EY employee's death: Anna Sebastian's father appeals to the company

Sibi Joseph, father of Anna Sebastian Perayil , the 26-year-old EY employee who died due to 'work-related stress' recently broke his silence. In an interview to news agency IANS, he said that said that his daughter was "hardly getting any sleep and was unable to eat proper food". Joseph said that his daughter, who was involved in an audit of Bajaj Auto, would often work past midnight and return to her paying guest accommodation around 1.30 am.

Anna's death has created an uproar, triggered by the letter written by her mother, Anita Augustine, to EY chairman Rajiv Memani that went viral on social media. In the letter, Augustine voiced her concerns regarding the excessive workload placed on her daughter, a newcomer to the company, and indicated that Anna ultimately succumbed to work-related stress. Anna had joined the company in March, after completing CA, and passed away on July 20.

Made appeal to EY
Joseph said that recently, four officials of Ernst and Young (EY) visited their home in Kangarapady, Kochi. In the meeting, Sebastian's parents made an appeal to the company to terminate the employees who were responsible for their daughter's untimely demise. Joseph said, "Four EY officials had come here, and we reiterated our concerns to them."

Family not planning to take EY to court
Joseph, however, said that the family has no intention of pursuing legal action against the company. He clarified that the letter's purpose was to raise awareness among the company's top executives to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future.

How Anna's mother's letter sent in July got leaked in September
Anna's mother had sent a letter to EY chairman in July, just days after her death. The letter, meant as a private correspondence, was leaked from EY’s Pune office. The reason of the leak Anna’s father believes is that others within the company may be facing similar work-related stress and want the issue to be brought to public attention. "The letter was leaked from EY's Pune office, which means there are many people similarly suffering in the company who want the letter to be out in public," Joseph said.

What Anna's mother wrote in the letter
Anna Sebastian Perayil, who passed her CA exams in 2023, worked at EY Pune office for four months before she succumbed. Anna's mother wrote an emotional letter to the EY Chairman alleging that her daughter's demanding work schedule contributed to her death. She expressed concerns over the intense workload placed on her daughter, a newcomer to the company, highlighting the toll of working long hours without breaks, including on Sundays. This case has raised questions about employee welfare and the pressures faced by young professionals.

In the letter, the mother said "“Burdening newcomers with such backbreaking work, making them work day and night, even on Sundays, has no justification whatsoever. She had just left her hometown and loved ones. Everything was new to her—the organization, the place, the language—and she was trying very hard to adjust. You should show some consideration to new employees. Instead, the management took full advantage of the fact that she was new and overwhelmed her with both assigned and unassigned work.”

“Anna 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. She worked tirelessly at EY, giving her all to meet the demands placed on her,” the mother said in the letter further.