The death of 26-year-old Chartered Accountant (CA) Anna Sebastian Perayil is a reality check on the alleged toxic work culture in the Big 4.
Like every other CA, Anna was dreaming of working in the Big 4 and she landed in Ernst and Young (EY) India four months back this year, 2024.
For the CAs, joining and working for the Big 4, the four largest accounting firms in the world, namely, Deloitte, Ernst & Young (EY), Klynveld Peat Marwick Goerdeler (KPMG), and PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), is a dream come true. But Anna's incident raised eyebrows on the work culture, work-life balance, and the workload prevalent in these renowned companies.
While Anna's mother's letter revealed how her daughter suffered due to the immense workload, concrete details of her death are still unknown.
Speaking to EdexLive, an EY employee from Gujarat, on condition of anonymity, alleged that Anna collapsed in a client meeting, hinting at the literal lack of space for her to breathe due to her workload.
When EdexLive tried to speak to CAs working at various Big 4s, we received mixed responses about the work culture. While a few said it is not the company altogether, it is the mindset of the managers, others exposed the deep-seated toxic work culture.
Managers are the game changers
A CA at EY GDS (Global Delivery Services), Hyderabad, on condition of anonymity said, "It has less to do with culture and more to do with the mindset of a select few."
Justifying this further, she said, "The way supervisors treat their junior employees is the true issue. They refuse to take juniors' circumstances into account. They act as though they are thinking things through, but they are not. They obliquely criticise juniors' work and say that their annual feedback and reviews may reflect this."
"This confusion concerning the mocking, whether one should consider it as an indirect hint about the work or a pun-intended statement, is how stress and pressure start to build. Confused, the employees overthink and undergo pressure to work hard resulting in such disheartening news," the CA said, referring to Anna's death.
"My time at EY has been adequate and satisfying thus far. It is incorrect to claim that the entire company is toxic. The other Big 4, along with EY, strive to retain a positive work-life balance and culture," she further shared.
In contrast, the EY Gujarat employee said, "I joined EY 2.5 years ago, and immediately COVID hit the world. There was so much strain on me in the first week of my employment that I worked till three in the morning. As I was a new hire and it was the height of the work season, I had to deal with the reality that work always needed to get done."
Bringing insights from her experiences, the CA opined that neither are all managers toxic nor are they all good. "A small percentage of EY managers show consideration for their subordinates, while the majority of CAs, particularly those in the audit team, have at least once stayed late at work, even till three in the morning. Everyone has excessive amount of work."
EY's work policy
Discussing details of the work policy at the EY, Hyderabad's CA said, "We go on an outing minimum once a month. The company celebrates all festivals, no matter how big or small, with events such as games. Most importantly, we have monthly therapy meetings with senior executives to discuss any issues, and during our one-on-one discussions, we can talk freely about the issues we are facing."
The EY employee from Gujarat said, "EY India doesn't have the policy of compensatory off. If we work on weekends, it cannot be compensated later."
"These health problems, which often afflict people around the age of 35, are symptoms that affect people as young as 24 as well. Several have moved out of EY as a result of these problems," the CA claims.
Further, commenting on the workload in Big 4, the CA from Hyderabad claims that workload goes up during year-end or during the times of account closure to finish the audit. This happens between February and April. If we struggle a little, it is manageable."
Reactions from Big 4 CAs
A CA working at Deloitte, Hyderabad, on condition of anonymity told EdexLive, "There were years when I worked hard and pushed myself to meet the high level of expectations of my seniors, which led me to work for more than 15 hours for a month, even on weekends. There were years when it wasn't so bad and work was manageable."
Further, the CA alleged that even though the organisations boast about supporting well-being, this doesn't work on the ground. "In reality, the work pressure, deadlines, and toxic managers make it very hard for us to have a work-life balance. There's barely any work-life balance," the CA added.
Further, the CA told EdexLive that she has colleagues who work 70-80 hours a week during the "busy season" for two to three months, going beyond ordinary limits. "Due to the stress and pressure to do well, a friend of mine is currently experiencing anxiety, continual weariness, and restless nights. No one can tolerate subpar performance due to the fear of being laid off. Due to the lack of work-life balance, several of my former coworkers quit the company," the CA claims.
According to the reactions pouring in from a group of CAs about the toxic work culture at Big 4, here's what CAs have to say:
An employee at Deloitte alleges that "One of my managers had sent me a big to-do list, the day after I got a left arm fracture. And got pissed at me for visiting the doctor."
"I remember a friend being told to complete his sleep in the cab during travel time," said a CA working at KPMG.
CA's suggestions
The employee from EY in Gujarat hinted that employees who leave EY are allegedly congratulated for coming out of such a toxic culture. Suggesting the measures for the efficiency at work at the Big 4, the CA said:
1. Taking junior employees' feedback on their leaders, which affects salary bonuses and hikes
2. Compensatory off policy for every hour of overwork put in by employees
3. Labour law policy in India with strict law
4. Notice period of maximum one-month for employees and three months for the company
