After EY India's Chairman and Managing Director Rajiv Memani made a statement on LinkedIn regarding the death of Anna Sebastian Perayil, a fresh controversy erupted on social media. A former EY employee based out of South Africa used Memani's post to call out "mental health abuses by EY management."
In his post, Rajiv Memanisaid, "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."
"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," he added.
Response to LinkedIn post of EY India MD Rajiv Memani by an EY South Africa employee.
— Atul Modani (@atulmodani) September 19, 2024
It seems toxic work culture, abuse of power in EY is a worldwide phenomenon.#JusticeforAnna #EYIndia #Ernst&Young #EYSA #Big4 pic.twitter.com/M002NUSZUf
Meanwhile, reacting to the post, a South Africa-based female EY employee said that she was targeted by the company for raising her voice against workplace discrimination and toxicity. Nazeera Kasi, a Chartered Accountant with the South Africa chapter of EY, claimed that she was facing repurcussions after she used the company's ethics hotline to report mental health abuses committed by the management.
Coming down heavily on Ernst & Young, Kasi jotted, "Contrary to what you've said, EY does not place any importance on the well being of people, instead, peoples mental and physical health is continuously abused, as was done to me. I am now facing severe consequences for reporting these abuses, via the ethics hotline. What other avenues do EY employees have to report partners and HR teams who continuously abuse the well being of staff?"
"I myself, and others, have utilized this hotline multiple times, months ago, to report discrimination, harassment, bullying, victimization and other mental health abuses that EY Partners have subjected me to. Unfortunately, the truth about this hotline is simply that it's used to identify employees who EY believes should be silenced. These employees are then punished severely for raising these issues against Partners/managers using the hotline that you suggested we use," she said.
According to Nazeera Kasi's LinkedIn profile, she worked with EY from October 2022 to September 2024.
Full transcript of Nazeera Kasi's LinkedIn reaction
Hello Rajiv
As per your email request, regarding Anna's death stemming from the abuse at EY, you suggest that we should use the ethics hotline to report issues of mental health abuses by EY management.
I myself, and others, have utilized this hotline multiple times, months ago, to report discrimination, harassment, bullying, victimization and other mental health abuses that EY Partners have subjected me to. Unfortunately, the truth about this hotline is simply that it's used to identify employees who EY believes should be silenced. These employees are then punished severely for raising these issues against Partners/managers using the hotline that you suggested we use. Contrary to what you've said, EY does not place any importance on the well being of people, instead, peoples mental and physical health is continuously abused, as was done to me. I am now facing severe consequences for reporting these abuses, via the ethics hotline. What other avenues do EY employees have to report partners and HR teams who continuously abuse the well being of staff? Trent Henry has also been contacted about this, and there has been no response. Are you waiting for another "Anna" case to occur, before taking action?EY
Anna Sebastian Perayil's demise: The controversy
A 26-year-old chartered accountant, working in Ernst & Young, Pune, passed away allegedly due to “work stress”. Kochi native Anna Sebastian Perayil joined EY in March, after clearing the C.A. exam last year. She died on July 20. A letter written by her mother Anita Augustine to EY chairperson Rajiv Memani, detailing the work culture in the office, exposed the work pressure prevalent in the organisation. The letter sparked a debate online about work-life balance, with many netizens, mostly ex-employees, calling out EY.
Anita ended the letter by saying that she read the “EY's human rights statement”, which bears the signature of the chairman. “I cannot reconcile with the values expressed in the statement... How can EY begin to truly live by the values it professes?” she asks.
“Anna's death should serve as a wake-up call for EY. 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.”
In another letter, a person claiming to be Anna's colleague confirmed what Anita wrote in the letter about the manager. The employee said the manager bought IPL final tickets and “showed it off on Insta”.
