KARACHI: Former employees of Dawn website have shared ordeal of working with the current Dawn.com management on social media.

They claimed that the employees at digital platform of the one of the leading English newspapers of Pakistan have to work in subhuman conditions. One employee said they had to work like a slave. Another claimed that favouritism was rampant in the organization.

Sajjad Haider said that Dawn website did not hire people on its own payroll rather they were hired through a third party contract so that they could not claim any benefit from the company. He said employees had no job security.

Ema Anis said the tactics they used to bully people especially the ones who had no option of leaving was another level of sick.

“I have been ‘scolded’ like a child by my superiors in front of my peers for minor mistakes and when confronted they had no apology or remorse for their treatment,” said Munnazzah Raza.

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Bilal Karim Mughal relayed that former editor of blogs section at Dawn’s Urdu website, Syed Imtiaz, had had chemotherapy treatment for cancer. “The employers did not offer any financial help, rather they forced him to attend the office. Due to weakness, he could hardly sit. Later, he was fired and soon after that he passed away.”

Tauseef Razi Mallick said a senior sub-editor at Dawn’s Urdu desk was compelled to walk with the help of stick after he had an accident. The management stopped providing him transport facility and he was coerced to take public transport for commuting. It had torturous effects on his mental health, so eventually he left the job, he added.

In response to the posts shared on social media, Jahanzaib Haque, head of Dawn website, said, “If there are complaints and grievances, they can be made directly to the company and of course we’d look into it.”