Irreparable loss for all of us, says EY on death of CA due to work pressure

NEW DELHI : Ernst & Young on Wednesday issued a statement after the death of a 26-year-old Chartered Accountant allegedly due to extreme work pressure at the firm, went viral on social media and turned the spotlight on work-related stress. "We are deeply saddened by Anna Sebastian's tragic and untimely passing in July 2024," EY said.

Since the death, EY has been in touch with the family, helping them but it is only now that her family has chosen to write to the company, complaining about the "excessive workload". EY said it would continue to improve and provide a healthy workplace in its offices throughout the country. Anna Sebastian Perayil, who passed her CA exams in 2023, worked at EY Pune office for four months before she succumbed. Her mother this month wrote to EY India chairman Rajiv Memani flagging the 'glorification' of overwork at the multinational consulting firm.

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"Anna was a part of the Audit team at S R Batliboi, a member firm of EY Global, in Pune for a brief period of four months, joining the firm on 18 March 2024. That her promising career was cut short in this tragic manner is an irreparable loss for all of us," the EY said in the statement. It went on to state that while no measure can compensate for the loss experienced by the family, the firm has provided all the assistance and will continue to do so. "We are taking the family's correspondence with the 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," it added.