Anna Sebastian Perayil’s death: EY Chairman Rajiv Memani says, ‘I truly regret…’

Amidst the raging debate on work stress and the sad death of EY staffer Anna Sebastian, EY India Chairman Rajiv Memani has expressed regret that nobody from the company attended Anna’s funeral. In a post on LinkedIn, Memani has said, “I truly regret the fact that we missed being present at Anna’s funeral. This is completely alien to our culture. It has never happened before; it will never happen again.”
Stating that he is ‘committed’ to a ‘harmonious workplace’, Memani said, “I would like to affirm that the well-being of our people is my top-most priority and I will personally champion this objective.I am absolutely committed to nurturing a harmonious workplace, and I will not rest until that objective is accomplished.”
In a tragic incident, Anna Sebastian Perayil, a recent hire at EY in Pune, reportedly lost her life due to excessive work pressure. Her mother, Anita Augustine, penned a lengthy letter to Rajiv Memani, expressing her concerns about the overwhelming workload placed on her daughter, a newcomer to the company. Augustine suggested that Anna ultimately succumbed to work-related stress. The letter has gone viral on social media, sparking an uproar.
Here is the full text of Rajiv Memani’s latest LinkedIn post dated September 19, 2024:
Many of you will be aware of the tragic demise of Anna Sebastian, a young woman who worked in our Pune office, and the anguished letter her mother, Ms Anita Augustine wrote to me.
I am deeply saddened and as a father, I can only imagine Ms Augustine’s grief. I have conveyed my deepest condolences to the family, although nothing can fill the void in their lives. I truly regret the fact that we missed being present at Anna’s funeral. This is completely alien to our culture. It has never happened before; it will never happen again.
Over the past few days, I am aware that people have in their social media posts commented on some of our work practices. It has always been very important to us to create a healthy workplace and we attach the highest importance to the well-being of our people.
I would like to affirm that the well-being of our people is my top-most priority and I will personally champion this objective. I am absolutely committed to nurturing a harmonious workplace, and I will not rest until that objective is accomplished.
Work Culture Issues
Many employees have taken to social media to share their own experiences of work-related stress in previous jobs, which led them to leave those positions. Some have pointed out that Anna's death is the second such case in just six months, referring to the suicide of Saurabh Laddha, a 25-year-old employee at another prominent global consulting firm, reportedly due to excessive work pressure. As companies across India Inc. strive to do more with fewer resources, work pressures are perceived to be on the rise.
Also Read | EY staffer’s death puts focus on work stress
According to a TOI report, this issue is not limited to India, as significant parts of the US corporate world face similar challenges. In May, Leo Lukenas, a 35-year-old employee at Bank of America, passed away after suffering a blood clot. Media reports indicated that he had been attempting to leave his job due to the extreme hours he was working, sometimes exceeding 100 hours per week, which may have contributed to his health problems.
In response to these incidents, JPMorgan has reportedly begun limiting junior banker hours to 80 per week, marking a first for the company. Similarly, Bank of America, where hours are already capped at 80, is introducing an internal platform to closely monitor individual workloads, as reported by the Wall Street Journal.
Earlier this week, Rajiv Memani addressed EY’s employees in a message, acknowledging that he had received an anguished email from Anna Sebastian Perayil's mother and had taken note of her message "with utmost seriousness and humility."
Memani emphasized that the firm places the highest importance on the health and well-being of its people and pledged to recommit itself to providing a supportive, healthy, and balanced work environment for all.
"I would like to make this an ongoing dialogue with you to ensure we are continually building a healthy workplace for everyone. We have several well-being programmes and open channels of communication available in the firm to ensure that you always have a safe space to voice your concerns anonymously...," he said.