26-Year-Old EY Employee Dies of Overwork, Family Claims No One Attended Funeral: Woman's Heartbreaking Letter

26-Year-Old EY Employee Dies of Overwork, Family Claims No One Attended Funeral: Woman's Heartbreaking Letter In a tragic incident that has sparked widespread outrage, a 26-year-old employee of EY (Ernst & Young) India has reportedly died due to overwork. The woman's grieving mother penned an emotional letter, accusing the company of neglect and stating that no representatives from EY attended her daughter's funeral. This heartbreaking incident has once again raised concerns about workplace stress and corporate responsibility in India’s fast-paced professional environment. According to the letter, the young employee had been struggling with excessive workload and long working hours, which took a severe toll on her health. Despite repeatedly voicing her concerns, the company allegedly failed to address the issue, leading to her untimely death. Her mother’s letter details the emotional and physical strain her daughter endured, culminating in what she described as a tragic outcome of workplace exploitation. Issuing a statement in response, EY India expressed deep sorrow over the employee’s passing. The company conveyed its condolences to the family and affirmed that it was taking the letter seriously. "We are deeply saddened by the loss of our colleague and are engaging with the family with utmost seriousness and humility," the statement said. However, the allegations of company representatives failing to attend the funeral have further intensified public criticism of corporate culture at EY and other firms. The case has reignited a broader conversation on mental health, overwork, and work-life balance in India’s corporate sector, where employees are often subjected to immense pressure to meet tight deadlines. Calls for reforms in employee well-being, including stricter regulations on work hours and stress management, have gained momentum in the wake of this tragic incident. The incident has prompted many to question how companies in high-pressure industries can better support their employees and prevent such devastating outcomes. As the family seeks justice and answers, the case serves as a stark reminder of the real and often hidden consequences of workplace stress. Daughter, 26, Died Of Overwork At EY, No One Attended Funeral: Woman's Letter Anna Sebastian Perayil had been working at the company for four months. (Representational) A young woman's mother has written a gut-wrenching letter to the chairman of Ernst & Young India claiming that her daughter died of "overwork" just four months after joining the company and no one from the organisation even attended her funeral. In the letter, the mother also made a fervent plea to the brass at the company to rectify a work culture that "seems to glorify overwork while neglecting the very human beings behind the role" and said she hoped her daughter's death would serve as a wake-up call. Issuing a statement, EY India said it was deeply saddened by the death of the employee and was taking the family's correspondence with the "utmost seriousness and humility".

Writing to Rajiv Memani, the chairman of EY India, Anita Augustine, the mother of Anna Sebastian Perayil, said her heart was heavy and her soul was shattered but the letter was necessary in the hope that no other family has to endure what hers went through.