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Anna Sebastian Perayil's father breaks silence on her EY work stress: 'They insisted on working even at night'
Anna Sebastian Perayil's father, Siby Joseph, claimed that her seniors didn't take any action when she complained about extreme work pressure.
A heart-wrenching letter by a mother alleging that extreme work pressure led to her daughter’s death has shocked the nation. Anna Sebastian Perayil's tragic demise and her mother’s letter to EY India Chairman Rajiv Memani have been topics of conversation for the past few days. They have also sparked conversations around “excessive workload” in corporate culture. Though EY and Memani have denied the allegations of extreme work pressure causing Anna’s death, her family believes she succumbed to work stress. Her father, Siby Joseph, has opened up about his daughter’s death and 'glorification' of overwork, adding that he doesn’t want anyone else to have the same fate as his daughter.
What did Siby Joseph say?
Joseph told local media that she would work throughout the night until 12:30 a.m. "We advised her to quit, but she insisted that this stint would provide valuable professional exposure," he added.
Also Read: EY India head Rajiv Memani on why no one from company attended Anna Sebastian Perayil's funeral
The father added that Anna had informed her senior officials about her “extreme work pressure,” but they had not taken any action.
"She had complained to the assistant manager, but they insisted on working even at night," her father said.
Further, the family alleged that the company didn’t reach out to them after Anna’s death and only got in touch after her mother’s letter to Memani surfaced online.
Will the family take legal action?
"We are not planning to move legally, but we don't want anyone else to face the same fate. We don't want the newbies joining such corporate companies to face similar situations," Joseph said.
Also Read: EY Pune employee’s tragic death reminds people of Narayana Murthy's controversial ‘70-hour work week’ remark
Anna Sebastian Perayil from Kerala was working in EY Pune. She passed her CA exams in 2023 and worked at the Big 4 firm for four months. She succumbed on July 21.
In a statement, Rajiv Memani said he is “deeply saddened” by Anna’s untimely demise and sent “deepest condolences to the family.” He added that he is “absolutely committed to nurturing a harmonious workplace.”
