Pune: Tragic Death of EY Employee Sparks Outrage Over Work Culture and Employee Well-being
Pune — Anna Sebastian Perayil, a 26-year-old employee of Ernst & Young (EY) in Pune, has tragically passed away, with her mother attributing the cause to severe work-related stress. Anna, who recently started her career at EY just four months ago, was a Chartered Accountant from Kerala. Her untimely death has ignited a discussion on workplace pressures and the mental health of employees in high-stress environments.
Workload Overload
Anna's mother, Anita Augustine, has reached out to EY's India head, Rajiv Memani, expressing her concerns regarding the company's culture of overwork. In her email, Augustine criticized EY for promoting excessive workloads, emphasizing the disparity between the firm’s professed human rights values and her daughter's lived experience.
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
Anna had recently passed her CA exams in 2023 and commenced her role as an executive at EY in March 2024. Despite her enthusiasm, the demands of her new job took a severe toll on her mental and physical health. Augustine reported that her daughter began experiencing anxiety, insomnia, and stress shortly after starting, yet she continued to push herself, believing that hard work would lead to success.
Unreasonable Demands and Lack of Support
Augustine highlighted several instances where Anna was overwhelmed by her workload. Her managers frequently assigned last-minute tasks, often at night, and expected her to complete them without question. “Her assistant manager once called her at night with a task that needed to be completed by the next morning, leaving her with barely any time to rest,” she recalled.
The pressure intensified as Anna worked late into the night and on weekends, often collapsing from exhaustion. Augustine noted, “She was giving her best to meet deadlines, but the demands were unreasonable. We advised her to quit, but she was determined to gain experience.”
Call for Change in Corporate Culture
In her poignant email to EY, Augustine pointed out that Anna, as a new employee, lacked the experience and confidence to set boundaries against excessive demands. She lamented the "glorification of overwork" within the company and called for a reevaluation of workplace culture to prioritize employee health and well-being.
The situation has garnered attention from political leaders, including Shiv Sena UBT leader Priyanka Chaturvedi, who expressed her heartbreak over Anna's death. She emphasized the urgent need for corporate entities to reconsider their HR policies, particularly regarding mental health for new recruits transitioning into the workforce.
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
Conclusion: A Wake-Up Call for Corporations
The tragic passing of Anna Sebastian Perayil serves as a sobering reminder of the critical need for a supportive and healthy work environment. Her mother’s heartfelt appeal to EY highlights the urgent necessity for corporate accountability and a shift towards prioritizing mental health in high-pressure industries. The incident has sparked a wider conversation about the responsibilities companies have toward their employees and the imperative for change in workplace practices.
