EY Response To Death Of Anna Sebastian Over Work Stress Shocks

Anna Sebastian Perayil, a 26-year-old from Kerala, tragically passed away just four months after working in her role at Ernst & Young (EY) in Pune. In a letter to EY India Chief Rajiv Memani, her mother wrote about her daughter's death due to overwhelming work pressure.  

Anna Sebastian:

Anna from Kerala achieved a great milestone by passing her CA Exams on November 23 and starting her position at EY on March 19, 2024. Her mother described Anna as a fighter who excelled throughout her academic journey, being a school and college topper and passing CA with distinction.

The letter read, "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. 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."

Anna Health Conditions:

On July 6th, her parents travelled from Kochi to Pune to celebrate her CA Convocation. Concerned about Anna's health, she had been complaining of chest constriction for a week, and so they took her to the hospital. 

Anna's ECG showed normal results, and the cardiologist reassured them that her symptoms were likely due to lack of sleep and late-night eating. Even with the detouring health conditions, Anna insisted on returning to work, stating there was too much to be done.

Her mother, in the letter, expressed her deep regret, wishing she had urged Anna to prioritize her health over work. "I wish I had been able to protect her, to tell her that her health and well-being mattered more than anything else. But it is too late for my Anna," 

Her mother later addressed how no one from the EY attended Anna's funeral and said that it hurt the family.

She later demanded for a change in workplace culture, urging for a reduction in the overwhelming pressure faced by newcomers. "Burdening newcomers with such backbreaking work, making them work day and night, even on Sundays, has no justification whatsoever... 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,"

EY Response:

Rajiv Memani, the EY India chairman, responded to this in an interview with a private channel and denied that work pressure could have been the cause of her death. He stated, that they have around 100,000 employees, and while everyone works hard, Anna was with us for only four months. He adds that they don't believe work pressure led to her tragic passing.

Memani also expressed condolences, and said, “Anna was a part of the Audit team at S R Batliboi, a member firm of EY Global, in Pune for a brief period of four months, joining the firm on 18 March 2024. That her promising career was cut short in this tragic manner is an irreparable loss for all of us. While no measure can compensate for the loss experienced by the family, we have provided all the assistance as we always do in such times of distress and will continue to do so,”