EY India employee death: Company denies work pressure killed Pune CA amid uproar

Amid the widespread outrage and anger over the death of a 26-year-old EY employee in Pune, which her parents claim was due to ‘overwork’, Ernst and Young Services Private Ltd (EY) has denied the allegations that work pressure killed her saying she had worked with them for four months.

According to the company, Anna was given regular assignments like other employees, said reports. Speaking to the Indian Express, EY chairman Memani had said that EY employs approximately 1 lakh people and everyone has to work hard. He further added Anna had worked with the member firm for four months.

However, in a statement issued by Rajiv Memani, the company has expressed its condolences to the girl’s family and promised support.

The letter that went viral

Anna Sebastian Perayil, a chartered accountant who worked with S R Batliboi, a member firm of EY Global, at Yerawada in Pune, had died on July 20, after being admitted to a hospital when she complained of uneasiness and exhaustion. Her colleagues said they were told she had died of a heart attack.

Her tragic death became public when a letter written by her mother Anita Augustine to EY’s India head was leaked and went viral on September 17. The letter, which went viral on social media, was shared many times on LinkedIn. Notably, many former employees of EY were sharing it widely.

In the letter, Anita Augustine blamed the extreme work pressure, which affected her daughter’s health and led to her untimely death.

EY, however, denied that “work pressure” could have led to her death.

EY's statement

Condoling the death of Anna Sebastian, EY said they were “deeply saddened” by her tragic and untimely passing on July 2024.

Rajiv Memani, EY India chairman, said in a statement that Anna was a part of the audit team at S R Batliboi, a member firm of EY Global, in Pune for a brief period of four months, joining the firm on 18 March 2024. He said that it is an irreparable loss for all that her promising career had been cut short in this tragic manner.

“While no measure can compensate for the loss experienced by the family, we have provided all the assistance as we always do in such times of distress and will continue to do so,” Memani said in the statement.

Further, he added that the company was taking the family’s correspondence with the utmost seriousness and humility. "We place the highest importance on the well-being of all employees and will continue to find ways to improve and provide a healthy workplace for our 100,000 people across EY member firms in India,” Memani added.

Workload, new environment, long hours

Anna had joined EY Pune on March 19, 2024 as an executive after passing her CA exams in November 2023.

In the letter, her mother Anitha Augustine wrote that she was full of life, dreams, and excitement for the future. "EY was her first job, and she was thrilled to be part of such a prestigious company. But four months later, on July 20, 2024, my world collapsed when I received the devastating news that Anna had passed away. She was just 26 years old,” the mother said in the letter.

According to her parents, Anna had worked hard at EY but was weighed down by the workload. She had "worked tirelessly at EY", giving her all to meet the demands placed on her.

However, the mother blamed "the workload, new environment, and long hours" which took a toll on her daughter physically, emotionally, and mentally.

"She began experiencing anxiety, sleeplessness, and stress soon after joining, but she kept pushing herself, believing that hard work and perseverance were the keys to success," said her mother in the letter.

Augustine said her daughter's manager would often reschedule meetings during cricket matches and assign her work at the end of the day.

“Anna confided in us about the overwhelming workload, especially the additional tasks assigned verbally, beyond the official work. I would tell her not to take on such tasks, but the managers were relentless. She worked late into the night, even on weekends…,” Augustine said.

Meanwhile, the Union labour ministry has taken up a complaint and will be investigating the circumstances that led to the death of Anna Sebastian.