Anna Sebastian Perayil, a 26-year-old chartered accountant at Ernst & Young, passed away on July 20th, 2024. Her death sparked nationwide outrage in India, as reports alleged that stress was the cause of her sudden death. In a painful letter to Ernst & Young India chairman Rajiv Memani, Anna’s mother, Anita Augustine, detailed her daughter’s short-lived career at EY, which resulted in her death just four months after joining the accounting firm.
Anita Augustine provided a timeline of events that led to Anna’s hospitalization in the first week of July and consequent death weeks after.
“On Saturday, July 6th, my husband and I reached Pune to attend Anna’s CA Convocation. Since she had been complaining of chest constriction upon reaching her PG late at night (around 1 am) for the past week, we took her to the hospital in Pune. Her ECG was normal, and the cardiologist came to allay our fears, telling us she wasn’t getting enough sleep and was eating very late. He prescribed antacids, which reassured us that it wasn’t anything serious. Though we had come from Kochi, she insisted on going to work after seeing the doctor, saying there was a lot of work to be done and she wouldn’t get leave,” she wrote.
The mother stated various instances that depict the work environment at EY as stressful. “Her [Anna] 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 or recover. When she voiced her concerns, she was met with the dismissive response, “You can work at night; that’s what we all do,” the mother elaborated.
Anna’s death has raised pressing concerns about India’s corporate culture that often romanticizes “the hustle” to climb the corporate ladder. Shobha Karandlaje, Minister of State for Labour, reassured the family that the complaint would be diligently investigated in a post on X.
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
EY released an official statement amid escalating speculation on its toxic work culture. The firm extended “deepest” condolences to the family and “offered their full support in such a difficult circumstance.” The statement emphasized that EY “places the highest importance on the well-being of all its employees and will continue to find ways to provide a healthy workplace” for over 100,000 EY staffers across India.
