The EY India Case Shows This Clearly, Culture Crises Are Communications Crises

• 30 November 2025 |
• Romit Vincent Singh

The EY India Case Shows This Clearly, Culture Crises Are Communications Crises

In July 2024, the death of 26-year-old chartered accountant Anna Sebastian Perayil, who had joined EY’s Pune office just four months earlier, triggered a national conversation on toxic work culture in India. Her mother’s letter to EY’s leadership, describing long hours, relentless workload and its impact on Anna’s physical and mental health, went viral and sparked outrage on social media and in the press.

Chartered accountants’ bodies publicly demanded better work-life balance and questioned the culture of glorifying overwork at large firms. Reports highlighted that no one from the firm attended Anna’s funeral, further deepening public anger.

The point for corporate India is simple. This is not only about one firm. A similar tragedy can happen in any organisation that normalises burnout, silence and fear.

Toxic work culture is now a reputational risk

Across sectors, young professionals are increasingly vocal about anxiety, exhaustion and health problems linked to long working hours and extreme performance pressure. Studies and reports point to a wider pattern:

• Articles on India’s emerging “hustle culture” show how high pressure, short deadlines and lack of rest damage physical and mental health.
• Unions, academics and professionals have been discussing toxic culture and digital stress among young white-collar workers, including in finance, consulting and technology.
• Business media has documented how Gen Z employees are pushing back against cultures that treat them as endlessly available resources rather than human beings.

Globally too, culture reviews at large firms have found that many employees routinely work very long weeks, report health impacts and consider leaving because of workload.

What was once seen as “part of the job” is now clearly a reputational, regulatory and employer brand risk. The EY India episode became a flashpoint because it combined a human tragedy, a powerful family narrative and a broader frustration that many employees already felt.

What went wrong from a stakeholder and PR lens

Looking at the case as a communications and stakeholder management problem, three failures stand out.

1. Internal warning signals were not treated as a risk
   When employees show visible distress, talk about crushing hours or struggle to take basic rest, it is no longer just an HR matter. It is a risk signal that touches legal exposure, client delivery, team productivity and reputation.
2. The first public narrative did not belong to the company
   The story that shaped public opinion was the mother’s letter and social media reaction. Only later did corporate statements follow. In a hyper-connected environment, delay or generic condolence statements feel defensive, not compassionate.
3. Perception of a lack of empathy amplified the crisis
   The allegation that no one from the firm attended the funeral became a powerful symbol of perceived indifference. Regardless of the internal reasons, this created a narrative of a company that values work over people.

Once these perceptions set in, the issue jumped from one incident to a commentary on “Big 4 culture”, toxic workplaces and the failure of Indian corporates to protect young professionals.

How PR and communications partners can help companies before a crisis

Incidents like this are a reminder that public relations is not only about media coverage or positive stories. Good PR work is about helping organisations manage relationships with all stakeholders, especially employees, in a credible and transparent way.

Some concrete ways PR and communications partners can support:

1. Map stakeholders and pressure points

A structured stakeholder map highlights who is affected by work culture: employees, families, alumni, regulators, professional bodies, clients and investors. Communications advisors can help leadership identify where pressure is building, for example around long hours, weekend work or mental health, and recommend early messaging and policy changes.

2. Build an internal communication culture of safety

Employees should hear clear messages from leadership that:

• Health and safety are non-negotiable
• It is acceptable to speak up about unreasonable workloads
• Support systems such as counselling, helplines and flexible arrangements are available

PR teams can help design internal campaigns, FAQs, manager toolkits and listening mechanisms so employees feel heard, not punished, when they raise concerns.

3. Align public brand with internal reality

Many companies talk about “people first” values externally while employees experience the opposite internally. This gap becomes explosive during a crisis. A responsible communications partner will challenge leadership if the external narrative does not match internal practices, and push for genuine reforms instead of cosmetic campaigns.

4. Crisis readiness for workplace tragedies

No organisation wants to face a situation involving an employee’s death or severe harm. But every large employer should have a crisis playbook that covers such scenarios. This should include:

• Immediate outreach to the family and colleagues
• A named leadership spokesperson
• Clear, compassionate messaging that avoids blame, but accepts responsibility to investigate and improve
• Coordination with regulators and professional bodies
• Ongoing updates, not one-time statements

The way forward for corporate India

The EY India case has already inspired the Anna Sebastian Initiative, started by her family to support professionals facing workplace stress. It is a moving reminder that behind every “resource” is a human life, a family and a set of dreams

For companies, the lesson is clear. Toxic work culture is no longer a hidden cost of doing business. It is an ethical issue, a talent issue and a serious communications risk.

For PR professionals, it is an opportunity to play a deeper advisory role: not just polishing the brand, but helping shape policies, narratives and behaviours that make workplaces safer, more humane and more sustainable.

Because in the end, the most valuable reputation any organisation can have is this: people who work there, and their families, believe that the company will not sacrifice their health and dignity for a deadline.