EY worker dies four months after starting dream job - after toxic work culture claimed the life of a young Aussie
An executive at Ernst and Young in India has tragically died almost two years after an Australian staffer took her own life, following accusations of a toxic work culture.
An executive at Ernst and Young in India has tragically died almost two years after an Australian staffer took her own life, following accusations of a toxic work culture.
Anna Sebastian Perayil, 26, died on July 20th, just four months into her role as an Audit and Assurance Executive at EY in Pune, western India.
Shed completed her chartered accounting exams in November last year and travelled the 1,300 kilometres from her hometown of Kerala to Pune for the job at the notoriously competitive accounting firm.
At the time, shed posted her excitement about her new position on LinkedIn.
Her heartbroken mother, Anita Augustine, has since penned a letter to the Chairman of EYs Indian region, Rajiv Memani, demanding something be done about EYs work culture where she claims mental and physical well-being is sacrificed for productivity.
Adding to her anguish, Ms Augustine wrote, was the fact nobody from EY showed up at her funeral.
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, her letter began.
Ms Augustine said when her daughter had passed her exams, she was full of life, dreams and excitement for her future.
She worked tirelessly at EY, giving her all to meet the demands placed on her, she continued.
Anna Sebastian Perayil, 26, died on July 20th, just four months into her role as an Audit and Assurance Executive at EY in Pune, western India
However, the workload, new environment, and long hours took a toll on her physically, emotionally and mentally.
Ms Augustine said her daughter became riddled with anxiety, stress and sleeplessness.
When her parents came to visit for the ceremony of Ms Perayil finishing her CA, she had to go to hospital after suffering chest constrictions.
The doctor found she hadnt been getting enough sleep but even after being discharged, Ms Perayil insisted on returning to work.
It breaks my heart to tell you that even during those two days, which were the last we would spend with our child, she couldnt enjoy them because of the work pressure, her mother said.
Ms Augustine claimed her daughter had been told that many of her colleagues had quit due to an excessive workload.
A manager had told her Anna you must stick around and change everyones opinion about our team, she said.
My child didnt realise she would pay for that with her life.
Ms Perayils death comes after Australia EY worker Aishwarya Venkatachalam, 27, (pictued with husband) plunged to her death from the terrace of the firms building in Sydney on August 27, 2022
During her time at the accounting firm, Ms Perayil was constantly given work to do on weekends and at night, her mother said.
She said while her daughter would never blame her managers for the workload, it was clearly taking a toll.
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, Ms Augustine said.
She did not know how to say no. She was trying to prove herself in a new environment, and in doing so, she pushed herself beyond her limits. And now, she is no longer with us.
The grieving mother also demanded answers as to why none of Ms Perayils colleagues came to her funeral.
Ms Augustine said she reached out to senior members of the firm following the funeral but received no reply.
This absence at such a critical moment, for an employee who gave her all to your organisation until her last breath, is deeply hurtful, she said.
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.
EY in a statement said it was deeply saddened by Ms Perayils death.
That her promising career was cut short in this tragic manner is an irreparable loss for all of us, it said.
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.
We are taking the familys correspondence with the utmost seriousness and humility.
Ms Perayils mother claimed none of her daughters EY colleagues came to her funeral
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.
Ms Perayils death comes after Australia EY worker Aishwarya Venkatachalam, 27, plunged to her death from the terrace of the firms building in Sydney on August 27, 2022.
The Indian national - who moved to Australia 10 months earlier - had complained to friends that her co-workers were mean and racist.
Daily Mail Australias reporting on the story prompted an investigation into bullying, racism and work culture at the financial giant by Elizabeth Broderick, the high-profile Australian Sex Discrimination Commissioner.
Oceanic EY CEO David Larocca vowed Ms Broderick would look at the firms culture, work practices and psychological health and safety in an independent and rigorous review.
Ms Venkatachalam - who used the abbreviated Venkat form of her name professionally - died after she was at a work drinks function at Sydneys The Ivy nightclub on August 26.
She returned to the EY building and managed to access the terrace cafe where she fell to her death.
Good Samaritans told Daily Mail Australia how, moments before Ms Venkatachalams death, they found her distraught in a nearby car park, sobbing about being bullied.
A group of women returning to their car found her sobbing uncontrollably in a city centre car park where she told them everyone was so mean to her in her office and that white people are not nice and are mean people and racist.
It echoed similar comments she had earlier made to her friend Neeti Bisht in April that mean colleagues had been making her new life in Sydney a misery.
She told the three women she met in the car park that her house key was in her office but she couldnt get into the building to collect it and had nowhere else to go.
Her newlywed husband Nakul Murali, whom she married in a spectacular three-day Tamil-Brahman ceremony in January 2021, was on a flight home from Singapore to Sydney at the time of her death.
Other bystanders helped her back to her office around midnight, but 20 minutes later she plunged to her death onto the awning above the buildings front entrance.
Ms Venkatachalams death sparked further accusations of racism within the company and allegations of a toxic workplace culture.
There is no suggestion EY or Ms Venkatachalams co-workers or her superiors were in any way responsible for her death.
LIFELINE 13 11 14
