‘Regret missing her funeral’: EY India Chairman Rajiv Memani on Anna Sebastian Perayil’s demise

Ernst & Young India’s Chairman and Managing Partner, Rajiv Memani, expressed his regrets at missing the funeral of Anna Sebastian Perayil, whose parents wrote to the company blaming them for her demise. Perayil’s parents said that she died due to work stress. As the letter became public, the multinational consulting firm received a lot of criticism for its work culture. 

“I truly regret the fact that we missed being present at Anna’s funeral. This is completely alien to our culture. It has never happened before; it will never happen again,” said Memani in a social media post on LinkedIn. He said as a father himself, he was aggrieved by Anna’s death.  

“Over the past few days, I am aware that people have in their social media posts commented on some of our work practices. It has always been very important to us to create a healthy workplace and we attach the highest importance to the well-being of our people. I would like to affirm that the well-being of our people is my top-most priority and I will personally champion this objective. I am absolutely committed to nurturing a harmonious workplace, and I will not rest until that objective is accomplished,” he said. 

Following the furore after Anna’s death, the company had issued a statement saying her death was an “irreparable loss” for the company. It said it had provided all assistance to the family in such a time of distress. “We are taking the family’s correspondence with the utmost seriousness and humility,” it had said. 

Meanwhile, Union Minister of State for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises and Labour & Employment Shobha Karandlaje said that the Labour Ministry has taken up the matter and a thorough investigation into the “allegations of an unsafe and exploitative work environment” is underway.

The letter was penned by Anita Augustine, Anna’s mother, where she said: “The workload, new environment, and long hours took a toll on her physically, emotionally, and mentally. She began experiencing anxiety, sleeplessness, and stress soon after joining, but she kept pushing herself, believing that hard work and perseverance were the keys to success.” 

She said that Anna would return home so exhausted on some days that she would not even change her clothes and just collapse on the bed. “She worked late into the night, even on weekends, with no opportunity to catch her breath. Her assistant manager once called her at night with a task that needed to be completed by the next morning, leaving her with barely any time to rest or recover,” said Anna’s mother to Memani. 

“This is a systemic issue that goes beyond individual managers or teams. The relentless demands and the pressure to meet unrealistic expectations are not sustainable, and they cost us the life of a young woman with so much potential,” Augustine highlighted in her letter, adding that EY’s values do not reconcile with its reality. 

“No one from EY attended Anna’s funeral. This absence at such a critical moment, for an employee who gave her all to your organization until her last breath, is deeply hurtful. 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. After her funeral, I reached out to her managers, but I received no reply. How can a company that speaks of values and human rights fail to show up for one of its own in their final moments?” Anna’s mother had specifically pointed out in the letter.