The family of 26-year-old Chartered Accountant Anna Sebastian Perayil , who allegedly died due to extreme work pressure at Ernst & Young (EY), has expressed their grief and raised concerns about the unhealthy work environment that contributed to her tragic passing. After Anna's passing, her mother, Anita Augustine, wrote a letter to EY India’s chairman, Rajiv Memani , highlighting the toxic culture of overwork at the multinational firm. This letter, originally meant as a private correspondence, was leaked from EY’s Pune office, which Anna’s father, Sibi Joseph, believes indicates that others within the company may be facing similar work-related stress and want the issue to be brought to public attention.
"The letter was leaked from EY's Pune office, which means there are many people similarly suffering in the company who want the letter to be out in public," Sibi Joseph, Sebastian's father said. The family clarified that neither they nor any of their relatives disclosed the letter publicly, but they hope its viral nature will prevent others from suffering the same fate. Anna, a Keralite who passed her CA exams in 2023, had been working at EY's Pune office for just four months before her untimely death on July 21, 2024.
Her parents believe the relentless workload took a heavy toll on her physically, emotionally, and mentally. Anna’s father recalled that his daughter often worked late into the night, sometimes until 12:30 am. The family had advised her to quit the job due to the excessive demands it placed on her, but Anna was determined to gain professional experience at EY.
Despite raising concerns with senior officials about the extreme pressure, the family claims no action was taken to address the situation. Anna had even complained to her assistant manager about the long hours, but she was told to continue working late. Following Anna’s death and the viral spread of her mother’s letter, Ernst & Young released a statement expressing deep sadness over her passing.
The company stated it was committed to improving workplace conditions and maintaining a healthy work environment for all employees across its offices in India. EY also emphasized that they were taking the family’s concerns with the utmost seriousness. 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.
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C.P. Gupta, Professor: Department of Finance and Business Economics, University of Delhi View Program You Might Also Like: EY death case: Regret missing Anna's funeral, says Chairman Rajiv Memani after controversy Govt action after Anna Sebastian's death As a result of the public outcry, India’s Labour Ministry launched an investigation into the work environment at EY.
Labour Minister Shobha Karandlaje confirmed that a thorough investigation was underway to assess the allegations of an unsafe and exploitative work culture. The minister’s statement was in response to Anna’s mother’s claims that the extreme workload had impacted Anna’s well-being, leading to her death. Additionally, the Nascent Information Technology Employees Senate (NITES), a union representing IT employees, has called for an independent probe into Anna’s death.
NITES believes that Anna took her own life due to the unbearable work pressure she faced at EY and has requested the labour and interior ministries to look into the matter further. You Might Also Like: Investigate working conditions at EY: Rajya Sabha MP asks Maharashtra govt after Pune employee's death EY employee death: Govt investigates allegations of unsafe, exploitative work environment at audit firm.
