Anna Sebastian Perayil, a young Chartered Accountant who joined EY Pune in March 2024, died after allegedly succumbing to extreme work pressure. The 26-year-old's mother, Anita Augustine, has written a letter to EY India Chairman Rajiv Memani, demanding justice for her daughter and calling for change within the organisation.
In the letter, Anita wrote, "I am writing this letter as a grieving mother who has lost her precious child… She joined EY Pune on March 19th, 2024, as an Executive… But four months later, on July 20th, my world collapsed when I received the devastating news that Anna had passed away. She was just 26 years old."
Describing Anna as a "fighter", Anita 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."
Anita recalled how during a visit to Pune with her husband for Anna's CA convocation, Anna had been complaining of chest constriction and had to be hospitalised. "We took her to the hospital in Pune. Her ECG was normal, and the cardiologist came to allay our fears, telling us she wasn't getting enough sleep and was eating very late." Anna, however, got straight back to work, despite requests from her parents against it.
"When Anna joined this specific team, she was told that many employees had resigned due to the excessive workload, and the team manager told her, 'Anna, you must stick around and change everyone's opinion about our team.' My child didn't realise she would pay for that with her life," Anita mentioned in her letter.
The letter further describes how Anna's workload was relentless, often leaving her with little time to rest. "Her manager would often reschedule meetings during cricket matches and assign her work at the end of the day, adding to her stress. 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." When Anna expressed her concerns, she was met with a dismissive response: "You can work at night, that's what we all do", the letter stated.
Shockingly, Anita says that nobody from EY attended Anna's funeral. "No one from EY attended Anna'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. Anna deserved better… After her funeral, I reached out to her managers but received no reply."
In conclusion of her letter, Anita called for the company to take responsibility. "Burdening newcomers with such backbreaking work, making them work day and night, even on Sundays, has no justification whatsoever… Anna's death should serve as a wake-up call for EY… I hope this letter reaches you with the gravity it deserves. I don’t know if anyone can truly understand a mother's emotions when she lays to rest her child… I hope my child's experience leads to real change so that no other family has to endure the grief and trauma we are going through."