KOCHI: The tragic death of a 26-year-old chartered accountant working with the Pune office of Ernst and Young, allegedly due to work stress, has once again turned the spotlight on the toxic work culture prevalent in the corporate world. The young CA – Anna Sebastian Perayil passed away in July.
In a letter to EY India chairperson Rajiv Memani, Anna’s mother Anita Augustine detailed the toxic work culture prevalent in the office.
“I am writing this letter as a grieving mother who has lost her precious child. My heart is heavy and my soul is shattered as I pen these words. But I believe it is necessary to share our story in the hope that no other family will have to endure the pain we are going through,” Anita wrote.
The letter shared on social media has created an uproar with many netizens commenting about the work pressure in the Big4 and other MNCs.
Anna had joined EY as an audit and assurance executive. According to her mother’s letter, she was excited to be a part of the reputed company. However, Anita said in the letter that workload took a massive toll on Anna.
“She began experiencing anxiety, sleeplessness and stress soon after joining. But kept pushing herself, believing that hard work and perseverance were the keys to success,” Anna’s mother wrote.
She ended her letter by pointing out EY’s human rights statement signed by the company’s chairman. “I cannot reconcile with the values expressed in the statement. How can EY begin to truly live by the values it professes?” she asked.
“Anna’s death should serve as a wake-up call for EY. It is time to reflect on the work culture within your organisation and take meaningful steps to prioritise the health and wellness of your employees,” Anita signed off.
Responding to the furore created by the letter, EY issued a statement, saying, “We are deeply saddened by Anna Sebastian’s tragic and untimely passing in July 2024, and our deepest condolences go to the bereaved family. Anna was a part of the audit team at S R Batliboi, a member firm of EY Global in Pune for a brief period of four months, joining the firm on 18 March 2024. That her promising career was cut tragically is an irreparable loss for all of us. While no measure can compensate for the loss experienced by the family, we have provided all the assistance as we always do in such times of distress and will continue to do so.”
The statement said further that the company is taking the family’s correspondence with “utmost seriousness and humility”.
“We place the highest importance on the well-being of all employees and will continue to find ways to improve and provide a healthy workplace for our 100,000 people across EY member firms in India,” the EY statement said.
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