'You have the power to say NO': Grant Thornton Bharat CEO reminds employees in wake of Anna Sebastian Perayil's Death

Employees being asked to work extra hours and on their weekends to meet deadlines and complete 'urgent tasks' that have come up has become a normal practice in the cut-throat corporate world. Those refusing to do so are branded disloyal to the company and are often sidelined when it comes to promotions. In the worst-case scenario, such employees are also 'punished' to set an example for others to 'not cross the line'.??

CREDIT: Pexels

Glorification of overtime work

Influential CEOs and entrepreneurs have also told us that employees should work long hours if they want to succeed and that work-life balance is a foreign concept. While we have all been brainwashed into accepting this as the reality of corporate jobs, the tragic death of Anna Sebastian Perayil, a 26-year-old EY employee, has acted as a wake-up call for many.??

Also read: From Narayana Murthy to Bhavish Aggarwal: Indian entrepreneurs who believe employees don't deserve work-life balance

Grant Thornton Bharat CEO's letter to employees??

As the debate over work-life balance continues, a letter from Grant Thornton Bharat CEO Vishesh C. Chandiok has surfaced on social media.??

CREDIT: X/Vishesh Chandiok

Also read:?Anna Sebastian Perayil death: Shashi Tharoor bats for eight-hour, five-day work week, promises legislation

Commenting on the death of Anna and the letter her mother wrote to EY India Chairperson Rajiv Memani, Chandiok reminded his colleagues that they had the right to say no if they felt so.??

"I am once again reminding you all that:??

1. You have the power to say No to any unreasonable ask of your personal time post work, weekends, or holidays.??

2. If you are requested to stretch otherwise, it is at your sole discretion and with suitable alternate time off.??

3. And in any case, 2. should be an exception and not the norm," the email stated.??

GT CEO's message on Anna Sebastian incident
byu/Namaste-Ninja inCharteredAccountants

'Feel free to reach out'

In the email, Chandiok also encouraged employees to reach out to their managers, HR, or to him directly when they "feel a suitable stretch can negatively impact you and have the psychological safety to voice your concerns."

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