Anna Sebastian Perayil, a 26-year-old Chartered Accountant who passed her exams in 2023, tragically passed away after working at Ernst & Young (EY) Pune office for just four months. According to a letter her mother, Anita Augustine, wrote to Rajiv Memani , the Chairman and Managing Partner of EY India, Anna had been overworked to the point of breaking. In her letter, Anita Augustine expressed the deep anguish the family felt, not only from the loss of their daughter but also from the apparent lack of empathy shown by Anna's employers.
“No one from EY attended Anna's funeral,” she wrote. The absence of her colleagues and managers during such a crucial time added to the family's sorrow. According to her mother, Anna had given her all to EY, yet in her final moments, no one from the organization was present to pay their respects.
Anna's death and her mother's emotional letter have since gone viral on social media, sparking conversations about the toxic work culture in many multinational corporations. EY India chairman Rajiv Memani in a LinkedIn post responded to the public outcry, expressing deep sadness over the incident. He stated that he, too, was heartbroken over Anna’s tragic demise and conveyed his condolences to the family.
"As a father, I can only imagine Ms. Augustine's grief," he said. Memani admitted that EY had made a mistake by not attending Anna’s funeral, calling it "completely alien to our culture.
" He assured the public that such an absence had never occurred before and would never happen again. Memani further acknowledged the criticism surrounding EY’s work practices. He emphasized that creating a healthy workplace was a top priority for EY, and that the company is committed to the well-being of its employees.
"I will personally champion this objective," he said, vowing not to rest until a harmonious work environment is achieved. Artificial Intelligence(AI) Java Programming with ChatGPT: Learn using Generative AI By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, Developer and Lead Instructor View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) Basics of Generative AI : Unveiling Tomorrow's Innovations By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, Developer and Lead Instructor View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) Generative AI for Dynamic Java Web Applications with ChatGPT By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, Developer and Lead Instructor View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) Mastering C++ Fundamentals with Generative AI: A Hands-On By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, Developer and Lead Instructor View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) Master in Python Language Quickly Using the ChatGPT Open AI By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, Developer and Lead Instructor View Program Office Productivity Zero to Hero in Microsoft Excel: Complete Excel guide 2024 By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, Developer and Lead Instructor View Program Astrology Vastu Shastra Course By - Sachenkumar Rai, Vastu Shashtri View Program Data Science SQL for Data Science along with Data Analytics and Data Visualization By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, Developer and Lead Instructor View Program Web Development A Comprehensive ASP.NET Core MVC 6 Project Guide for 2024 By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, Developer and Lead Instructor View Program Office Productivity Mastering Microsoft Office: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and 365 By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, Developer and Lead Instructor View Program Marketing Digital marketing - Wordpress Website Development By - Shraddha Somani, Digital Marketing Trainer, Consultant, Strategiest and Subject Matter expert View Program Web Development Mastering Full Stack Development: From Frontend to Backend Excellence By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, Developer and Lead Instructor View Program Finance Financial Literacy i.
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P. Gupta, Professor: Department of Finance and Business Economics, University of Delhi View Program You Might Also Like: EY India head's 'confidential' letter gets leaked. Here's what he said about work culture and stress The situation has garnered national attention, with India's Ministry of Labour & Employment launching an investigation into the work environment at EY.
What netizens said The tragedy has also ignited a strong response from netizens. Many have shared their personal experiences, with one individual expressing shock at the lack of support from Anna's immediate work circle. "Her manager, her HR partner, those who worked with her—none of them were present at her funeral.
Did they choose not to come, or were they stopped?" they asked. Others criticized Memani’s statement, questioning how an organization with Indian employees could claim that missing the funeral was "alien" to their culture. "Our Indian culture is filled with humanity, respect, and compassion," one netizen wrote.
They advised the company to avoid alienating itself from its Indian workforce. Another parent shared a similar experience, recalling how their own son had been subjected to the same grueling work culture years earlier. "He left after two years, but he was completely burnt out," they said.
It took six months for their son to recover from the emotional toll of the job, a sentiment echoed by many who commented on the story. You Might Also Like: Who leaked Anna Sebastian mother’s private letter to EY India boss? Her father answers.
