A woman jumped out of the 9th floor of an office tower in Kolkata.   It was the same day I arrived last week, in the same building as our office, just 2 floors below.    As I arrived at the office a television news crew was packing up.   I would not have known about it if not for the proximity.   This paragraph in particular from the next days' Times of India reminded me of the need for cultural awareness in a job like mine.

   "The incident brings to lithe killer pressure of working and struggling to retain one's job in the 24X7 sector.  Unlike other countries, India still lacks a safety net for employees sacked from the industry that has triggered the current economic boon."

My group has not had any layoffs and I do not see any happening in the near future.   And this is not just an Indian issue, losing a job is hard anywhere.  But in the US you have Unemployment Benefits and other help that can at least soften the impact.  I wonder if Jayita Ghosh lost her job because she worked for some big US company that didn't consider the impact of hiring and then laying off staff in a country that has a hard time dealing with unemployment. 

On the plane ride back to Chennai I considered what I would do if I had met her in that coridor as she prepared to jump.  Of course I would hire her on the spot if it meant keeping her alive.   The challenge here is that you could spend all your time and fortune helping people in difficult circumstances.