A 26-year-old employee at Ernst & Young (EY) in Pune took the tragic step of ending her life, which her mother attributes to extreme ‘work pressure.’ Anna Sebastian Perayil joined EY as a chartered accountant just four months ago. According to her mother, Anita Augustine, in a letter addressed to EY India Chairman Rajiv Memani, she struggled with the demands of her job. We can’t imagine what her family must be going through during this time.

EY Anna Sebastian Perayil Pune suicide Anita Augustine work pressure Rajiv Memani

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The Mom’s Letter To The EY Chairman

In the letter, Anna’s mom Anita revealed that her daughter worked late nights and weekends. She would return to her paying guest accommodation completely exhausted, only to collapse into bed while still in her work clothes. “She was constantly burdened with tasks beyond her job description,” her mother shared.

“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 penned.

Furthermore, the mom described how Anna’s team had experienced several resignations due to ‘overwhelming workload,’ but her manager encouraged her to stay on to “change the team’s image.”

On top of everything else, Anna frequently found herself working late into the night including on Sundays. Her manager often rescheduled meetings, and she ended up taking on extra tasks that weren’t even part of her job. Most of these assignments were given to her verbally.

“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,” her mother said.

Anita also stated that she was constantly packed with messages asking about the report update and more. “We told her to quit, but she wanted to learn and gain new exposure. But the overwhelmed pressure proved wrong for her.”

Netizens React

The news has sparked an outpouring of emotions online, with many voicing their concern about such toxic corporate work cultures. On LinkedIn, Top Voices like Dr. Anup Gopalakrishnan Nair, Core Team Member-Senior VP at Piramal Foundation remarked, “This incident reflects a bigger issue within work environments where overwork is normalised. I am Sorry is all i can say…really lost for words 😢 Feeling sad and angry in equal measure.”

Users on X also echoed their sentiments. One user said, “The sheer professionalism and progressive approach with which her mother has written this is inspiring yet heartbreaking.”

Priyanka Chaturvedi, Rajya Sabha MP took a stand saying, “This just broke my heart, Anna deserved better. I hope corporate houses relook at their HR policies & prioritise mental health.”

Many netizens echoed the thought, “No job is worth your life. This tragedy should be a wake-up call for companies that prioritize output over well-being. We need accountability, not just from companies but from society, to stop glorifying burnout.”

Real-Life Incident

Combining and 2xin the voice, Aakash Venkatasubramanian, Senior Software Engineer at Novora Tech Group shared an experience as her wife was a part of EY. “An 18-hour workday is being normalized and glorified in MNCs, especially in India, where employees are overworked. The government is urged to ensure kind working conditions & provide support during layoffs. The hope is that, after this incident, corporate workers will receive protections or benefits through new laws.”

“As an ex-EY employee, I agree with every single word of this post. The work culture is horrible there, managers casually ask us to work even on weekends as if it’s their right..absolutely mean people, a toxic work environment. I also remember one of the freshers confided that the work was affecting their mental health. I understand the importance of work & deadlines but putting unrealistic ones is bad 😢,” a user added.

Adding To The Heartbreak

Anna’s mother noted that no one from EY attended her funeral, which left her questioning the company’s values. She called for EY to reflect on their work culture, which she believes glorifies overwork at the expense of employee well-being.

In her letter, Anna’s mother urged the company to take responsibility for ensuring the welfare of its employees, hoping that her daughter’s experience could spark meaningful change and prevent future tragedies.

What Do We Think?

With the rise in similar cases, where overworking and stressful job roles are becoming increasingly common, it makes us wonder – “Are workplace cultures doing enough to safeguard employee well-being?” The increasing number of burnout cases highlights a growing concern, with many employees feeling overwhelmed by work demands. Perhaps it’s time for a serious revaluation of how we work before more lives are impacted.

While we can’t truly understand the depth of pain Anna’s mother is going through, our hearts are with her during this unimaginable loss, and we hope Anna rests easy.