'We place the highest importance...': EY on 26-yr-old CA's death

Multinational consulting firm Ernst & Young (EY) issued a statement after the death of one of its employees came to the fore. Anna Sebastian Perayil, 26, who worked at the multinational consulting firm's Pune office reportedly died due to “overwhelming workload.” Her mother, Anita Augustine, in a letter to EY India Chairman Rajiv Memani claimed that this was her daughter’s first job and she was thrilled about joining the company. Within just four months, however, she succumbed to “excessive workload.”

In reply to the development, EY in a statement said: “We are deeply saddened by Anna Sebastian's tragic and untimely passing in July 2024, and our deepest condolences go to the bereaved family. Anna was a part of the Audit team at S R Batliboi, a member firm of EY Global, in Pune for a brief period of four months, joining the firm on 18 March 2024. That her promising career was cut short in this tragic manner is an irreparable loss for all of us."

It added: "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."

Anita Augustine in her email to Memani condemned the multinational firm for “glorifying overwork” and highlighted how the company’s human rights values starkly contradicted the reality her daughter experienced.

Perayil successfully passed her Chartered Accountant (CA) Exams in 2023 and commenced her professional journey at EY Pune in March 2024, assuming the role of an executive. As a fresh entrant to the workforce, she dedicated herself diligently to meeting the organization's standards. However, the relentless commitment extracted a profound toll on her well-being, manifesting as challenges to her physical, mental, and emotional health.

Notably, Perayil's mother highlighted that the onset of anxiety, sleep disturbances, and stress ensued shortly after her employment initiation. Despite the increasing strains on her well-being, Perayil persisted in pushing her limits, upholding steadfast beliefs in the values of strenuous effort and unwavering perseverance as the cornerstones to accomplishing success.

Anita Augustine said her daughter Anna joined EY Pune on March 19, 2024. She died on July 20, four months later.

“Anna was a school topper, and a college topper, excelled in extracurricular activities, and passed her CA exams with distinction. She worked tirelessly at EY, giving her all to meet the demands placed on her. However, the workload, new environment, and long hours took a toll on her physically, emotionally, and mentally,” Anita Augustine said in her letter.

She also stated that her daughter worked “late into the night and even on weekends”: “Anna confided in us about the overwhelming workload, especially the tasks assigned verbally, beyond the official work. I would tell her not to take on such tasks, but the managers were relentless. She worked late into the night, even on weekends, with no opportunity to catch her breath.”