The tragic death of a 26-year-old employee at a leading accounting firm has ignited widespread debate about the demanding work culture in corporate India and its impact on employee health and well-being.
Anna Sebastian Perayil, a chartered accountant at Ernst & Young (EY), died in July, just four months after starting her job at the firm. Her parents have alleged that excessive work pressure contributed to her death, highlighting concerns over the intense demands faced by employees in many high-pressure jobs.
EY has denied these claims, stating that Perayil was assigned work comparable to other employees and that they do not believe work-related stress was a factor in her death. However, her death has brought renewed attention to what critics describe as a “toxic hustle culture” prevalent in many corporates and start-ups, where long hours and relentless productivity are often glorified, says the BBC.
Mother’s letter goes viral
Perayil’s death gained national attention after her mother, Anita Augustine, penned an open letter to EY, which went viral on social media. In the letter, Augustine detailed the pressures her daughter faced, including late-night work and weekend commitments, and urged the firm to reflect on its work culture and prioritize employee health.
The letter sparked a wave of reactions on social media, with many sharing their own experiences of burnout and exploitation in India’s corporate sector. One user recounted working 20-hour days at a top consultancy without overtime pay, while another described being “mocked” for leaving work on time and “shamed” for taking weekends off.
EY India chief Rajiv Memani responded to the backlash by affirming the company’s commitment to employee well-being. “The well-being of our people is my top-most priority, and I will personally champion this objective,” Memani stated in a LinkedIn post.
Tech tycoon urges young to work 70-hour weeks
This incident is not the first to cast a harsh light on India’s workplace culture. Last year, Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy faced criticism for suggesting that young Indians should work 70-hour weeks to boost economic growth. Similarly, Bhavesh Aggarwal, CEO of Ola, dismissed the concept of work-life balance, while Shantanu Deshpande, founder of the Bombay Shaving Company, controversially advised new recruits to work 18-hour days for the first few years of their careers.
Experts argue that such expectations contribute to a dangerous normalization of overwork. A recent report by the International Labour Organisation revealed that half of India’s workforce puts in over 49 hours a week, making it one of the most overworked countries globally.
The debate has also drawn attention to successful models of work-life balance in other countries, such as those in Scandinavia, where employee well-being is prioritized. “India needs to adopt a more humane approach to work culture, and there are already models to follow,” said Chandrasekhar Sripada, a professor at the Indian School of Business.
As the conversation continues, there is growing pressure on Indian corporates to reevaluate their work practices and ensure that the pursuit of growth and productivity does not come at the cost of employee health and well-being.
Photo: Pexels. Photo by Alex Green
