“Anna Deserved Better”: Priyanka Chaturvedi On EY Employee’s Tragic Death
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Priyanka Chaturvedi reacted to the tragic death of Anna Sebastian Perayil, a 26-year-old Chartered Accountant and employee of EY Pune, after her mother, Anita Augustine, held the company accountable for the extreme work pressure that allegedly led to Anna’s death.
“This just broke my heart, Anna deserved better. Hope her mother’s gut wrenching letter to E&Y will get corporate houses to relook at their HR policies and prioritise mental health especially for the new recruits who are transitioning from student life to work life,” wrote Chaturvedi in an X post.
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This just broke my heart, Anna deserved better. Hope her mother’s gut wrenching letter to E&Y will get corporate houses to relook at their HR policies and prioritise mental health especially for the new recruits who are transitioning from student life to work life. https://t.co/dU2BrNbVRP
— Priyanka Chaturvedi🇮🇳 (@priyankac19) September 17, 2024
In a heartbreaking letter, Augustine outlined how the firm pushed Anna to the brink of exhaustion since she joined them in the Pune branch in March this year. Her first job after acing her CA exams in November last year, Anna was excited for a new chapter in her life with the prestigious company. But things soon went downhill as Augustine wrote, “My child didn’t realize she would pay for that with her life.”
As part of the overwhelming workload, Anna was often assigned additional tasks verbally, sometimes at night with the deadline for the following morning. In the letter, Augustine points out that despite her parents urging her to quit, Anna was determined to learn and gain experience, believing her hard work will pay off.
Highlighting the systemic issues within EY’s work culture, Augustine states the company culture “glorifies overwork while neglecting the very human beings behind the roles.” She also noted how no one from EY attended Anna’s funeral. Even when she reached out to Anna’s managers, Augustine received no response, she stated.
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The now viral letter triggered calls for a complete overhaul of work culture in Indian companies where work-life balance barely exists. Several netizens came forward with their accounts of IT firms engaging in similar toxic corporate culture and intense work pressure undergone by employees. One X user noted, “If there is no work life balance then what is the use of a job, the government should take immediate action. On one hand Govt. are privatizing and on the other hand this is the condition of private companies. That’s why people ask for government jobs.”
Another X user observed, “Most IT companies in bangalore promote this culture …its too toxic to handle…its mostly due to the NRIs pushing indian employees to pay for their bills…”
Augustine concluded her letter with a plea for everyone to reflect on the work culture within their organisation and take meaningful steps to prioritise the health and wellness of their employees.
