'Work Stress' Claims 26-Year-Old CA's Life; Mother Calls Out EY India's Work Culture

EY Employee Death: Her mother, Anita Augustine, has written a scathing email to EY India's CEO, Rajiv Memani, condemning the firm for "glorifying overwork" and neglecting its human rights values

Augustine, the CA's mother, expressed outrage over the EY's lack of empathy, citing that employees skipped her daughter's funeral and her managers failed to respond to her messages afterward.

Source : FreePik

EY Employee Death: A 26-year-old Chartered Accountant, Anna Sebastian Perayil, employed at EY Pune, one of the Big Four accounting firms, passed away on July 20, reportedly due to work-related stress. According to her family, Perayil's death was a direct result of the excessive workload and pressure she faced at the company, which she joined in March 2024. Her mother, Anita Augustine, has written a scathing email to EY India's CEO, Rajiv Memani, condemning the firm for "glorifying overwork" and neglecting its human rights values.

Augustine said that her daughter, who cleared her CA exams in 2023, worked tirelessly to meet expectations but soon began experiencing anxiety, sleeplessness, and stress. Despite her family's concerns, Perayil continued to push herself, fearing that quitting would jeopardise her career.

EY company - 26 yr old CA (4 month xp) passed away. RIP
byu/gamer-007-007 indevelopersIndia

The email alleged that Perayil's manager assigned her excessive tasks, including verbal requests beyond her official workload, forcing her to work late nights and weekends. Augustine claimed that her daughter's boss even rescheduled meetings during cricket matches, adding to her stress. "Anna would return to her room utterly exhausted, sometimes collapsing on the bed without changing her clothes, only to be bombarded with messages asking for more reports," Augustine wrote.

Augustine expressed outrage over the company's lack of empathy, citing that EY Pune employees skipped her daughter's funeral and her managers failed to respond to her messages afterward.

The exact cause of Perayil's death is unclear, but Augustine mentioned that her daughter had complained of chest constriction weeks prior. Despite medical checks, her condition worsened, ultimately leading to her demise.

Augustine's email serves as a wake-up call for EY Pune, urging the company to reflect on its work culture and prioritise employee health and wellness. "Her death should not be in vain," Augustine added. "We hope that her story will bring about change and ensure that no other family suffers the same tragedy."

ABP Live, however, could not independently verify the authenticity of the email, and EY is yet to comment on the matter.

Meanwhile, this incident has sparked widespread outrage, with many taking to social media to demand better working conditions and support for employees.

Priyanka Chaturvedi, Rajya Sabha MP, in her X handle wrote, "This just broke my heart, Anna deserved better. Hope her mother’s gut wrenching letter to E&Y will get corporate houses to relook at their HR policies and prioritise mental health especially for the new recruits who are transitioning from student life to work life."

This just broke my heart, Anna deserved better. Hope her mother’s gut wrenching letter to E&Y will get corporate houses to relook at their HR policies and prioritise mental health especially for the new recruits who are transitioning from student life to work life. https://t.co/dU2BrNbVRP

— Priyanka Chaturvedi🇮🇳 (@priyankac19) September 17, 2024

Another X user, Malavika Rao, voiced her sorrow over the young CA's passing, stating, "It's heartbreaking news from EY Pune — this young CA succumbed to work pressure, and not a single person from EY attended her funeral. This is truly appalling!"

Heartbreaking news from EY Pune - a young CA succumbed to the work pressure and nobody from EY even attended her funeral - this is so appalling and nasty!!! pic.twitter.com/pt8ThUKiNR

— Malavika Rao (@kaay_rao) September 17, 2024