‘We are deeply saddened’: EY issues statement after post about death of 26-year-old employee due to ‘excessive workload’ goes viral – India News

EY employee in Pune dies of work stress: Ernst & Young India on Wednesday released a statement expressing condolences on the death of Anna Sebastian Perayil, a 26-year-old chartered accountant from Kerala who passed away after four months of working with the firm.

The statement follows a heartbreaking letter from Anna's mother, Anita Augustine, that was shared online. In her letter to EY India Chairman Rajiv Memani, Augustine blamed her daughter's deteriorating health on “excessive workload” and “four months of callous attitude from EY”.

The company expressed “deep sadness” over Anna’s death and reiterated its commitment to improving and maintaining a healthy work environment at all its offices across the country, according to PTI.

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Anna worked in the Audit team of SR Batliboi, a member firm of EY Global in Pune, for a short period of four months after joining on March 18, 2024. EY India described her untimely demise as a profound loss, noting that “that her promising career has been cut short in such a tragic manner is an irreparable loss for all of us.”

“We are deeply saddened by Anna Sebastian’s tragic and untimely death in July 2024,” EY said.

While no measure can fully make up for the family's loss, the company has provided all possible support and will continue to do so, EY's statement added, according to PTI.

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EY stressed that it views the family's concerns with utmost sincerity and humility. “We place the highest priority on the wellbeing of all employees and will continue to look for ways to provide and improve a healthy workplace for our 100,000 employees in EY member firms in India,” the company added.

In the now-viral letter, Anna's mother described her daughter as a “fighter” and noted that Anna was excited to start her career at EY as she had topped all her exams at school and college and worked “tirelessly” to meet the demands of her role.

The letter sparked outrage over the young woman's ordeal and highlighted the dangers of a relentless work culture.