Various outlets in India have reported today that the mother of Anna Sebastian Perayil, a 26-year-old Chartered Accountant who tragically passed away on July 20, has sent a scathing email to EY India Chairman and Regional Managing Partner Rajiv Memani accusing the firm of callous indifference in the death of their young employee. The mom, Anita Augustine, said that her daughter, who “excelled in everything she did,” was too young to set boundaries and thus experienced an “overwhelming workload” that she implies led to health problems and ultimately her premature death.
She writes:
Anna would retum to her room utterly exhausted, sometimes collapsing on the bed without even changing her clothes, only to be bombarded with messages asking for more reports. She was putting in her best efforts, working very hard to meet the deadlines. She was a fighter to the core, not someone to give up easily. We told her to quit, but she wanted to learn and gain new exposure. However, the overwhelming pressure proved too much even for her.
Everything was new to her-the organization, the place, the language and she was trying very hard to adjust. You should show some consideration to new employees, Instead, the management Took full advantage of the fact that she was new and overwhelmed her with both assigned and unassigned work 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
She goes on to call EY out for being a “company that speaks of values and human rights” but that didn’t even send anyone from the firm to the funeral of a recent starter:
Anna’s death should serve as a wake-up call for EY. It is time to reflect on the work culture within your organization and take meaningful steps to prioritize the health and wellness of your employees. This means creating an environment where employees feel safe to speak up, where they are supported in managing their workload, and where their mental and physical well-being is not sacrificed for the sake of productivity.
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 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? Becoming a Chartered Accountant involves years of toil, hardship, and sacrifice-not only for the student but also for the parents. Years of my child’s hand work have been snuffled out by just four months of EY’s callous attitude.
The heartbreaking letter ends with:
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. My Anna is no longer with us, but her story can still make a difference
Full letter below as shared by kaay_rao on Twitter.
Update: EY made a statement. “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,” they said, unconvincingly.