What Will Google Announce Next Week?
Facebook Forced To Let You Vote On Privacy Changes
Smartphones Blamed for Rash of France Telecom Suicides
France's largest telecommunications company, France Telecom, has suffered through a staggering 22 employee suicides over the last year. If that isn't enough, another 13 workers actually survived failed attempts. In an interview with Reuters, company CFO Gervais Pellissier discussed exactly why he believes so many employees have been distraught and suicidal. He attributed some worker unhappiness to the recent privatization and restructuring of the company, which dramatically shifted the job responsibilities of over 15,000 of France Telecom's 102,000 employees. But, he believes a more significant contributor to the tragic phenomenon is the "CrackBerry" syndrome. Pellissier asserted that the stress of privatization has been exacerbated by having to constantly be connected, because employees, who have no escape from work or e-mail, have had difficulty discerning "between personal life and professional life."
To combat further attempts, Telecom plans to implement counseling services, and (since one employee stabbed himself in the stomach during an office meeting and a woman jumped from an office window) add increased surveillance. Pellissier believes the problem to be a "global society issue," so hopefully US companies will investigate and adopt preventive measures, rather than wait and take reactive ones. [From: Reuters]
40 Years Later 'Napalm Girl' Tells Her Story
Disney World Scammers Scored Four Years of Free Vacations
Lost Dr. Seuss Cartoons Show Another Side Of The Author
Stranger's Kiss Keeps 16-Year-Old From Committing Suicide
Rookie Cop Reportedly Berated, Called 'A Rat' For Arresting Off-Duty Officer
Chain Food Showdown: The Best & Worst Buffalo Wings
Walmart Ending Membership in Conservative Group
How I Went Bankrupt at 23
PHOTOS: Charlize Theron's Short And Shoulder-Baring Style
Can a New Guy Save Best Buy?
Woman Claims Kangaroo Stalked Her for 2 Days, Then Attacked
Disturbing Video Allegedly Shows Montreal Torso Suspect Murdering Victim
Pete Cosey Dead: Chicago Guitar Great and Miles Davis Collaborator Dies at 68
Facebook, Week Two: Fortunes Made and Fortunes Lost (Mostly Lost)
Heidi Klum's Sexiest (And Scariest) Outfits
A Journey To The Hottest Place On Earth: Dallol Ethiopia
Student Ate Roommate's Brain And Heart, Cops Say
Kansas Police Search For 12-Year-Old Girl Who Disappeared With Canadian She Met Online
George Zimmerman's Bond Revoked
Zhang Ziyi Slams Prostitution Allegations
Witherspoon Bigamy Case Heats Up
New Discovery Sheds Light On Amelia Earhart Mystery
Is Kate Walsh Leaving 'Private Practice' Next Season?
LOOK: Photos Of Military Moms Breastfeeding In Uniform Cause Controversy
Space Agency Predicts Date Of World-Ending Galactic Smash-Up
Calif. Man Becomes Internet Sensation In China For Random Act Of Kindness
See Kim Without Her Wig On 'Don't Be Tardy For The Wedding'
Porn Actor Mailed Murder Victim's Body Parts To Canada's Top Political Parties: Cops
Maine Police Believe Ayla Reynolds Is Dead
PHOTOS: This Month's Biggest Photoshop Fails
New Video Shows Face-Eating Attack Lasted 18 Minutes
Divers To Plunge To The Depths Of Baltic Sea To Examine Mystery Object
Comments
5
Subscribe to commentsjanuschristSep 26th 2009 10:10AM
Suicide affects everyone.
Rest in peace, Amy.
DamienSep 26th 2009 11:04AM
I don't know what problem people seem to be having, but you can't blame a comany for causing someone to commit suicide. If you had nothing good in your life going on, and the only thing you could do is associate work with life, then you are so weak minded that society as a whole would do far better off without you. Is that a harsh statement, yes but seriously isn't it taking things a little far saying because they get emails at home concerning work they become suicidal?
It's all about money people, if you can lay blame on someone for something, odds are you can sue. If you sue you get money, but at what expense? Is our economy bad only due to bad investment brokers, I think not. It is the giving away of money, of which we base entirely on something as useless as gold. Gold has no serious use to mankind other then looking nice, and to be honest it looks as nice to me as a piece of nicely made silver jewelery, only I know some moron paid $500 for it instead of $100.
And these are probably the same people commiting suicide, as they have no idea what they are doing with their wallets, let alone their lives. It might be harsh to say, but does society really need people such as this? Wouldn't they just wind up on top of some college campus tower popping shots at innocents with this kind of weak mindedness, or stringing together a 15 people slaughter only to wind up in history books as another troubled serial killer?
We are better off ultimately, though I do offer my regards to their families, but honestly it is survival of the fittest, and apparently they weren't in shape.
willow reedSep 26th 2009 5:58PM
hmmm....Damien, I agree with you in regard to what I think is a reaction to superficial idiots that tend to not want to work hard (thank you welfare states) to get anything.
I am not sure that merely getting emails at home was their problem but if it was, they surely don't work in the usa... :D
heh...
jbuphamSep 28th 2009 12:54AM
What has happened to journalistic integrity?
A quick google of 'France Suicide Rate' shows charts of rates 1950-2005, M,F & Total;
My interpretation of data is 21-23% / 100,000 [ Total, working age group = Employees of France Telecom].
Hence in about 3 minutes I have scientifically established that the actual rate (abt. 22%) = the rate for the company (stated: 22 deaths, # employees abt. 100K.
Hence again, this is NO story. Apparently, just to scare people in this "age of terrorism".
krystindianeSep 26th 2009 3:53PM
This is ridiculous ..seriously