Grieving mom writes letter to daughter's company after office overwork costed her life

In this fast-paced world where it often looks like the only path to success is going through relentless pressure, we often forget that it can also lead to devastating consequences. A grieving mother recently wrote an open letter to her daughter's employer, Ernst and Young (EY), after their exorbitant workload cost the 26-year-old Anna Sebastian Perayil her life. The 26-year-old lost her life after just four months into her employment at the international "Big Four" accounting firm where she was serving as a chartered accountant in India.

In the letter, the deceased's mother shared that her daughter had joined EY in March and was "full of life, dreams, and excitement for the future," as per an Indian media house. She said how her daughter was always a "fighter" who excelled in "everything she did." "She was a school topper, a college topper, and excelled in extracurricular activities." The letter also mentioned how the young woman had passed her CA exams with distinction and was working "tirelessly" at the company. "However, the workload, new environment, and long hours took a toll on her physically, emotionally, and mentally," the letter reads. "She was told that many employees had resigned due to the excessive workload," the mother writes. "My child didn't realize she would pay for that with her life," the grieving mother added in the letter. Journalist Faye D'Souza (@fayedsouza), like many others, later took to Instagram and reshared the entire letter, expressing her condolences. 

Sebastian was reportedly working around the clock and also late into the night and often on weekends as well. She was getting calls in the middle of the night with assignments that had to be completed by the following morning. "When she voiced her concerns, she was met with the dismissive response, 'You can work at night; that's what we all do,'" Augustine wrote. Some of the claims that were made in the letter appeared to be corroborated by Reddit users who said that they too have been in the same situation, in a post shared on X. The thread was later shared on X by Venkatesh Alla (@alla_cma), which shines a light on the work culture of the company.

The letter also says how both her parents tried to convince her to quit amid these abuses and unimaginable workload, however, she said that she "wanted to learn and gain new exposure." According to the letter, nobody from the company attended her funeral which really broke her parents' heart. "No one from EY attended Anna's funeral," the grieving mother writes.

"This absence at such a critical moment, for an employee who gave her all to your organization until her last breath, is deeply hurtful. Anna deserved better, and so did all the employees who continue to work under these conditions," she added. Since the letter gained momentum on the internet, the company has released a statement addressing the young employee's death after the letter went viral. "We are deeply saddened by Anna Sebastian's tragic and untimely passing in July 2024, and our deepest condolences go to the bereaved family," the statement read. "That her promising career was cut short in this tragic manner is an irreparable loss for all of us," it said, as per another Indian media source.