Shillong, Sept 19: Work overload has claimed the life of a 26-year-old chartered accountant in Pune just after six months of joining the multinational consulting firm Ernst & Young (EY).

Anna Sebastian Perayil, a young Chartered Accountant who joined EY Pune in March 2024, died after allegedly succumbing to extreme work pressure.

Her mother, Anita Augustine, has written a letter to EY India Chairman, Rajiv Memani, demanding justice for her daughter and calling for change within the organisation.

In the letter, the mother wrote, “I am writing this letter as a grieving mother who has lost her precious child… She joined EY Pune on March 19th, 2024, as an Executive… But four months later, on July 20th, my world collapsed when I received the devastating news that Anna had passed away. She was just 26 years old.”

The mother added in the letter that, “.. 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.”

Anita recalled how during a visit to Pune with her husband for Anna’s CA convocation, Anna had been complaining of chest constriction and had to be hospitalised. “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.” Anna, however, got straight back to work, despite requests from her parents against it.

“When Anna joined this specific team, she was told that many employees had resigned due to the excessive workload, and the team manager told 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,” Anita mentioned in her letter.

The letter further describes how Anna’s workload was relentless, often leaving her with little time to rest. “Her manager would often reschedule meetings during cricket matches and assign her work at the end of the day, adding to her stress. She worked late into the night, even on weekends, with no opportunity to catch her breath. Her assistant manager once called her at night with a task that needed to be completed by the next morning, leaving her with barely any time to rest or recover.”

When Anna expressed her concerns, she was met with a dismissive response: “You can work at night, that’s what we all do,” the letter stated.

More shocking is that nobody from EY attended Anna’s funeral. “No one from EY attended Anna’s funeral. This absence at such a critical moment, for an employee who gave her all to your organisation until her last breath, is deeply hurtful. Anna deserved better… After her funeral, I reached out to her managers but received no reply,” said the mother.

Concluding her letter, the mother demanded justice from the company and asked it to take responsibility of the death of her 26 year old daughter.

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