EY Workload Kills Young CA: Culture Under Fire
Anna, a bright and determined individual who passed her CA exams in November 2023, joined EY Pune in March 2024 as an Executive. Like many young professionals entering their first corporate job, she was full of hope, excitement, and ambition. However, the workload, long hours, and intense pressure quickly took a toll on her physical and mental well-being.
“She was always a fighter,” Anita wrote, recalling her daughter’s academic excellence. “She was a school and college topper, excelled in extracurricular activities, and passed her CA exams with distinction. She worked tirelessly at EY, giving her all to meet the demands placed on her.”
But despite Anna’s dedication, the burden of the job became overwhelming. In the letter, Anita describes how Anna began experiencing anxiety, sleeplessness, and stress soon after joining EY. Even when her health started to decline—Anna complained of chest constriction and visited a doctor in early July—she felt compelled to continue working. The family, who had traveled to Pune for her Chartered Accountancy convocation, witnessed firsthand the extent of her exhaustion. “Even during those two days, which were the last we would spend with our child, she couldn’t enjoy them because of the work pressure,” Anita wrote.
One particularly troubling aspect of the letter was the revelation that Anna was repeatedly assigned extra tasks beyond her formal workload, often without notice. Her managers, according to Anita, added to her stress by rescheduling meetings at odd hours, and one senior even joked that Anna would have a tough time working under her team leader. “My child didn’t realize she would pay for that with her life,” Anita lamented.
The letter also highlights the systemic issues that extend beyond individual managers or teams. It reveals a culture where overwork is normalized, and the well-being of employees is often neglected. “Burdening newcomers with such backbreaking work, making them work day and night, even on Sundays, has no justification whatsoever,” wrote Anita. She expressed frustration that her daughter, new to the city, the organization, and the language, was left to navigate the overwhelming demands of the job with little support. Despite her family’s repeated pleas for her to prioritize her health, Anna continued to push herself, driven by a desire to prove her worth in her new role.
Anita’s letter also criticizes the response from EY following Anna’s death. No one from the company attended her funeral, and despite reaching out to her managers, the family received no reply. “My heart aches not just for the loss of my child but also for the lack of empathy shown by those who were supposed to guide and support her,” Anita wrote.
In addition to sharing her grief, the letter serves as a plea for EY to reassess its internal culture and practices. “Anna’s death should serve as a wake-up call for EY,” Anita urged. She called on the firm to create an environment where employees feel supported and are able to maintain a healthy balance between work and personal well-being. “This means creating an environment where employees feel safe to speak up, where they are supported in managing their workload, and where their mental and physical well-being is not sacrificed for the sake of productivity,” the letter read.
The letter has reignited broader discussions on the pressures faced by young professionals, particularly in high-stress industries such as accounting and finance. Many online commentators have drawn parallels between Anna’s experience and similar reports of overwork and burnout at large firms.
Anna’s tragic story, as told by her grieving mother, serves as a poignant reminder of the human cost of unsustainable workplace expectations. Anita’s hope is that sharing Anna’s experience will lead to meaningful reforms, not just at EY but across corporate India, to ensure no other family endures the same heartbreak.