Young CA dies four months after joining EY India; family alleges overwork and toxic culture

Anna Sebastian Perayil, a Chartered Accountant (CA) from Kerala, passed away nearly four months after starting her first job at EY India, a professional services firm, in Pune. The 24-year-old’s mother, Anita Augustine, alleges that her daughter was mentally, physically, and emotionally exhausted due to a workload at the company, which led to her early death.

In a letter reportedly addressed to Rajiv Memani, EY India Chairman Anita Augustine recounted her daughter’s struggles with the extreme work culture at EY India. Anna, a brilliant student who had cleared her CA exams with distinction in 2023, joined EY India as an executive in March 2024. However, soon after starting the job, Anna began experiencing anxiety, sleeplessness, and physical stress, according to her mother’s letter.

The letter detailed how Anna had always excelled in academics, consistently performing at the top of her class throughout her school and college years. Despite her achievements, the pressures of her new work environment badly affect on her health. Anita described how Anna, in an effort to meet the demands of her job, worked long hours, often late into the night, while trying to deal with the increasing stress.

The letter also shared that Anna started experiencing chest pains, which doctors later attributed to her erratic sleep schedule and lack of proper rest. Despite these health warnings, Anna continued to push herself at work, even missing out on important personal moments, such as spending time with her parents during her CA convocation day, due to the heavy workload.

Anita’s letter shared that Anna’s manager encouraged her to stay with the firm, even though many other employees had quit due to the excessive workload. According to the letter, Anna’s manager often scheduled meetings during off-hours, including during cricket matches, and assigned tasks at the end of the day, further adding to her stress. When Anna voiced her concerns, she was reportedly told, “You can work at night; that’s what we all do.”

Anna’s mother stated the toxic work culture that she believed overwork at the expense of employee well-being. Despite her parents urging her to quit the job, Anna wanted to continue, hoping to gain valuable work experience. However, the pressure became too much for her to handle. Anita expressed her deep concern over the lack of support from the company, stating that her daughter’s tragic death should serve as a wake-up call for EY India.

In her letter, Anita urged the company to take responsibility for the well-being of its employees and to reflect on the work culture that, in her view, led to her daughter’s death. She called for meaningful changes to ensure that employees are not subjected to overwhelming workloads and that their mental and physical health is not compromised for productivity.

No one from EY India attended Anna’s funeral

Adding to the family’s grief, Anita noted that no one from EY India attended Anna’s funeral, nor did they reach out to offer condolences. She claimed that despite attempts to contact her daughter’s senior at the firm, the company did not respond to her outreach.

Anna’s passing has sparked discussions among industry professionals, many of whom have shared the letter on social media, raising concerns about the working conditions at EY India. Some have highlighted the growing issue of toxic work cultures within professional services firms and the toll it takes on employees, particularly young professionals like Anna.

You might also be interested in – Pune Porsche case: Accused’s family demands the return of their Porsche, files petition