Death of Indian employee triggers debate about ‘toxic work culture’

The tragic death of a 26-year-old Indian employee of a leading accounting firm has sparked a serious debate about work culture and employee welfare in large corporations.

Anna Sebastian Perayil, an auditor at Ernst & Young (EY), died in July, four months after joining the firm. Her parents claimed that the “overwhelming work pressure” in her new job affected her health and led to her death.

EY denied the allegation, saying Perayil was assigned work like any other employee and that it did not believe her work pressure could have cost her life.

Her death triggered deep emotions and sparked a discussion about the “hustle culture” propagated by many corporations and start-ups – a work ethic that prioritizes productivity, often at the expense of employee well-being.

Some say this corporate culture encourages innovation and growth, and many work long hours out of passion or ambition. Others say employees are often pressured by management, leading to burnout and a reduced quality of life.

Perayil’s death came into the spotlight after a letter from her mother, Anita Augustine, to EY went viral on social media last week. In the letter, she detailed the alleged pressures her daughter faced at work, including working late into the night and on weekends, and called on EY to “reflect on its work culture” and take steps to prioritize the health of its employees.

“Anna’s experience shines a light on a work culture that seems to glorify overwork while neglecting the people behind the roles,” she wrote. “The relentless demands and pressure to meet unrealistic expectations are unsustainable and have cost us the life of a young woman with so much potential.”

Many people condemned EY for its “toxic work culture” and shared their experiences on Twitter and LinkedIn. One user claimed that he had to work 20 hours a day at a top consulting firm without overtime pay.

“The work culture in India is terrible. The pay is miserable, the exploitation is maximum [maximum]. There are no consequences and no remorse from employers who routinely harass workers,” another user wroteadding that managers are often praised for overworking and underpaying their employees.

A former EY employee criticized the work culture in the company and claimed that employees were often “mocked” if they finished work on time and “shamed” if they enjoyed their weekend.

“Interns [are] Given the incredible workload, unrealistic schedules and [are] be humiliated during exams as it shapes their character for the future,” he wrote.

Rajiv Memani, EY’s India head, has since stated that the company attaches “utmost importance” to the well-being of its employees. “I would like to reiterate that the well-being of our employees is my top priority and I will personally commit myself to this goal,” he said. wrote in a post on LinkedIn.

Perayil’s death is not the first incident to bring India’s work culture into focus. In October last year, Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy was criticised for suggesting that young Indians should work 70 hours a week to boost the country’s economic growth.

His views were supported by Ola’s India chief Bhavesh Aggarwal, who said he did not believe in the concept of work-life balance because “If you enjoy your work, you will be happy in life and in your career, and both will be in harmony.”

In 2022, Shantanu Deshpande, founder of Bombay Shaving Company, called on the young people to stop “Complaining” about working hours and suggested that new employees in any job should be prepared to work 18 hours a day for the first four to five years of their career.

But mental health experts and labor rights activists say such demands are unfair and put enormous pressure on workers. In her letter, Perayil’s mother claimed her daughter began suffering from “anxiety and insomnia” shortly after joining EY.

India is known for having one of the most overworked workforces in the world. A current report According to a study by the International Labour Organization, half of India’s working population works more than 49 hours a week. This makes India the country with the second longest working hours after Bhutan.

Labour economist Shyam Sunder said the work culture in India changed after the 1990s with the rise of the service sector, which led companies to bypass labour laws to meet round-the-clock demand.

He added that this culture has now been “institutionalized” by companies, but is also accepted by employees. “Even in business schools, students are tacitly told that it is normal and even desirable to work long hours to earn a high salary,” he said.

In his view, a real change in corporate culture requires a “change in mindset”. Companies and employees should approach work with a more mature attitude and see it as important, but not the only part and meaning of life.

“Until then, any other steps companies take, such as granting periodic leave or working with mental health firms, will remain complementary at best and symbolic at worst,” he said.

Chandrasekhar Sripada, a professor at the Indian School of Business, agrees with this view. He said toxic work culture is a “complex problem involving many stakeholders” and that everyone, from industry leaders to managers to employees and even society, needs to change their mindset about productivity for real change to occur.

“We still confuse hard work with productive work,” Sripada said. “The point of technology is to reduce human labor, so why are working hours getting longer and longer?”

“We need to start focusing on sustainable growth, not only from an environmental perspective but also from a workers’ rights perspective,” he added.

“The Scandinavian countries have already created much gentler working environments. So there are role models that India can follow. All it takes is willpower.”