The death of 26-year-old Anna Sebastian Perayil, a chartered accountant, from Kerala, is a damning indictment of the EY Pune corporate culture. The young woman succumbed to work stress four months after joining the company, and her mother has written an impassioned letter to the firm’s India boss, Rajiv Memani.
In her email to the company’s India boss, Augustine accused the firm of “glorifying overwork” and explained how her daughter, who was new to the organization, location, and language, felt overwhelmed by both assigned and extra tasks. The letter states that Perayil was “burdened with backbreaking work” and that her mother, Anita Augustine, has to bear witness to the extent of her daughter’s suffering.
According to Augustine, Perayil “began experiencing anxiety, sleeplessness, and stress soon after joining, but continued to push herself, believing hard work and perseverance were the path to success.” She also blamed the company’s culture for encouraging her to “stick around and change everyone’s opinion about the team.”
The letter further states that “Her manager would often reschedule meetings during cricket matches and assign her work at the end of the day, adding to her stress. At an office party, a senior leader even joked that she would have a tough time working under her manager, which, unfortunately, became a reality she could not escape.” The letter goes on to mention that Perayil worked “late into the night and even on weekends.”
Augustine’s letter concludes by urging the company to take responsibility for the lives of its employees and to prioritize the health and well-being of the workforce. The letter requests EY Pune to take concrete steps to improve its work culture and ensure that the needs of its employees are met.
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