Pune: The death of 26-year-old employee of Ernst and Young has drawn widespread outrage on social media. Anna Sebastain Perayil, a CA, allegedly died due to work pressure at the firm's Pune branch. Her mother Anita Augustine has highlighted this fact in a letter to EY's India' boss. Anna apparently died of a heart attack.

Anna, a chartered accountant who worked with S R Batliboi, a member firm of EY Global, at Yerawada in Pune on July 20.. She was admitted to a hospital after she felt uneasy and complained of exhaustion. 

The SHOCKING tragedy came to light only after a letter written by her mother Anita Augustine to EY's India head went viral on Tuesday. In the letter, Anita Augustine highlighted how her daughter was allegedly under extreme work pressure, which affected her health and ultimately led to her death. She also highlighted the "new environment" of the company which could prove detrimental to the health of other employees in future.

The company however denied that "work pressure" could have led to her death.

"We have around one lakh employees. There is no doubt each one has to work hard. Anna worked with us only for four months. She was allotted work like any other employee. We don't believe that work pressure could have claimed her life..," Rajiv Memani, EY India chairman, told The Indian Express.

The company also issued a statement condoling the death of the employee. "We are deeply saddened by Anna Sebastian's tragic and untimely passing in July 2024, and our deepest condolences go to the bereaved family," Memani said in a statement.

"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. That her promising career was cut short in this tragic manner is an irreparable loss for all of us. 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,'' he said.

Memani said he has responded to the letter written by Anita Augustine to him and promised all support apart from more steps to improve the system.

"We are 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 said.

The letter written by Anita Augustine highlighted the conditions her daughter allegedly faced at EY. "I am writing this letter as a grieving mother who has lost her precious child, Anna Sebastian Perayil. My heart is heavy, and my soul is shattered as I pen these words, but I believe it is necessary to share our story in the hope that no other family will have to endure the pain we are going through."

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

"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 wrote.

Augustine said her daughter was always a fighter, from childhood through her academic years, where she excelled in everything she did. "She was a school topper, and a college topper, excelled in extracurricular activities, and passed her CA exams with distinction."

Stating that her daughter put in her best at EY but was weighed down by the workload, Augustine said, "Anna worked tirelessly at EY, giving her all to meet the demands placed on her. However, the workload, new environment, and long hours took a toll on her 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."

Augustine said, "On July 6, my husband and I reached Pune to attend Anna’s CA convocation. Since she had been complaining of chest constriction upon reaching her PG late at night (around 1 am) for the past week, we took her to the hospital in Pune. Her ECG was normal, and the cardiologist came to allay our fears, telling us she wasn’t getting enough sleep and was eating very late. He prescribed antacids, which reassured us that it wasn’t anything serious. Though we had come all the way from Kochi, she insisted on going to work after seeing the doctor, saying there was a lot of work to be done and she wouldn’t get leave. That night, she returned to her PG late again. On Sunday, July 7, the day of her convocation, she joined us in the morning, but she was working from home even that day until the afternoon, and we reached the convocation venue late...''

Augustine said it was her daughter’s dream to take her parents to her convocation with her own hard-earned money. ''She booked our flight tickets and took us. It breaks my heart to tell you that even during those two days, which were the last we would spend with our child, she couldn’t enjoy them because of the work pressure. When Anna joined this specific team, she was told that many employees had resigned due to the excessive workload, and the team manager told to her, 'Anna, you must stick around and change everyone’s opinion about our team'. My child didn’t realise she would pay for that with her life." Augustine said her 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.

Augustine said Anna would return to her room utterly exhausted, sometimes collapsing on the bed without even changing her clothes, only to be bombarded with messages asking for more reports. 

"She was putting in her best efforts, working very hard to meet the deadlines. She was a fighter to the core, not someone to give up easily. We told her to quit, but she wanted to learn and gain new exposure. However, the overwhelming pressure proved too much even for her. Anna would never have blamed her managers. She was too kind for that. But I cannot remain silent. Burdening newcomers with such backbreaking work, making them work day and night, even on Sundays, has no justification whatsoever. Augustine said EY has a profound responsibility to ensure the well-being of its employees. ''Anna’s experience sheds light on a work culture that seems to glorify overwork while neglecting the very human beings behind the roles. This is not just about my daughter; it’s about every young professional who joins EY filled with hopes and dreams, only to be crushed under the weight of unrealistic expectations. I took the time to read EY’s human rights statement, which bears your signature. I cannot reconcile the values expressed in that statement with the reality my daughter faced. How can EY begin to truly live by the values it professes? Anna’s death should serve as a wake-up call for Augustine lamented that no one from her office attended her funeral," Augustine said in her letter.

"No one from EY attended Anna’s funeral. This absence at such a critical moment, for an employee who gave her all to your organization until her last breath, is deeply hurtful. Anna deserved better, and so do all the employees who continue to work under these conditions. My heart aches not just for the loss of my child but also for the lack of empathy shown by those who were supposed to guide and support her. After her funeral, I reached out to her managers, but I received no reply. How can a company that speaks of values and human rights fail to show up for one of its own in their final moments?" Augustine added.