Explained: Why a 26-Year-Old EY CA's Tragic Death Has Sparked a Conversation on Toxic Work Culture

In a heart-wrenching incident, a 26-year-old Chartered Accountant, Anna Sebastian Perayil, tragically lost her life, with her family pointing to overwhelming work pressure at her job as cause. Perayil, who h recently started her career at EY Pune, one of Big Four accounting firms, h been battling intense stress and exhaustion just four months into her role. Her family believes crushing worklo took a devastating toll on her mental and physical health, ultimately leing to her untimely death.

Perayil, a bright young professional from Kerala , cleared her Chartered Accountancy exams in 2023 and joined EY Pune as an executive in March 2024. Like many fresh gruates, she was eager to prove herself in her first job, working tirelessly to meet demands of role. However, her mor, Anita Augustine, has now shared a heart-wrenching account of grueling work conditions her daughter endured. In a letter dressed to EY India Chairman Rajiv Memani, Augustine condemned company for "glorifying overwork" and creating a toxic environment that left her daughter overwhelmed and exhausted.

“She began experiencing anxiety, sleeplessness, and stress soon after joining, but continued to push herself, believing hard work and perseverance were path to success,” Augustine wrote in her emotional letter.

Excessive Worklo and Unreasonable Demands

According to Augustine, many employees at EY Pune h resigned due to excessive worklo, leaving fewer hands to manage a growing pile of tasks. Perayil’s boss reportedly urged her to “stick around and change everyone’s opinion about team,” placing immense pressure on young woman. Augustine described how her daughter worked late into night and on weekends, leaving little time to rest or recover.

"Her manager would often reschedule meetings during cricket matches and assign her work at end of day, ding to her stress," Augustine wrote. At an office party, a senior leer even joked about Perayil having a hard time working under her manager, a comment that proved to be all too true.

One particularly distressing incident recounted by Augustine involved Perayil receiving a task late at night with a deline next morning. When she expressed concern about unreasonable demand, her assistant manager’s response was dismissive: “You can work at night; that’s what we all do.” Augustine said this kind of relentless pressure was norm for her daughter, who was frequently assigned verbal tasks beyond her official responsibilities.

A Deteriorating Condition

As worklo increased, so did toll on Perayil’s health. She frequently returned home completely drained, collapsing on her bed without even changing her clos. Despite se signs of physical and emotional exhaustion, demands for reports and tasks kept coming.

“She was putting in her best efforts, working very hard to meet delines. She was a fighter to core, not someone to give up easily,” Augustine shared. Despite her family’s pleas to quit job, Perayil continued to push herself, eager to gain new skills and exposure.

In weeks leing up to her death, Perayil began experiencing severe chest discomfort, prompting her family to take her to hospital. An ECG showed normal results, and cardiologist assured family that issue was likely due to lack of sleep and irregular eating habits. doctor prescribed antacids, and her family was reassured that situation was not serious. Tragically, Perayil passed away on July 20, leaving her family devastated.

EY’s Silence and Absence at Funeral

ding to family’s grief was fact that no representatives from EY Pune attended Perayil’s funeral. Despite her dedicated service to company, her managers and colleagues failed to show up to pay ir respects, an absence that Augustine described as deeply hurtful.

“This absence at such a critical moment, for an employee who gave her all to your organization until her last breath, is deeply hurtful,” Augustine wrote in her letter. After funeral, she reached out to her daughter’s managers, only to be met with silence. “How can a company that speaks of values and human rights fail to show up for one of its own in ir final moments?”

In her letter to EY’s leership, Augustine questioned how company could claim to uphold human rights values while fostering a work culture that glorifies overwork. “Anna was a young professional. Like many in her position, she did not have experience or agency to draw boundaries or push back against unreasonable demands,” Augustine wrote. “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 limits. And now, she is no longer with us.”

A Call for Change

Augustine’s letter serves as a wake-up call to EY and broer corporate world to reflect on ir work culture and importance of employee well-being. “It is time to reflect on work culture within your organization and take meaningful steps to prioritize health and wellness of your employees,” Augustine urged in her emotional plea.

Perayil’s tragic death has sparked conversations about high-pressure environments that many young professionals face. Many social media users have suggested that if India h a genuine left-wing party, inste of parties that merely demonize Indian culture, young professionals wouldn't feel so voiceless. 

“You work hard & crack one of toughest exams in country & n are expected to make huge sacrifices & severe alterations to your lifestyle reby impacting your health & relationships - all this & no one from your team attends your funeral. Grim,” wrote a X user named Malvika Rao. Malvika Rao has also shared Augestine's full letter to Chairman of EY, India. “Re this entire thing, found it really very scary, as i am also starting my corporate journey soon,” wrote Dhimahi Jain. 

“It's not EY. It's overall work culture that we have which is patic.  A  cousin of mine works for one of Big 4. She moved out of country ,   same company has a peaceful work culture in Aus office. Here she was under immense stress & overloed,” wrote Krithika Sivawasmy, an entrepreneur from Chennai. ""No one from EY attended Anna's funeral". This particular line stuck out from email Anna's mor has written to @rajivmemani  (Chairman of EY, India) after Anna's death," wrote Ravi Handa.  

As more details emerge, her family hopes that her story will le to changes that prevent similar tragedies from happening in future.

While exact cause of Perayil’s death remains unclear, her family firmly believes that overwhelming stress she experienced at work played a significant role in her decline. Her mor’s letter stands as a poignant reminder of human cost of overwork, and urgent need for corporate accountability in creating healthier work environments.