A cousin of Anna Sebastian Perayil revealed in a post on the social networking platform LinkedIn that she was all set to get married this month. Anna was a 26-year-old and an employee at EY India, Pune, who reportedly died due to 'overwork’. Her death has ignited a widespread discussion about the toxic work culture at corporations.
Sunil George Kuruvilla, an assistant director at the research and analytics firm Acuity Knowledge Partners, shared in a post that Anna had two paths to choose from: pursuing an MBA or studying for chartered accountancy. She opted for the latter and subsequently joined EY India after completing her studies. Reflecting on her choice, he quoted Robert Frost’s poem 'The Road Not Taken': "And that has made all the difference."
“My second cousin Anna is gone. Forever. And she is now more powerful than ever. Like a canary in the coal mine, she may yet save young lives from the clutches of silver-tongued executives who act like the Grim Reaper,” he wrote in the post.
“A few years back, Anna was at a crossroads in her career: an MBA from IRMA or a CA degree. She spoke with my dad at length and finally decided to go for a CA degree, against his advice. To echo Frost’s lines, two roads diverged in a wood, and she took one, just as fair. And that has made all the difference,” he added.
He further wrote, “After the news of her death, I called her grandfather. With a broken voice, he spoke at length. I didn’t weep, even when he told me her marriage was arranged for this month. Sometimes tears are not enough.”
“I must pause now. But Anna lives on in me and in those who nurture fond memories of her. Anna is more powerful than ever,” he concluded.
Following a letter from Anna's mother, Anita Augustine, addressing the challenges her daughter encountered at work, EY India Chairman Rajiv Memani has vowed to ensure that the company achieves its goal of fostering a harmonious workplace. He stated that he will not rest until this objective is achieved.