Wed Sep 18 07:55:53 UTC 2024: ## EY Pune Employee Dies After Just Four Months, Family Blames “Work Stress”
**Pune, India -** A 26-year-old Chartered Accountant, Anna Sebastian Perayil, passed away in July after just four months at EY Pune, one of the Big Four accounting firms. Her family has accused the company of creating a toxic work environment that led to her death due to “work stress.”
Perayil, who had joined EY in March 2024 after clearing her CA exams, was reportedly “burdened with backbreaking work,” including late-night and weekend hours, according to her mother, Anita Augustine. She described a culture of “glorifying overwork” and relentless pressure from managers who often assigned tasks beyond Perayil’s official duties, even joking about the difficulty of working under her manager.
Augustine stated that her daughter was “overwhelmed by both assigned and unassigned tasks” and “did not know how to say no” to excessive demands. Despite complaining of anxiety, sleeplessness, and chest constriction, she continued working, believing “hard work and perseverance were the path to success.”
In a scathing email to EY’s India boss Rajiv Memani, Augustine condemned the company’s “human rights values,” which she said starkly contradicted the reality her daughter experienced. She called on the firm to “reflect on the work culture” and prioritize employee health and well-being.
Further fueling the family’s anger, EY Pune employees skipped Perayil’s funeral. Augustine expressed her disappointment, saying, “How can a company that speaks of values and human rights fail to show up for one of its own in their final moments?”
While the exact cause of Perayil’s death remains unclear, her family believes it was a direct result of the relentless pressure she faced at EY. They are calling for a thorough investigation into the company’s work culture and demanding accountability for the tragic loss of their daughter.
EY has not yet responded to the allegations.
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