‘I was suicidal’: SpiceJet cabin crew alleges retaliation after raising mental health issues, airline reacts | Trending

A cabin crew member with SpiceJet claims he has not been assigned any flight duties for a month after he submitted complaints regarding the work pressure taking a hit on his mental health. He told hindustantimes.com that after joining SpiceJet, his mental health declined. He also expressed his fear of speaking against the airline. The SpiceJet cabin crew member claimed that he faced mental health issues at work. (AFP File Photo) “I come from a middle-class family. I am extremely scared, and speaking against the company is a very bold step for me,” the man said. He further said he wrote multiple emails to the airline regarding his mental health, but it was all in vain. He claimed that in his first email, he raised issues such as delayed salary and allowances, delayed flight schedules, no provident fund (PF) being submitted, harsh working conditions, and more. After being vocal about these problems, he shared that he was grounded and removed from flight schedules. Three days after being grounded, he was called for a meeting with the HR team. However, he claimed that he was not given any solution. “The HR did not have any answer regarding my email,” he told HT.com. Later, he was promised another meeting with the Vice President of Inflight Service, a department that handles cabin crews and pilots, but again, he did not receive any communication. (Also Read: Lice outbreak forces emergency landing of New York-bound American Airlines flight) “I wrote a third email regarding my mental health, which was again ignored. I became suicidal at one point. Then, I started to post my struggles on social media. The company left me alone and gave me no response. I was even removed from the company’s WhatsApp group. They removed all communication with me.” Things escalated when he became vocal about his issues on Instagram. In a viral video, he claimed that SpiceJet was not paying the employees on time and joked about driving an e-rickshaw due to salary delays. Following the video, his official work email was removed. After this, the cabin crew member also shared his concerns regarding supporting his family. “My father is retired; they don’t know that all of this is happening. What do I tell them?” “I feel numb and depressed. Since July 3, I’ve been sitting at home and have not been given any information regarding my job. Is it right to break communication with an employee? HR has completely stopped communicating with me. I am very worried.” He emphasised that SpiceJet has not given him any termination notice. How did SpiceJet respond to this employee’s allegations?HT.com reached out to SpiceJet for a comment. The SpiceJet spokesperson said, “We want to clarify that Mr Deepak Goswami is no longer an employee of SpiceJet. It is important to address the facts accurately, as disgruntled former employees may make baseless allegations to defame the company. This is a situation that can happen to any organisation, including yours. Mr Goswami’s employment was terminated due to multiple instances of grave misconduct and disciplinary issues, as documented in two warning letters in the past five months. Despite receiving multiple warnings and opportunities to improve, his behaviour continued to violate company policies.” The airline further added, “Mr Goswami joined the company in February 2024. He operated his last flight with SpiceJet on July 1 and was grounded on July 3 on disciplinary grounds and involvement in anti-company activities. Despite this, he was called for a meeting on July 8 and given a fair chance to explain his actions. Following this meeting, he began posting videos in uniform on social media. When called for another meeting to discuss these actions, he refused to attend. SpiceJet adheres strictly to its policies, and the actions taken against Mr Goswami were in line with these regulations. Any claims made him are attempts to gain publicity maligning SpiceJet, and we will take appropriate measures to address this defamation.”