New Delhi:

Swati Bose was ecstatic. After nailing a rigorous interview process, she landed a role in a digital marketing company. The first day was filled with smiles, introductions, and the promise of growth. But what began as a warm welcome quickly devolved into chaos – all it took was five days. Within five days, her optimism was replaced by toxicity at the workplace, tears, and ultimately, resignation. Her mental health took a nosedive, spiralling into depression.

Swati’s story, unfortunately, is far from unique. While she survived, some have suffered worse due to work-related stress.

Anna Sebastian Perayil, an Ernst & Young (EY) employee, allegedly died of stress four months after joining the company last year. Anna’s mother, Anita Augustine, wrote to Ernst & Young India Chairman Rajiv Memani and flagged a culture that “seems to glorify overwork while neglecting the very human being behind the role”.

Across industries, employees are battling toxic workplace environments that prioritise profits and performance over mental well-being. The recent remarks by SN Subrahmanyan, Chairman of L&T, have triggered debates about workplace culture and the cost of overworking. In a widely circulated video, Mr Subrahmanyan suggested that employees should work 90 hours per week, including weekends, to stay competitive.

‘Feed The Mule’ 

The notion of a 90-hour workweek, as suggested by Mr Subrahmanyan, harkens back to the coal-mining era when long hours spent inside a hole in the ground and covering both your face and lugs with coal dust were seen as a badge of honour.

“Even if it’s a four-day workweek or a seven-day workweek, 10-plus hours per day is not commendable at all. It is unhealthy, unsustainable, and ultimately counterproductive,” Niharika Rao, a 26-year-old techie, who quit her job at a global firm recently, told NDTV.

Mr Subrahmanyan is not the only industry giant who subscribes to that school of thought. Infosys boss Narayana Murthy, Tesla Chief Elon Musk, Ola CEO Bhavish Aggarwal and even Ratan Tata at one point or the other have advocated for longer working hours. 

“An average IT guy has a productive attention span of 2 hours out of the designated 8. Making him work 14 hours will reduce it to 1 hour. Making a mule carry a truckload of chickpeas won’t convert it into a horse; feeding it might have a chance,” said Tushar Mohanty, a 28-year-old senior data scientist in Bengaluru.

According to many surveys, an overwhelming number of Indian employees report experiencing workplace stress. A statistic from the Gallup Global Workplace Report 2024 reveals that 86 per cent of Indian employees feel either ‘struggling’ or ‘suffering’ in their roles. 
Data from the ADP Research Institute reveals about 76 per cent of Indian workers report that stress negatively impacts their work performance, while 49 cent cite detrimental effects on their mental health. Globally, 65 cent of employees echo similar sentiments about stress.

A similar study by the World Health Organisation (WHO) revealed that nearly one in four Indian employees suffer from work-related stress.

“There are countries that work fewer hours but achieve better results because their employees are well-rested. When employees are healthier, both cognitively and physically, their productivity increases. Corporates have no choice but to reshape their policies as younger generations demand better work-life balance,” said Shreya Kaul, a mental health counsellor, told NDTV.

Research consistently debunks the myth that longer hours lead to higher productivity. In fact, overwork often results in burnout, reduced efficiency, and a host of physical and mental health issues.

“Productivity comes from motivation and interest in the work, not from sheer hours spent. Each individual has unique drivers, and forcing long hours on them often strips away that zeal,” Ms Rao said.

“In every workplace I have been in, there has been some form of toxicity-whether sexism, favouritism, or other issues. It becomes a bigger problem when toxic behaviour comes from senior management,” she added.

Generational Divide 

Ms Rao recounted how certain senior leaders fostered an environment of fear and favouritism, making it difficult for employees to perform without anxiety. When asked if her former workplace provided adequate support for mental health challenges, she said: “No, not at all. Many companies might offer a monthly mental well-being day off, but it’s mostly performative. Genuine awareness and support for mental health are sorely lacking.”

“In client environments, stakeholders and senior leadership treat you as cattle fodder. Humans are dispensable resources for them – make them work on weekends, public holidays, extended hours but bill them for only 8. In the end, they keep all the profits. Verbal abuse in group meetings has become normalised,” Mr Mohanty said.

Ms Rao also shed light on age-based discrimination, a subtle but pervasive issue in many workplaces.

“It’s often passive-aggressive. Older colleagues sometimes make dismissive comments, like, ‘You don’t know enough because you haven’t been around as long as we have.’ They disregard my opinions and undervalue my contributions,” she explained.

The generational divide often becomes even more pronounced during interactions with senior colleagues. According to many young workers,  senior leaders’ resistance to new ideas often stifles innovation and collaboration.

