The tragic death of a young Ernst & Young (EY) employee in Pune due to “excessive workload” has sparked a national debate on social media about toxic work culture in India.
26-year-old Anna Sebastian Perayil passed away on July 20, four months after joining EY as a chartered account.
Soon after, the news went viral after her mother, Anita Augustine, penned a gut-wrenching letter to EY India chairman Rajiv Memani, blaming the “workload, new environment and long heirs” for the events that followed. “Four months of EY’s callous attitude” that resulted in Anna Sebastian Perayil’s unfortunate and preventable death.
Joining EY as a chartered account was Anna’s first job, and her mother wrote that her daughter was “thrilled” to join the company. Describing her daughter as a “fighter,” Augustine highlighted that Anna excelled in all her school and college examinations and worked “tirelessly” at EY, “giving her all to meet the demands placed on her.”
“However, the workload, new environment and long hours took a toll on her physically, emotionally and mentally,” Augustine said, emphasizing how Anna soon began experiencing anxiety and sleepless nights, and stress. She would often return home “utterly exhausted”, “sometimes collapsing on the bed without even changing her clothes”. Her managers were “relentless” and she was made to work late nights even on weekends. When she voiced her concerns, the response was “dismissive”, and Augustive claims her daughter was told: “You can work at night. That’s what we all do.”
While Anna kept pushing herself, believing that hard work and perseverance were “the keys to success”, the company’s rigorous and unrelenting workload proved too much, and her health began worsening at the time of her convocation in Pune.
“”Nobody from EY even attended her funeral,” Augustine wrote. “This absence at such a critical moment, for an employee who gave her all to your organization until her last breath, is deeply hurtful. Anna deserved better, and so do all the employees who continue to work under these conditions.”
Augustine hoped that her letter would serve as a “wake-up call” for the company.
Conclusively, she added a powerful note on maintaining a healthy work culture in her letter: “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. This means creating an environment where employees feel safe to speak up, where they are supported in managing their workload, and where their mental and physical well-being is not sacrificed for the sake of productivity.”
Debate on India’s Work Culture:
This news has sparked a national discussion on the harm and negative potential of India’s “hustle culture”, which has claimed the lives and well-being of too many employees from various companies.
Heartbreaking! This is how the 70 hour work week mantras manifest into horrible workspaces. Getting a certain job is dream to many because that’s often our way out of the socioeconomic class we belong to. Hope we all get the courage someday to live life on our own terms. Prayers. https://t.co/R9hWABS9HZ
— Shridhar V (@iimcomic) September 17, 2024
Another X user Radhika Roy wrote, “This is so heartbreaking. Work culture in India is horrid. Pay is dismal, exploitation is max. There are zero repercussions & no remorse on the part of employers who routinely harass workers. Worst part? Overworking & underpaying are lauded. We are an unhappy nation for a reason.”
“Work culture in India is horrendous to say the least,” another user Parag Mandpe wrote.
EY India Chairman Responds:
Responding to the backlash, EY India Chairman Rajiv Memani claimed that “we don’t believe that work pressure could have claimed her life.”
He said that the company employees approximately 1 lakh people and that everyone had to work hard. He said, “We have around one lakh employees. There is no doubt each one has to work hard. Anna worked with us only for four months. She was allotted work like any other employee. We don’t believe that work pressure could have claimed her life.”
Rajiv Mermani also added that Anna Sebastian Perayil’s promising career was cut short in this tragic manner was an “irreparable loss” for the company.
“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,” he wrote.
Centre probes allegations:
After the news went viral, Union minister of state Shobha Karandlaje has said that the labour ministry has taken up the complaint and is now investigating Anna’s death.
Deeply saddened by the tragic loss of Anna Sebastian Perayil. A thorough investigation into the allegations of an unsafe and exploitative work environment is underway. We are committed to ensuring justice & @LabourMinistry has officially taken up the complaint.@mansukhmandviya https://t.co/1apsOm594d
— Shobha Karandlaje (@ShobhaBJP) September 19, 2024
Karandlaje was responding to a post by BJP leader Rajeev Chandrasekhar, who described Anna’s death as “very sad but also disturbing at many levels” and wished for a probe into her family’s allegations of an exploitative work environment at EY.
