Thursday, September 26, 2024

Anna Sebastian EY Employee and Stress



"People used to say, "Don’t work too hard for a company; they’ll forget you by the next paycheck." Now, it’s worse—they’ll forget you the same day. And when you pass while still at work—in harness—they’ll even forget to attend your funeral."

A 26 year old Chartered accountant, who had qualified only six months before, and joined EY died recently and her mother wrote a letter to EY management. https://www.news18.com/viral/26-year-old-ey-pune-employee-succumbs-to-work-stress-four-months-after-joining-mother-writes-to-firms-india-boss-9054423.html

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DAGMtObs3Eq/?igsh=dTh6ZzBqcWNmazll - Her father speaks to Asianet


1. Toxic Work Culture: Anna’s death highlights the severe pressures faced by young professionals in a work environment that often prioritizes ambition and productivity over employee well-being, leading to physical and mental exhaustion.

2. Flawed Parental Expectations: Societal and parental pressures can create unrealistic expectations for children, pushing them into high-stress careers without consideration for their personal interests or mental health.

3. Lack of Support Systems: There is a significant absence of employee support systems, such as unions or mental health resources, which exacerbates the exploitation and burnout experienced by young workers in demanding roles.

4. Need for Mental Health Awareness: The rising rates of mental health issues among youth indicate a critical need for better education and resources to help young people cope with stress, failure, and the pressures of modern life.

5. Cultural Shift Required: There need to be a fundamental change in how success is defined and pursued, advocating for a balance between ambition and personal well-being, as well as a re-evaluation of the values instilled in the younger generation by parents and society.

I hope we get to see people playing long games in life and well being is given paramount importance. I have personally seen consultants from Big 4 working long hours, odd time lunch and dinner, less sleep etc., I used to tell them to take care of their health. But the culture is that way and I have not seen many complaining. But this is pretty sad for a young kid and I can't imagine the state of her parents.

Now we don't get connected beyond work. Earlier, we had friends at the office. Now, people search for friends on Saturdays and Sundays She should have asked for help or spoken up earlier.  Maybe, staying away from family made it more difficult.

How is the company responding? Leave aside empathy or concern,  they  are trying to hide managers identity. Shouldn't HR and management  investigate and take action against that person. Some action should be taken against managers and Pune HR, where she was based out of. For 1 toxic person how many more ppl would u sacrifice. Wondering what the true role of an HR is? Are they mere puppets? Let us see how the labour commission take it forward.

Anita Augustine ex SBI employee,  mother of Anna Sebastian Perayil is great.  Not all will do that. God give her strength. Nothing can substitute her loss. But she has decided to bring about a reform. Like Hema commission,  this has given strength to many employees to speak up. Students, Swiggy delivery all have pressure. This is an eye opener.  So many tell what you do sit in front of laptop full day. People don't understand the stress behind that.

In the wake of the tragic demise of 26-year-old chartered accountant Anna Sebastian Perayil, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has said that educational institutions should give stress management lessons to its students to develop their ‘inner strength’. She said this can only be attained if they put their faith in God, while talking at an event in a private college on Saturday, September 21, where she made the comments.

"The eloquent silence of the ICAI in the matter of the death of Anna Sebastian is stunning. One may argue that it does not have a locus standi, but do you need one to make a statement. I am reminded of Sherlock Holmes famed statement in the story Silver Blaze."

The dog didn't make any noise because the culprit was not a stranger.

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