“The age gap often plays a role. Colleagues who are closer to my age are more open to new ideas, but those 10-15 years older tend to be dismissive. It’s especially challenging when these individuals are in senior management roles,” Ms Rao said.

Millennials and Gen Z, who now form a major portion of the workforce, prioritise work-life balance and mental well-being over the traditional “hustle culture.”

“The older generations were taught that hard work equates to success,” Ms Kaul explained. “This cultural mindset glorifies overwork -‘jitna ghisengey utna better lagega logon ko’ (the more you grind, the better you’ll be perceived). But younger generations are challenging this narrative, advocating for balance and mental health.”

Ms Rao recounted a recent incident where her efforts to foster a healthy work-life balance for her team clashed with her senior manager’s expectations.

“My senior staff wanted me to adopt toxic behaviours towards my team, like micromanaging and overloading them with work. When I refused, I was threatened with replacement. I was even told my appraisal and promotion could be affected. Feedback is now a minefield I’d rather avoid,” she said.

Gen Z professionals often feel immense pressure to prove themselves. This often leads to overwork and, eventually, burnout. Organisations can address this by providing clearer growth paths, mental health support, and flexible work arrangements. Simple measures like team outings and informal interactions can also help younger employees decompress.

“Companies should regularly check in on employees, not just about work but about how we’re feeling mentally. Providing access to counselling services and creating a supportive environment where employees can openly discuss stress would help immensely,” Noopur Goyal, a 24-year-old Public Relations official.

Stress, Then Guilt

Managing stress in such a hostile environment is a tall task. Some face guilt for taking time off while some feel taking vacations or personal time off would send the wrong message to bosses who they think would perceive them as “unprofessional”.

“I have found solace in forming small support groups with colleagues who share similar struggles. We vent, share our experiences, and leave office trauma behind before heading home. It’s been incredibly therapeutic,” Ms Rao said. “It feels like a crime to ask for leave because there’s no one to take on my responsibilities. My team often bears the brunt of my absence, which only adds to my guilt.”

India is a country of over 1.4 billion. Unemployment coupled with a lack of opportunities means no one is indispensable. Resign and there are thousands if not lakhs to replace you in a second. 

“India, as a country and culture, has generally always been very end result-oriented. We tend to prioritise results over the process. This consequence-driven mindset often leads to many misassumptions,” explained Ms Kaul.

The lack of safety measures and inadequate handling of harassment complaints are often recurring themes in employees’ lives. 

“Every office has someone whose behaviour makes you feel like you’re on the verge of resigning or losing your job. It’s exhausting and deeply unsettling. My first company had some measures in place, but most others have been woefully inadequate,” Ms Rao said. 

Despite companies scheduling countless workplace sensitisation or Prevention of Sexual Harassment (POSH) training sessions, the question still remains: Are we doing enough? 

(Names of workers have been changed to protect their identities)

A young woman’s mother has written a gut-wrenching letter to the chairman of Ernst & Young India claiming that her daughter died of “overwork” just four months after joining the company and no one from the organisation even attended her funeral.  

In the letter, the mother also made a fervent plea to the brass at the company to rectify a work culture that “seems to glorify overwork while neglecting the very human beings behind the role” and said she hoped her daughter’s death would serve as a wake-up call. 

Issuing a statement, EY India said it was deeply saddened by the death of the employee and was taking the family’s correspondence with the “utmost seriousness and humility”.

Writing to Rajiv Memani, the chairman of EY India, Anita Augustine, the mother of Anna Sebastian Perayil, said her heart was heavy and her soul was shattered but the letter was necessary in the hope that no other family has to endure what hers went through. 

Ms Augustine wrote that Anna passed her chartered accountancy (CA) exams on November 23 last year and joined EY Pune on March 19. 

“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,” she wrote. 

Describing Anna as a fighter who excelled in academics, Ms Augustine said she topped in school and college, excelled in extracurricular activities and passed her CA exams with distinction. 

When she joined EY Pune, Anna was told that her specific team had seen many employees resign because of excessive workload and her manager herself had asked her to stick around to change that perception. 

“She worked tirelessly at EY, giving her all to meet the demands placed on her. However, the workload, new environment, and long hours took a toll on her physically, emotionally, and mentally. She began experiencing anxiety, sleeplessness, and stress soon after joining, but she kept pushing herself, believing that hard work and perseverance were the keys to success,” Ms Augustine recalled. 

