Death of EY Employee Sparks Debate Around Workplace Culture
Last week we heard the devastating news that Anna Sebastian Perayil, 26, died of a cardiac arrest four months into her role at EY.
Anna’s mother said “the workload, new environment, and long hours took a toll on her physically, emotionally, and mentally” and that despite warnings from Anna’s doctor, she continued to work “late into the night, even on weekends, with no opportunity to catch her breath”.
Many current and previous employees of the Big4 have now come forward to share their own experiences of long hours, workplace pressures and a lack of support from management around staff welfare.
Accountancy Hub’s view is that there needs to be more support for accountancy trainees; these are more vulnerable individuals who are often new to the corporate world. Having an EAP is not enough and only serves as a reactive measure rather than preventative and holistic support.
So what can firms do to prevent tragedies like this happening and improve trainee wellbeing?
Invest in preventative wellbeing and inclusion support, specifically for their trainees (Hello Accountancy Hub!)
Monitor the wellbeing of their trainees through regular surveys
Educate people managers around the pressures faced by trainees so they can support trainees effectively
Ensure leadership are committed to retaining their trainees (hopefully beyond their training contracts), supporting them to thrive and succeed in their examinations
And what can trainees do to prevent burnout?
Put boundaries in place to ensure you have enough time and energy to study in the evenings and weekends
Talk to your people manager if you are struggling. They should be able to adjust your workload
Contact Accountancy Hub. We can direct you to additional support - including coaching, mentoring or private tuition
Schedule relaxation time. Put it in your diary or even your study plan and make sure you are able to switch off from work and studying
Make small changes to your diet and lifestyle to improve your wellbeing. This could be buying more fruit and vegetables, then doing some batch cooking on a Sunday. It could be reducing the number of takeaways you have per week. It could be scheduling an additional hour at the gym per week.
