Days after the death of Ernst & Young (EY) employee Anna Sebastian Perayil, allegedly due to “overwork”, an old video of BharatPe co-founder Ashneer Grover talking about toxic work cultures has resurfaced on social media. In the video, the former Shark Tank India judge shared his decision to quit EY within a day, despite receiving a Rs 1 crore package.

The clip shows Ashneer Grover explaining how he exited EY on his very first day. “I walked into the office, looked around and pretended to have chest pain to get out,” Mr Grover said. He justified his actions by describing the office atmosphere as lifeless, referring to the employees as “mare huwe” (dead) and “laash” (corpses).”

However, he also put forward a controversial view that the best offices are those deemed “toxic” because that’s where, according to him, work gets done. “If anyone is saying an office has a toxic culture, then that one is the best,” Ashneer Grover said.

The video was shared by billionaire industrialist Harsh Goenka, who slammed Ashneer Grover for what he described as promoting a “toxic work environment”. “It’s baffling to see anyone advocate for a toxic environment,” Mr Goenka wrote on X, adding the hashtag #AnnaPerayil.

It’s baffling to see anyone advocate for a toxic environment. #AnnaPerayil
Your views? pic.twitter.com/QhPnCeKhxq

— Harsh Goenka (@hvgoenka) September 19, 2024

Anna Sebastian, a 26-year-old chartered accountant who joined EY’s Pune office four months ago, died in July, reportedly after enduring extreme work pressures. Anna’s mother, in a letter, claimed her daughter died due to “overwork” and accused the company of neglecting the well-being of employees.

The grieving mother also said that no one from EY attended the funeral and urged the company to reassess its work culture to prevent such tragedies in the future. “I hope my letter will bring real change so that no other family has to suffer what we have,” she wrote.

In a statement, EY India Chairman Rajiv Memani addressed the 26-year-old’s death and promised that he “will not rest” until the company creates a truly harmonious workplace. “I am absolutely committed to nurturing a harmonious workplace, and I will not rest until that objective is accomplished,” he wrote on LinkedIn. He also expressed regret that no one from EY attended Anna’s funeral, calling it “completely alien to our culture.”

Cochin:

Anna Sebastian Perayil – the 26-year-old Ernst and Young employee who died of “work-related stress” – was “getting hardly any sleep and was unable to eat proper food”, her father, Sibi Joseph, was quoted by news agency IANS. Mr Joseph said his wife and he had advised Ms Perayil to quit, but “she said she would continue to work… as this is a reputed firm”.

Mr Joseph said his daughter – engaged in an audit of Bajaj Auto – would work till well past midnight each day and “used to get back to her paying (guest) accommodation by 1.30 am”.

“She used to complain about this often… it reached a point we told her to quit, but she said she would continue to work. In July we took her to a cardiologist and, after a check-up, he said she was healthy but lacked proper sleep and proper food,” Mr Joseph told IANS.

He said the letter his wife wrote to EY India Chairman Rajiv Memani was meant to ensure that even though their daughter had died, “such a thing should not happen to any other person”.

“We are not going to take legal steps against the company,” he added.

Mr Memani has denied any suggestion that “work pressure” led to Anna Perayil’s death, pointing out EY has around 100,000 employees across the country. “There is no doubt each one has to work hard (but) we don’t believe work pressure could have claimed her life,” he said.

READ | After Mother Says Daughter Died Of “Overwork”, EY India Responds

In a statement issued Thursday the India office of EY, one of the Big 4 consulting firms, expressed sorrow over Ms Perayil’s death and offered “deepest condolences to the bereaved family”.

The company – now under government scrutiny over a possible “unsafe and exploitative work environment” – also said it would find ways to improve and provide a healthy workplace.

READ | Centre Probes EY Employee’s Death As Mother Blames ‘Overwork’

Minister of State for Labour Shobha Karandlaje said the government was “deeply saddened by the tragic loss”, and that a “thorough investigation” is underway into the circumstances of her death.

Ms Perayil’s death made headlines after her mother’s letter to Mr Memani.

The long and gut-wrenching letter urged EY India to rethink a work environment that “seems to glorify overwork while neglecting the very human beings behind the role”, and led to anger and furious debate online and in the media, over the need for a healthy work-life balance.

READ | Daughter Died Of Overwork At EY, No One Came To Funeral: Mother

“She was full of life, dreams, and excitement for the future. EY was her first job, and she was thrilled to be part of such a prestigious company. But four months later, on July 20th, 2024, my world collapsed when I received the devastating news that Anna had passed away. She was just 26 years old,” her mother, Anita Augustine, wrote.

The grieving mother also pointed out nobody from EY had attended Ms Perayil’s funeral, and that when she tried reaching out to the company at a later date she got reply.

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