EY India Chairman's email on Anna's death leaked with 'do not forward' instruction. Here's what he said…

Amid the burgeoning controversy surrounding the heartbreaking letter from Anita Augustine, the mother of 26-year-old Anna Sebastian Perayil, who blamed the toxic work culture at Ernst & Young for her daughter's death, the company's India chairman Rajiv Memani sent an email to employees instructing them not to forward it. The email eventually made its way onto the internet.

Anna had joined the company's audit and assurance team in Pune in March this year and died after four months, allegedly due to extreme work stress.

In a strongly worded letter, the girl's mother accused the company of ignoring employee well-being and fostering a toxic work culture, and stressed that her colleagues did not even attend her funeral.

The mother said her daughter does not have weekend leave and often returns from the office “completely exhausted”.

“I am writing to you now, Rajiv, because I believe EY has a deep responsibility for the well-being of its people. Anna's experience sheds light on a work culture that seems to glorify overwork while neglecting the people behind the roles,” Augustine said in her letter.

The leaked email, allegedly sent by Rajiv Memani to employees, has the subject “News in the media” after the letter written by Augustine went viral.

The email was sent with “do not forward” instructions, but was leaked on Reddit and widely shared on social media.

In the letter, the chairman spoke of having received a “desperate email from Anna's mother” and said he had “taken note of her message with the utmost seriousness and humility.”

Disclaimer: WION cannot independently verify the authenticity of the post shared on social media. While submitting this copy, we have asked the company for a statement on the same, which will be added upon receipt of the response.

As you all know, since yesterday several messages about our company have been circulating on WhatsApp and other social media platforms.

These relate to the tragic death of Anna Sebastian on July 20, 2024, who joined our Assurance team in Pune on March 18, 2024. The fact that her tenure with the firm was so short – just four months – makes this tragedy even more poignant for all of us.

Anna was from Kochi and worked in our Pune office. During the difficult period following her death, the company was in regular contact with her family members. While we understand that no measure can compensate for the family's loss, as always in such times of need, we have provided all possible assistance while respecting the family's privacy and wishes.

Although words cannot comfort a grieving family, I have personally expressed my condolences and deepest regret for their irreparable loss. I received a heartbroken email from Anna's mother and have received her message with the utmost sincerity and humility.

I want to assure you all that our company places the highest priority on the health and wellbeing of our employees and we will recommit ourselves to providing a supportive, healthy and balanced work environment for all of you. I want to make this an ongoing dialogue with you to ensure we continually create a healthy workplace for all.

We have several wellbeing programs and open communication channels in place across the company to ensure you always have a safe space to raise your concerns anonymously, including through our existing Speak Up forum and Ethics Hotline. We will also provide further opportunities for you to provide transparent and honest feedback about our working practices.

If you ever face challenges or need guidance, I would strongly encourage you to reach out to your team leaders, talent team members and your support network across the company. I want to personally assure you that if you voice your opinion, you will be listened to with empathy and understanding. If you have any suggestions, please let me know.

In the meantime, I urge you to handle this information with the utmost compassion and sensitivity.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

The center has since announced that it will thoroughly investigate the death of 26-year-old Anna and look into allegations of excessive work pressure.

“We are deeply saddened by the tragic loss of Anna Sebastian Perayil. We are committed to seeking justice and the Ministry of Labour has officially registered the complaint,” said Minister of State for Labour Shobha Karandlaje in a post on X.

(With contributions from agencies)