Pune: The death of a 26-year-old chartered accountant working at Ernst & Young (EY) in Pune has drawn significant attention on social media, with allegations that the young woman succumbed to the pressures of excessive work.
This incident has raised serious questions about the work culture in large corporations, where employee well-being often takes a backseat to the glorification of long hours and high productivity.
Anna Sebastian Perill, originally from Kerala, joined EY’s Pune office just four months ago, having cleared her Chartered Accountancy exams in November 2023.
However, within this short span, her family alleges that the overwhelming workload and lack of concern for employee health led to her untimely death. Anna’s mother, Anita Augustin, wrote an emotional letter to EY India's chairman, Rajiv Memani, accusing the company of fostering a toxic work environment.
In her letter, Anita explained, “Anna was overjoyed when she got the job at EY. It was a dream come true to work for such a reputed firm. But in just four months, she was no more. What makes it even worse is that no one from the company came to her funeral.”
Anita went on to describe how her daughter was consistently overloaded with work, often having to work through the night with little rest. She revealed that Anna was given tight deadlines and assignments that extended well beyond regular working hours.
Despite the high pressure, Anna never complained about her supervisors, but the stress took a toll on her health, leading to her tragic death.
Anita’s letter also questioned the wider corporate culture, stating, “New employees being expected to work around the clock, even on weekends, cannot be justified. This entire system is flawed. It’s unacceptable to risk the lives of young professionals by pushing them to meet unrealistic expectations.”
The letter has sparked a widespread conversation on social media, with many expressing concern over the work culture in top multinational firms.
