“The workload, new environment, and the long hours took a toll on her physically, emotionally, and mentally,” said Anita Augustine about her daughter
Anna Sebastian Perayil/LinkedIn
Anna Sebastian Perayil
Officials in India are looking into the death of an Ernst & Young employee, whose mom said she died as a result of her “overwhelming workload.”
Anna Sebastian Perayil, who worked out of the Pune office of the global accounting firm, died in July — four months after joining the organization as an executive — a letter written by her mother, Anita Augustine reads. The letter has since gone viral online and was obtained by the International Business Times UK Edition and The Times of India.
The 26-year-old’s mother alleged in her letter, sent via email to Ernst & Young India chairman Rajiv Memani, that her daughter “worked tirelessly at EY,” but “the workload, new environment, and the 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,” Augustine wrote, later adding that she felt “management took full advantage” of her daughter being new to the company.
“This is a systematic issue that goes beyond individual managers and teams.” Augustine added about Perayil’s “overwhelming workload.”
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Sibi Joseph, Perayil’s father, told The Economic Times that the letter’s leak proves that “there are many people similarly suffering in the company who want the letter to be out in public.”
Memani acknowledged the letter in a LinkedIn post on Thursday, Sept. 18, saying he was “deeply saddened.”
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Stock image of an E&Y office
“I have conveyed my deepest condolences to the family, although nothing can fill the void in their lives. I truly regret the fact that we missed being present at Anna’s funeral. This is completely alien to our culture. It has never happened before; it will never happen again,” he said, affirming that the “well-being of our people is my top-most priority.”
“I am absolutely committed to nurturing a harmonious workplace, and I will not rest until that objective is accomplished,” his statement added.
That same day, Shobha Karandlaje, Union Minister of State for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises and Labour & Employment, announced on X that the ministry had launched an investigation into “the allegations of an unsafe and exploitative work environment.”
Ernst & Young India chairman Rajiv Memani’s statement
Ernst & Young India also issued a statement to The Independent expressing that they have provided Perayil’s family with “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,” the statement added.
According to The Indian Express and Business Today, Union Minister of Labour and Employment Mansukh Mandaviya announced on Monday, Sept. 23, that government officials have sought information from state authorities regarding Perayil’s death, and a report is expected to be submitted within seven to 10 days.
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PEOPLE reached out to Ernst & Young and Ernst & Young India but did not immediately hear back.
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