The recent death of an Ernst & Young (EY) employee, Anna Sebastian Perayil, 26 due to extreme and grueling work pressure has once again stirred the hornet’s nest on the toxic and taxing work culture in different organizations and companies. Anna was working as a chartered accountant with S R Batliboi, which is a member firm of EY Global in Pune, Maharastra. According to different news reports, the National Human Rights Commission has asked organizations to review their work culture so as to ensure alignment with global human rights standards.
While the unfortunate demise of Anna is an example of extreme and toxic work place culture where no values are given to individuals and their lives while there tends to be glorification of over-work and achievement of targets at any cost, a very large number of individuals express deep concern at the lack of initiatives to improve work place cultures.
According to Sayantani Roy, Assistant Director, Rajendra Prasad Institute of Communication and Management, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, many of her students who are placed in different companies complain of poor working environment where there is not only poor value given to individual’s dignity, but the thrust is on over-work and even unethical practices. “Has our workplaces lost their humanity?” she quips and talks about the existential dilemma of many young people, “You quit one job because of toxic work environment, but there is a possibility that you may land in a worse place!”
Roy explains the unfortunate case of Anna or others who may end up becoming mental wreck due to toxic work cultures is not due to organizations themselves but the individuals or small groups within them. Such individuals, according to her start acting as if they own everything and everyone in the organization, even daring to freely manipulating others according to their whims and fancies. They promote bitter and bad politics so that their stranglehold remains and continue their own and their inner circles elevation, she points out.
While arguing on the need to promote a more compassionate and balanced work culture in organizations, Prof K V Nagaraj, former pro-vice chancellor of Assam Central University, underlines that it is all about encouraging deeper human connections and not superficial engagements in organizations. He argues that all the humbug about 14-hour work culture with enhanced productivity is totally gibberish; in reality the human body cannot take such long hours of pain and work load. In fact, it declines productivity and innovativeness, he stresses pointing out that human brain will not be able to register properly the work beyond 8-9 hours.
“This is why increasingly we find young people developing heart problems, other lifestyle diseases like diabetes, sleeping disorders, depression, etc.” Prof Nagaraj points out, “Mental ailments is becoming a major life threatening issue in contemporary times due to pathetic work conditions where individuals are not treated as human beings.” For him the mantra to get over with such grim work place condition should be to give mental and physical health greater priority than work. It should not only be an employees’ priority but also be ingrained in the DNA of organizations, otherwise we will keep having unfortunate incidents like that of Anna, he underlines.
Also both at the individual and organizational level, there should be introduction to mindfulness practices along with other avenues to de-stress. Prof Nagaraj also advocates on the need to use the strategies and tools of nonviolent communication in organizational communication ecosystems so that it helps in the evolution of a harmonious work environment. Ensuring psychological and physical safety of employees has to be the top priority of employees, he stresses.
“We have to reclaim the spirit of humanism and human values in our institutions and companies,” this was Prof Nagaraj’s singular call to organizations across the country.
Meanwhile Rajaram (name changed on request) who works in an organization where he says is now bereft of human values, sharing his own experience laments at the fact that overworking is often glorified as ambition or dedication, while employees who prioritize mental and physical health are seen as lacking commitment.
“This dehumanizing approach turns employees into mere assets, forcing them to deliver results at the expense of their health and well-being. Such a system, where profits are valued more than people, pushes individuals to the brink, creating a workforce that is unhealthy and unsustainable,” Rajaram contends.
Unfortunate incidents like Anna’s death is a warning signal that it’s time for organizations to recognize that their true assets are their people, not their profits. Rajaram elaborates on what needs to be done, “Workplaces must prioritize mental health, encourage open conversations about stress, and foster compassionate leadership. The tragic loss of these young professionals serves as a wake-up call. We must stop glorifying overwork and start advocating for a healthier, more humane approach to success—because no job is worth dying for. “
