EY India chairman Rajiv Memani’s email to staff leaked. What he said on death of Anna Sebastian Perayil

Ernst & Young India chairman Rajiv Memani’s email to staff addressing the death of Anna Sebastian Perayil has been leaked online despite his “do not forward” directive.

Anna Sebastian Perayil had joined EY’s audit and assurance team in Pune in March this year. She died four months later, allegedly due to overwhelming work stress. She was only 26. In an explosive letter addressed to Memani, Perayil’s mother Anita Augustine had called out EY for overworking her daughter, adding that nobody from the company bothered to attend her funeral.

In her letter, Anna’s mother said that she was burdened with “backbreaking work,” received no weekends, and often reached her PG late at night “utterly exhausted,” collapsing into bed without even changing her clothes. Anna died on July 20, just four months into her first job.

(Also read: EY Pune employee, 26, died due to work stress. No one from company attended her funeral)

“I am writing to you now, Rajiv, because I believe EY has a profound responsibility to ensure the well-being of its employees. Anna's experience sheds light on a work culture that seems to glorify overwork while neglecting the very human beings behind the roles,” Augustine said in her letter to the EY India top boss.

She added that “no one from EY attended Anna's funeral.” She did not receive a response from Anna’s managers when she reached out to them after her daughter’s funeral.

Rajiv Memani’s leaked email to staff

Rajiv Memani sent an email to staff with the subject line “News in media” a day after Augustine’s letter went viral. The email, sent with a “do not forward” directive, was nevertheless leaked on social media and has been widely circulated on Reddit.

The EY India chairman acknowledged that he had received an “anguished email from Anna’s mother” and that he had “taken note of her message with utmost seriousness and humility.”

He also referred to Anna Sebastian Perayil’s “short-lived” journey with the firm in his email. Memani said he had been in touch with Anna’s family and had shared his “deepest regret for their irreparable loss.”

He added links to forums where EY employees could share feedback and added that anyone facing a challenging time at the company should reach out to their “team leaders, members of the talent team and your support network across the firm.”

He concluded his message by urging employees to treat this information with “utmost compassion and sensitivity.”

HT.com could not independently verify the authenticity of the email. We have reached out to EY for a statement and this copy will be updated upon receiving a response.

The Union labour ministry has taken up the complaint and will be investigating Anna Perayil's death and its connection to her work at EY.

Full text of Rajiv Memani’s email

Read the full text of EY India chairman Rajiv Memani’s email to staff on the death of Anna Sebastian Perayil:

Dear all,

As you all would be aware, since yesterday, several messages regarding our firm have been circulating on WhatsApp and other social media platforms.

These pertain to the tragic passing away of Anna Sebastian on 20 July 2024, who joined us in our Assurance team in Pune on 18 March 2024, The fact that her journey with the firm was so short-lived - only four months - makes this tragedy even more poignant for all of us.

Anna hailed from Kochi and worked at our Pune office. During the difficult period following her passing, the firm was in regular contact with f sors of her family. While we acknowledge that no measure can compensate for the loss experienced by the family, we have provided all the assistance as we always do in such times of distress white respecting the family's privacy and preferences.

Though no words can comfort a grieving family, I have personally expressed my condolences and have shared my deepest regret for their irreparable loss. I received an anguished e-mail from Anna's mother and have taken note of her message with utmost seriousness and humility.

I would like to reaffirm to all of you that our firm places the highest importance on the health and well-being of our people, and we will recommit ourselves to providing a supportive, heatthy, and balanced work environment to you all. I would tike to make this an on-going dialogue with you to ensure we are continually building a healthy workplace for everyone.

We have several well-being programs and open channels of communication available in the firm to ensure that you always have a safe space to voice your concerns anonymously, including through our existing Speak Up forum and Ethics Hotline. We will also create more avenues for you to share transparent and honest feedback on our workplace practices.

If you ever face challenges or need guidance, I will strongly encourage you to please reach out to your team leaders, members of the talent team and your support network across the firm. I would like to personally assure you that when you speak up, you will be heard with empathy and understanding. If there are any suggestions that you have, please don’t hesitate to let me know.

In the meantime, I urge you to handle this information with the utmost compassion and sensitivity.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

Warm regards,

Rajiv