Shameful twist after 26yo EY worker’s death

The tragic death of a young EY accountant just four months after starting her job triggered widespread fury. There’s been a shameful update in her story.

The tragic death of a young EY worker in India triggered widespread fury after her “relentless” workload was exposed in an open letter written by her mother.

Anna Sebastian Perayil, a 26-year-old accountant with the Big 4 consulting firm, died of cardiac arrest in July just four months after accepting her dream job.

India’s government vowed to conduct a “thorough investigation” into the toxic work environment at her Ernst & Young office in the city of Pune and release findings within 10 days.

Two months later, the findings of that investigation are nowhere to be seen.

Accountant Anna Perayil, 26, died four months after starting her job at EY. India’s government vowed to investigate the work environment at the Big 4 firm. Picture: LinkedIn

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During the first day of the winter session of parliament last week, India’s minister of labour and employment was grilled about the status of the probe.

The minister ignored the question and instead rattled off some of the obscure working laws – including one act from 1948 – that cover employees’ rights in India.

He then insisted the Indian government had been “provided information on the working conditions and working hours” by EY’s Pune office.

In a scathing takedown, a leading workers’ union lashed out at the minister’s “unclear and evasive” response.

“Months have passed since the tragic incident, and the nation deserved answers,” NITES president Harpreet Singh Saluja wrote in a statement sent to news.com.au.

“What we received was an empty acknowledgment that the (local) Government had forwarded a generic report from the company involved, outlining superficial details of working conditions and hours.

“There was no sign of a deeper probe into the toxic work culture that had reportedly driven Anna driven Anna to her death.

“This lack of transparency is not only disheartening but a betrayal of trust for the millions of professionals who keep the wheels of our economy turning.”

The union president said Anna’s death “was a cry for justice, a demand for accountability and an urgent call to reform the corporate culture that too often places profits above people.”

The 26-year-old was excited to start her career as an accountant, but suffered a cardiac arrest after working 14-hour days. Picture: LinkedIn

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Mother’s gut-wrenching letter to EY boss

After passing her Chartered Accountant (CA) exams with distinction in 2023, Anna landed her first job with EY as an executive in March.

She packed up her life and left her family behind in Kerala, in India’s southwest, to move to the city of Pune to begin her professional career.

“She worked tirelessly at EY, giving her all to meet the demands placed on her,” her mother Anna Augustine wrote in a scathing letter directed to EY India Chairman Rajiv Memani.

“However, the workload, new environment, and long hours took a toll on her physically, emotionally, and mentally,” she continued.

Ms Augustine said her daughter began experiencing “anxiety, sleeplessness, and stress” after joining the company, but refused to show any signs of weakness to her new colleagues.

Things got so bad that she was rushed to hospital the night before she was due to get admitted as an accountant.

“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,” her mother wrote.

Her parents had made the 1300km journey to watch the ceremony, but Anna was so snowed in with work she was barely able to enjoy the moment with them.

“It breaks my heart to tell you that even during those two days, which were the last we would spend with our child, she couldn’t enjoy them because of the work pressure,” her mother wrote.

Ms Augustine recalled a harrowing conversation her daughter had with her manager where he warned her about the high turnover in their team.

“The team manager told her, ‘Anna, you must stick around and change everyone’s opinion about our team’. My child didn’t realize she would pay for that with her life,” she wrote.

She said her daughter had confided in her about the “overwhelming workload” and “relentless” managers.

“She worked late into the night, even on weekends, with no opportunity to catch her breath,” she claimed.

“Anna would return to her room utterly exhausted, sometimes collapsing on the bed without even changing her clothes, only to be bombarded with messages asking for more reports.”

Ms Augustine said her daughter, who she described as a “fighter” who “excelled in everything she did”, would never have placed the blame on her managers.

“But I cannot remain silent. Burdening newcomers with such backbreaking work, making them work day and night, even on Sundays, has no justification whatsoever,” she wrote.

“Anna was a young professional, just starting her career. Like many in her position, she did not have the experience or the agency to draw boundaries or push back against unreasonable demands.

“She did not know how to say no. She was trying to prove herself in a new environment, and in doing so, she pushed herself beyond her limits. And now, she is no longer with us.”

India’s government vowed to complete a “thorough” investigation into the work environment at the EY office in the Indian city of Pune. Two months later, there have been no updates on that probe. Picture: Gabriel Buoys / AFP

‘Not a single EY employee attended her funeral’

In what she described as a cruel final blow, Ms Augustine claimed not a single person from EY attended her daughter’s funeral.

“This absence at such a critical moment, for an employee who gave her all to your organisation until her last breath, is deeply hurtful,” she wrote.

“Anna deserved better, and so do all the employees who continue to work under these conditions.

“My heart aches not just for the loss of my child but also for the lack of empathy shown by those who were supposed to guide and support her.

“How can a company that speaks of values and human rights fail to show up for one of its own in their final moments?”

Ms Augustine said she hoped her daughter’s death would not be in vain and urged EY to “take meaningful steps to prioritise the health and wellness of your employees”.

In a statement supplied to news.com.au, EY said they were “deeply saddened” by Anna’s “tragic and untimely passing”.

“That her promising career was cut short in this tragic manner is an irreparable loss for all of us,” the firm said.

“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.

“We are taking the family’s correspondence with the utmost seriousness and humility. We place 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.”

In response to allegations Anna was overworked to death, EY India Chairman Memani had a blunt statement.

“Anna worked with us only for four months. She was allotted work like any other employee. We don’t believe that work pressure could have claimed her life,” he told the Indian Express.

‘Toxic work culture’: Nation erupts over death

News of Anna’s sudden death sent shockwaves through India.

One woman, who said she was a “dear friend” of Anna’s, revealed she was heartbroken by her death.

“This is a reminder that mental health matters. Burnout and stress can have devastating consequences. Work-life balance and well-being must be prioritized—no job should come at the cost of life,” she wrote.

Tax professional Vivek Awasthi had a powerful message for other young accountants.

“The toxic work culture is no secret, yet students and professionals are continuing to push themselves to the brink, believing it’s the only path to success,” he wrote.

“There are better opportunities out there that value your well-being. Don’t lose yourself to the pressure of the race.

Accountant Manisha Yadav took to LinkedIn to call for managers to stop “destroying young Indian careers with toxicity, incompetence and a lack of people management skills”.

“I request everyone please take care of yourself, protect yourself. No job is worth exploiting your mental and physical health,” wrote HR professional Fathima Shahjahan.

“I am truly heartbroken… a bright young #CA graduate who lost her life due to the overwhelming pressures of a toxic work environment,” wrote psychiatrist Dr Jyothirmayi Kotipalli.