Late For Her Own Convocation

Ms Augustine recounted that she and her husband went to Pune on July 6 to attend Anna’s CA convocation and her young daughter had been complaining of chest constriction after reaching her paying guest accommodation around 1 am for the week before that. They took her to a hospital in Pune and her echocardiogram (ECG) was normal, with a cardiologist telling the family that she was eating very late and not getting enough sleep. The fact that he prescribed antacids, she wrote, allayed their fears. 

“Though we had come all the way from Kochi, she insisted on going to work after seeing the doctor, saying there was a lot of work to be done and she wouldn’t get leave. That night, she returned to her PG late again. On Sunday, July 7th, the day of her convocation, she joined us in the morning, but she was working from home even that day until the afternoon, and we reached the convocation venue late,” she said. 

Ms Augustine pointed out that it was Anna’s dream to pay for her parents to attend the convocation and she had booked their flight tickets. 

“It breaks my heart to tell you that 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,” she said in the letter.

Working Nights, Sundays

Ms Augustine wrote that not only had Anna’s manager asked her to change the perception about her team, but a senior leader had also joked at an office party that she would have a tough time working under that particular colleague. 

She said that tasks were assigned verbally beyond official work and she would ask her daughter not to take them on, but the managers were relentless. 

“She worked late into the night, even on weekends, with no opportunity to catch her breath. Her assistant manager once called her at night with a task that needed to be completed by the next morning, leaving her with barely any time to rest or recover. When she voiced her concerns, she was met with the dismissive response, ‘You can work at night; that’s what we all do’,” she wrote. 

“Anna would return to her room utterly exhausted, sometimes collapsing on the bed without even changing her clothes, only to be bombarded with messages asking for more reports. She was putting in her best efforts, working very hard to meet the deadlines. She was a fighter to the core, not someone to give up easily. We told her to quit, but she wanted to learn and gain new exposure. However, the overwhelming pressure proved too much even for her,” Ms Augustine despair. 

The heartbroken mother said because Anna was just embarking on her career, she did not have “the experience or the agency” to draw boundaries or push back against unreasonable demands. In her efforts to prove herself, she said, Anna ended up pushing herself beyond her limits. 

“I wish I had been able to protect her, to tell her that her health and well-being mattered more than anything else. But it is too late for my Anna,” she wrote. 

Call For Change

Terming what happened to Anna a systemic issue, Ms Augustine appealed to Mr Memani to look into the organisation’s work culture. 

“Anna would never have blamed her managers. She was too kind for that. But I cannot remain silent. Burdening newcomers with such backbreaking work, making them work day and night, even on Sundays, has no justification whatsoever… You should show some consideration to new employees. Instead, the management took full advantage of the fact that she was new and overwhelmed her with both assigned and unassigned work,” the mother wrote. 

“Anna’s experience sheds light on a work culture that seems to glorify overwork while neglecting the very human beings behind the roles. This is not just about my daughter, it’s about every young professional who joins EY filled with hopes and dreams, only to be crushed under the weight of unrealistic expectations… Anna’s death should serve as a wake-up call for EY. It is time to reflect on the work culture within your organisation and take meaningful steps to prioritize the health and wellness of your employees,” she said, adding that an environment should be created where employees feel safe to speak up, get support to manage their workload and “where their mental and physical well-being is not sacrificed for the sake of productivity”.

Ms Augustine said no one from EY attended Anna’s funeral, which the family found deeply hurtful. Emphasising that this points to a lack of empathy, she said she reached out to Anna’s managers after the funeral, but got no reply. 

“I don’t know if anyone can truly understand a mother’s emotions when she lays to rest her child – the child she held in her arms, watched grow, play, cry, and shared dreams with – unless they have experienced the same pain. I hope my child’s experience leads to real change so that no other family has to endure the grief and trauma we are going through. My Anna is no longer with us, but her story can still make a difference,” she signed off. 

EY Statement

In a statement, EY India called Anna’s death an irreparable loss. 

“We are deeply saddened by Anna Sebastian’s tragic and untimely passing in July 2024, and our deepest condolences go to the bereaved family. Anna was a part of the Audit team at S R Batliboi, a member firm of EY Global, in Pune for a brief period of four months, joining the firm on 18 March 2024. That her promising career was cut short in this tragic manner is an irreparable loss for all of us. While no measure can compensate for the loss experienced by the family, we have provided all the assistance as we always do in such times of distress and will continue to do so,” the statement said. 

“We are taking the family’s correspondence with the utmost seriousness and humility. We place the highest importance on the well-being of all employees and will continue to find ways to improve and provide a healthy workplace for our 1,00,000 people across EY member firms in India,” the company added.