The Lonely Death of Denise Prudhomme: Months after tragedy shocked the nation, questions are being asked

Tempe, Arizona: Nearly two months after 60-year-old Denise Prudhomme was found dead at her desk in a Wells Fargo office, employees are calling for action to improve workplace safety and communication. Prudhomme's body lay unnoticed for four days, sparking outrage.

Prudhomme, reportedly clocked into work at 7am on Friday, August 16, but never returned home. Her body was not discovered until Tuesday, August 20, when a colleague found her unresponsive at her desk in a cubicle on the third floor of the office building near Washington Street and Priest Drive.

Tempe police responded to reports of a "subject down" at the location and later declared Prudhomme dead. Authorities reported no signs of foul play

Tony Taylor, who has workied with Wells Fargo since 2018 and is a member of Wells Fargo Workers United, told 12News: "The biggest issue that I have with this is there's still been no communication after a month-and-a-half."

Employees have voiced their frustration at the company's handling of the incident, pushing for increased transparency and safety measures. A letter addressed to Wells Fargo CEO Charles Scharf outlined several demands, including better communication, improved safety precautions, and a reevaluation of the company's return-to-office policy.

Taylor also revealed that another employee who was present in the building when Prudhomme’s body was found was told to remain at work while authorities dealt with the situation.

Prudhomme was the only team member in her office, while her colleagues and supervisor were working remotely from North Carolina. This situation has sparked a furious discussion about the necessity of in-person attendance for employees without local peers.

It has also sparked concerns about people who work though the night at so-called 'cubicle farms'. One Reddit poster, discussing this issue, said "I haven't been in the office in about four years, but I spent the first several years working the overnight shift. You have a couple thousand desks or cubicles spread across a few buildings, and overnight it's maybe only 5% occupied, at most. People still being at their desk overnight is not particularly unusual, so no one would bat an eye if they saw someone down at the end of the row staring at a screen at 11pm, 2am, 5am."

Another narrated a horrifying incident: "I worked in an office where the cubicles were pretty much open to each other. I turned around one day and a coworker across from the me was slumped over sideways at an awkward angle. I got up, asked what she was doing and her speech was so slurred I could barely understand her.

"Quick call for medical help and then 9-11 for an ambulance. As I suspected, she was having a stroke. Very healthy 30-something woman. It was caught in time so she had no deficits. Embarrassed to be in such a vulnerable state at work, but fine. If our cubicles had been the tall type with good privacy, she very well could have died."

One poster voiced a concern they have always had and what they did about it: "Back when I was on call for my employer, one of my great fears was having a stroke or something at midnight a Saturday and nobody checking on me. I had to work in a fully automated datacenter, with no permanent personnel, just security cameras. I always texted a friend or a family member before going, telling them to try to contact me 2 hours later or when they wake up."

"We want to know how we can be assured that team members are going to be safe in their office," Taylor told 12News, stressing that this issue is not just about physical safety, but about ensuring employees are accounted for in case of emergencies.

Wells Fargo has not publicly responded to the union's demands.