A heartfelt letter from the bereaved mother of Anna Sebastian Perayil, a young chartered accountant who died tragically at 26, has forced a response out of her employer, Ernst & Young, accused of overworking its staff to the point of exhaustion and beyond.
In her note addressed to Rajiv Memani, India Chairman of EY, Anita Sebastian flagged the workload and long hours that took a toll on her late daughter. Anna passed away on July 20, just four months after joining EY as an executive. It was her first job.
“We are deeply saddened by Anna Sebastian's tragic and untimely passing in July 2024, and our deepest condolences go to the bereaved family," read a statement from EY, issued Wednesday evening, almost two months since her passing.
In its statement, EY said: "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 short in this tragic manner 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 read.
Even as the EY statement claims that it was "taking the family’s correspondence with the utmost seriousness and humility," Anita highlighted that neither Anna's managers attended her funeral nor reached out to the parents. "This absence (of managers) at such a critical moment, for an employee who gave her all to your organization until her last breath, is deeply hurtful," Anita wrote in her letter.
Despite the pain she is going through, the mother had urged EY to take corrective measures. "Anna's experience sheds light on a work culture that seems to glorify overwork while neglecting the very human beings behind the roles. This is not just about my daughter, it's about every young professional who joins EY filled with hopes and dreams only to be crushed under the weight of unrealistic expectations.
"Anna's death should serve as a wake-up call for EY. It is time to reflect on the work culture within your organization and take meaningful steps to prioritize 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," Anita wrote.
In its statement, EY has said it places "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".