'So much tension and stress...': Father of EY Employee who died of 'overwork'

As the death of a young chartered accountant (CA) from Kerala, Anna Sebastin Perayil, reportedly due to 'overwork' sparked a nationwide debate on work-life balance, mental health, and corporate accountability, her father, Sibi Joseph, on Saturday said that his daughter used to cry on the phone that she could not work with so much tension and stress.
Mr Joseph added that he had asked her to resign and come back, he added that she, however, decided to continue because she said that she was getting more exposure in EY. Unfortunately, on July 21, she collapsed in her room and died before reaching the hospital.

"She used to cry on the phone that she could not work with so much tension and stress. We asked her to resign and come back... She decided to continue because she said that she was getting more exposure in EY. Unfortunately, on July 21, she collapsed in her room and died before reaching the hospital," Mr Joseph told ANI.

Mr Joseph also said that his daughter had to work late into the night. She also used to do additional work which was not concerned with her work after reaching back to her PG. Joseph also claimed his daughter was not getting time to sleep and eat and was stressed.

"She joined there on March 18... After one week, she started the regular auditing. There are 6 audit teams in EY Pune and she was included in the 6th team. The assistant manager allotted and the Audit Manager reviewed the work... She had to work late into the night... After reaching back to her PG also, she had to do additional work, which was not concerned with her work... She was not getting time to sleep and eat. She was stressed and she had work pressure," he said.

"The manager did not review the work on time, he did it on his schedule... He is a cricket fan and he changed his schedule according to the match schedule. And because of that, she had to sit late to complete the work assigned to her," he said. "Union Minister Suresh Gopi visited us today and said that he will raise the issue in the Parliament," Mr Joseph said.

Earlier today, Union Minister Suresh Gopi met with the family members of the employee. Speaking to ANI after the meeting, Gopi said that "concerned agencies will be roped in" to analyse the situation. "I have talked to Anna's family. From all the information I could gather, I think there is something. Post-death participation by responsible people has been very unfair. I think it has to be dealt with. Concerned agencies will be roped in for this," Mr Gopi told ANI.

Anna Sebastian Perayil, a chartered accountant (CA) from Kerala who worked at EY's Pune office for four months, died on July 20. The tax consultancy major issued a statement expressing deep sadness over the death. The statement came after a heart-wrenching letter written by the victim's mother went viral on social media, alleging that EY's work culture and excessive workload contributed to her daughter's demise. In the letter, her mother detailed the victim's struggles with anxiety, sleeplessness, and stress due to an overwhelming workload, citing instances where her manager prioritised work over employee well-being.

EY's response acknowledged the victim's brief tenure at the firm and expressed condolences to the bereaved family. Regarding the allegations, EY stated, "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."The firm assured that it has provided assistance to the family and will continue to do so.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by DNA staff and is published from ANI)