Early this month, a 32-year-old Brazilian staff member, tragically took his own life after being fired by the jewelry retail company Effy. Known for his charisma and talent, Francisco Budny Macedo was deeply dedicated to his work. He was employed as an assistant shopping ambassador for Effy Jewellery/HFGM and his last contract was on the Holland America Line cruise ship Eurodam.

In a heartfelt message, Francisco's family shared the news of his passing:

"With great sadness, we inform you of the passing of Francisco Budny Macedo, our beloved Franz or Chico. We thank God for the 32 years of intense and joyful life he shared with us. The farewell ceremony will be held tomorrow in São Paulo, with more details to be provided soon. We appreciate everyone’s support and prayers during this difficult time."
 

The tragic news was also shared in the popular Facebook group The Crew Bar by a close friend of Francisco, who revealed troubling details about the circumstances leading up to his death. According to his friend, Francisco had been deceived and bullied by his team and manager.

“The last time I spoke to him, he told me that they didn't even give him a reason as to why they fired him but lied and told him that he was getting transferred to another ship, instead, he was sent home and told he wouldn't he given another contract. He also told me that he was very stressed about money, as he hadn't been earning as much as the company had promised. 
During this contact, he got bullied and excluded from the team and manager he worked with. He was very talented and charismatic, which might be one reason why others didn't like him. 
The day before he passed Effy was supposed to have paid him all his commission money ...but they hadn't. 
I am posting this as a reminder that we have to be kind to other people and those around us and these companies don't care, we are just a number. Rest in peace friend.”

The circumstances surrounding Francisco's death, including allegations of bullying, corruption, and harassment, need to be thoroughly investigated by Effy. If these claims are true, the company must understand what happened on board and conduct a full audit of the management. While there are many wonderful supervisors in the company, a few bad actors can tarnish its image and mentally abuse the crew. We may not know exactly what happened, but the behavior of some bullying managers can lead to tragic outcomes.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Francisco's family, friends, and colleagues who had the chance to work with him. He will be dearly missed by us all.