Amidst the uproar over the demise of Anna Sebastian Perayil, a friend of the late Ernst & Young executive revealed that they had talked a couple of hours before her passing. Ann Mary, a friend of Anna's since school, said that they spoke over the phone for over an hour.
Ann Mary disclosed that her close friend, even in her last conversation, dropped hints about the toxicity and highly demanding nature of her job at EY. The company's human resource (HR) wing was not of any help to her late friend, she said. Anna's mother Anita had tried to convince the manager and assistant manager of her daughter's health but there was no response, she reportedly said.
"On her last day with us, she (Anna) told me that a late-night meeting was scheduled for later," Ann Mary was quoted as saying by Manorama Online.
"She told me that her manager used to say, 'Nobody used to complete three months in my time but seems like Anna is going to break that jinx.' He was proud to say this. They normalised such a toxic work culture. Anna used to get panic attacks, but there was nobody to help her," Ann Mary said.
"The response was cold when she tried to reach out to the company Human Resources department. Neither the Manager nor the Assistant Manager were concerned about her health. She had thought about resigning. Her parents always backed the decisions she made," she said.
Union minister intervenes after EY executive's passing
The union labour ministry initiated a probe into the death of 26-year-old Anna Sebastian Perayil. EY faced severe backlash after a letter penned by Anna mother, detailing her hardships, went viral on social media.
Union Minister of State for Labour Shobha Karandlajetweeted, “Deeply saddened by the tragic loss of Anna Sebastian Perayil. A thorough investigation into the allegations of an unsafe and exploitative work environment is underway. We are committed to ensuring justice & @LabourMinistry has officially taken up the complaint. @mansukhmandviya” Karandlajewas responding to a tweet by former union minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar urging action.
In her letter to EY chairperson Rajiv Memani, Anna’s mother Anita Augustine said she was excited to be part of a reputed company, however, the workload took a massive toll on Anna.
“She began experiencing anxiety, sleeplessness and stress soon after joining, but she kept pushing herself, believing that hard work and perseverance were the keys to success,” Anita wrote.
According to the letter, Anna had been “complaining of chest constriction” for a week. When her parents came to visit her in Pune, two weeks before her death, for her C.A. convocation, they took her to the cardiologist, who said it was due to the lack of proper sleep and eating late.
“It breaks my heart to tell you that even during those two days, which were the last we would spend with our child, she couldn't enjoy them because of the work pressure,” the grieving mother wrote.
Anita also mentioned Anna's manager in the letter. She said that he would reschedule meetings as per his convenience, and attend cricket matches. When Anna voiced her concerns about the workload, the assistant manager replied, “You can work at night; that's what we all do.”
The letter by Anita Augustine has sparked a debate online about work-life balance, with many netizens, mostly ex-employees, calling out EY.
Meanwhile, EY responded to the letter saying they take “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.