of these companies usually serve the interests of the company’s board and rarely ever advocate for employee rights. Paid leave is minimal. Sick leave feels non-existent. And in general, the atmosphere is one of distrust. Add to this the fact that in most metropolitan areas, people spend even up to two hours a day only commuting to work. The workforce is too exhausted and busy to even realise that none of this can be considered a good quality of life. We neither see nor acknowledge the massive impact of stress on our health and in general, corporate culture rewards being constantly plugged into work, so there is really no switching off.