The Human Cost of Corporate Success

In an era defined by hustle, the relentless grind has become an expectation, rather than an exception. From students pulling all-nighters to meet academic deadlines to young professionals diving headfirst into the workforce, a culture that glorifies overworking can be seen in place. 

However, a darker truth lies behind the veneer of ambition– one that is quietly claiming the well-being of countless individuals.

The toll of excessive workload goes beyond just fatigue. 

With stress levels peaking, more and more employees find themselves battling not just deadlines, but their own breaking points.

For many, what starts as a dream job transforms into long hours, emotional exhaustion, and deteriorating health. Today’s workforce is composed of people who aren’t just perseverent, but who are silently grappling with burnout. 

Because, well, juggling productivity with helplessness doesn’t come easily. 

And over time the weight becomes unbearable.

Tragedies emerge. 

The public starts talking about the situation.

But then again, life goes on.

And the questions die down.

Let’s not let this particular story fade into the noise of our busy lives. 

The story of 26-year-old Anna Sebastian Perayil, a young chartered accountant at S R Batliboi, an Ernst & Young (EY) member firm, is not just an isolated incident. It’s a reflection of the reality of so many. 

Her struggle should compel us to keep the conversation alive, to demand better, and to ensure that these battles are no longer fought in vain. 

Four months into the job, Perayil died, from what her father described to The News Minute, as a combination of “multiple issues including acid reflux, work stress, work pressure”.

As per a letter that her mother, Anita Augustine wrote to EY India, Anna began her work period at EY Pune in March 2024. She went on to describe how a few weeks into July, she took Perayil to see a doctor after she said she had been experiencing  “chest constrictions” for about a week. The doctor prescribed antacids and pointed out that Perayil “wasn’t getting enough sleep and was eating very late”.

Despite this, Ms Augustine wrote, Perayil continued to work overtime, with no opportunity to catch her breath. In addition, Perayil struggled with poor management at her workplace. Her manager allegedly would regularly reschedule meetings “during cricket matches and assign her work at the end of the day”.

“Anna’s death should serve as a wake-up call for EY. After her funeral, I reached out to her managers, but I received no reply,” she wrote. How can a company that speaks of values and human rights fail to show up for one of its own in their final moments?

When it comes to the company’s standpoint on the situation, EY said that “work pressure” was not the reason for Perayil’s death.

“We have around one lakh employees. There is no doubt each one has to work hard. Anna worked with us only for four months. She was allotted work like any other employee,” Rajiv Memani, EY India chief, told the Indian Express “We don’t believe that work pressure could have claimed her life.”

Yet, Anna’s death forces us to confront a staggering reality. The normalization of high-pressure environments and the expectation that everyone can, and should, handle it.

Her story is a reminder that beneath the glossy façade of corporate success lies a human cost, far too high to ignore.

The pursuit of professional excellence should not come at the expense of health, well-being, or life itself.