Mother of employee who died of 'overwork' scolds company for not attending her funeral
The mother of a 26-year-old woman, who had reportedly died due to "excessive workload," penned a heartbreaking letter addressed to the company where she admonished them for their hustle culture and absence from her daughter's funeral.
In the letter that has since circulated online, Anita Augustine lamented the death of her daughter Anna Sebastian Perayil, who had been working as a chartered accountant at accounting firm Ernst & Young (EY) in Pune, India.
"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," she began.
According to her, Anna had joined the company on March 19 "earlier this year" as an executive and 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 20th, 2024, my world collapsed when I received the devastating news that Anna had passed away. She was just 26 years old," Anita said.
"She 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 added.
Her daughter began experiencing "anxiety, sleeplessness, and stress soon after joining," but kept going as she believed that "hard work and perseverance were the keys to success."
Despite suffering from chest constriction and being advised by her cardiologist that she was "eating very late and not getting enough sleep," Anna insisted on going to work as "there was a lot of work to be done and she wouldn't get leave."
"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 realize she would pay for that with her life," Anita wrote.
Some of the things Anna had to deal with in her job was her manager who often assigned her work at the end of the day, adding to her stress. She also worked late into the night, even on weekends, with no opportunity to catch her breath.
"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," Anita recounted.
"When she voiced her concerns, she was met with the dismissive response, 'You can work at night; that's what we all do,'" she added.
Despite being told to quit, Anna was described by her mom as a "fighter to the core."
"I wish I had been able to protect her, to tell her that her health and well-being mattered more than anything else. But it is too late for my Anna," the mother lamented.
Because of the tragedy that fell on her child, Anita appealed to EY to do their part in addressing the "systemic issue" that happens among young professionals.
"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," she stressed.
"It is time to reflect on the work culture within your organization and take meaningful steps to prioritize the health and wellness of your employees," she added.
The mourning mom further called out the company for not attending 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," she said.
"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?" she questioned.
Anita ended her letter by expressing her hope that Anna's story would be able to make a difference against toxic working environments.
Promise to 'do better'
Responding to the issue, EY India emphasized that they are "deeply saddened" by Anna's passing and offered their "deepest condolences" to her family.
"That her promising career was cut short in this tragic manner is an irreparable loss for all of us," they said in a statement.
"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," they added.
The company assured that they are taking the family’s correspondence with "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," they highlighted.