Death of Anna Sebastian – Former Deloitte employee sheds light on the labor disputes following the end of EY CA

Anna Sebastian Death: Days after the tragic death of 26-year-old Ernst & Young (EY) consultant Anna Sebastian, reportedly due to “work-related stress,” a former Deloitte employee has come forward to share his own struggles with the toxic work culture in the Indian corporate industry.

Jayesh Jain, a former employee of Deloitte's Indore office, shared his experience on social media and said he could “completely understand what Anna went through.” Jain's revelations come amid growing concerns about the strain that excessive workloads place on working professionals.

Jain posted a series of screenshots on the X platform (formerly Twitter), detailing how the heavy workload was negatively affecting his physical and professional well-being. “As the EY case is gaining some attention, I would like to share my experience at Deloitte,” he wrote. “I am attaching screenshots of chats with a teammate where we discussed work and our health at 5 a.m..”

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As the EY case comes to light, I would like to share my personal experience at Deloitte.

Attached are some screenshots of chats with my teammate and friend where we talked about work and our health at 5am.

We usually work about 20 hours and they don't want to… pic.twitter.com/EjtqWjhwSm

— Jayesh Jain (@arey_jainsaab) 18 September 2024

The screenshots, time-stamped as early as 5 a.m., show employees logging 20-hour workdays despite only being allowed to log a maximum of 15 hours. In a message at 5:12 a.m., a colleague wrote, “I was also sitting here the whole time and had a lot of doubts about FI-HI.” At 4:08 a.m., another message read, “Bahot ho gaya” (That's enough), and the colleague later suggested, “Turn off the laptop.”

Further messages revealed how employees were struggling to balance their workload with health issues. “Mere se nahi hora bilkul: Chakkar aare hai” (I can't do this at all: I feel dizzy), wrote Jain's colleague, revealing the immense pressure they were under.

Jain expressed his solidarity with Anna Sebastian's family and highlighted the harsh reality of corporate life. “Always remember, to them you are just an employee number. But to your family you are everything,” he posted. Jain concluded by saying he was “glad” to have left Deloitte at the right time.

Rajiv Memani’s response

Reacting to the tragic incident, Rajiv Memani, Chairman, EY India, said, “We have around 100,000 employees. Undoubtedly, each of them has to work hard. Anna worked with us for only four months. She was assigned work like any other employee. We don't think that the pressure of work could have cost her life.”

EY Statement

EY has pledged to step up its efforts to improve employee health and well-being. “We are deeply saddened by Anna Sebastian's tragic and untimely passing in July 2024 and our deepest condolences go out to the grieving family,” the company said in an official statement on Wednesday. EY, one of the world's four largest consulting firms, also assured that it supports Sebastian's family while focusing on creating a healthier work environment for its employees.

“While no measure can compensate for the loss the family has suffered, we have provided and will continue to provide all the support we always provide in such times of need,” EY added.

The incident sparked widespread debate about work-life balance and mental health in the corporate world, and calls for immediate reforms to prevent further tragedies.

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