After EY employee's death, techie reveals his wife quit earlier over 18-hour workdays: 'MNCs wouldn't dare do this outside India'

Amid widespread outrage following the tragic death of a 26-year-old EY employee on her first job, a seasoned software engineer has stepped forward to highlight the toxic work culture plaguing many companies in India. Citing the relentless expectation of 18-hour workdays, he revealed that his own wife had to quit her job due to the extreme demands placed on her. In a damning statement, he condemned the perception of Indian workers, saying, "Indians are being seen as donkeys to offload work to and India is seen as a huge factory willing to operate 24x7x365."

Aakash Venkatasubramanian took to LinkedIn to voice his frustration, stating, "My wife quit EY just because of the toxic work culture and if she had not quit, I don't know what would have happened to her."

He revealed that 18-hour workdays have become normalised, glorified, and outright expected in many major MNCs across India.

Venkatasubramanian didn't hold back in criticising the harsh work conditions, accusing the Indian government of neglecting its duty.

"The government does not help taxpayers when they are laid off, but would happily collect the taxes from us when they aren't even giving us the basic necessities," he wrote.

He further called out the lack of support for taxpayers, especially during layoffs, saying, "Dear Government, let this be the last death. I hope atleast after this incident, the corporate workers would get some benefit from the government with a new law or a job seeking cushion in the event of layoff."

His call for reform strikes a powerful chord, demanding accountability for the well-being of India's overworked employees.

What happened to the EY employee?

The tragic story of 26-year-old EY employee Anna Sebastian Perayil was shared by her mother, Anita Augustine, who penned a heartfelt letter to the EY India Chairman after her daughter's untimely passing.?

In her letter, Anita recounted how Anna was initially thrilled to join EY—her very first job—but just four months later, she was gone.

Anita highlighted the overwhelming workload, relentless pressure from managers, and the broader systemic issues that contributed to her daughter's tragic fate, underscoring the urgent need for change within the corporate culture.

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