Anna Sebastian Perayil, a young Chartered Accountant from Kerala, tragically passed away just four months after starting her job at EY India in Pune. Anna’s family has alleged that she was overburdened with excessive workload, leading to her physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion, which may have contributed to her untimely death.
Letter from Anna’s Mother to EY
Anna’s mother, Anita Augustine, wrote an emotional letter to Rajiv Memani, Chairman of EY India, detailing her daughter’s experience at the firm. According to the letter, Anna, who was a brilliant student, had been experiencing anxiety, sleeplessness, and severe stress shortly after joining the company. Despite suffering from chest pain, which was later attributed to exhaustion by doctors, Anna continued working due to the overwhelming pressure.
No one from EY attended her funeral
On the day of her convocation in July, Anna insisted on going to work after a hospital visit, despite her parents’ concerns. Tragically, she passed away soon after. In her letter, Anita recounted how her daughter’s health deteriorated due to the excessive workload and pressure to meet deadlines, working long hours even on weekends.
Anita expressed deep disappointment with EY, alleging that no one from the company attended Anna’s funeral or responded to the family’s attempts to reach her superiors. The letter further criticized the company for overworking new employees like Anna, stating that the toxic work culture took a severe toll on her mental and physical health.
The tragic incident has sparked discussions about workplace stress and its impact on employees, especially newcomers to demanding professions. Many industry professionals have raised concerns over the work environment at EY India, questioning the high expectations placed on young employees and the lack of adequate support systems.
Anna was part of the Audit team at S R Batliboi, a member firm of EY Global, for just four months before her life was cut short. The family continues to mourn her loss, seeking answers and justice for the pressure they believe led to their daughter’s death.
