"Senior managers were known to terrorise junior staff"
In India, concerns have been raised over the toxic work culture, especially in the corporate sector.
The working week for the average Indian now totals almost 47 hours.
Almost 90% of India’s employees are in the informal sector, which is largely unregulated and exploitative.
However, concerns have started to be raised about the working conditions of those in the corporate sector.
In July 2024, Anna Sebastian Perayil, a 26-year-old chartered accountant at the India offices of corporate accounting giant Ernst and Young, died four months after joining.
In a letter written in the aftermath, her mother said the “overwhelming” high-pressure work environment had taken a heavy toll on Perayil and eventually led to her death.
The letter read: “She worked late into the night, even on weekends, with no opportunity to catch her breath.
“The relentless demands and the pressure to meet unrealistic expectations are not sustainable, and they cost us the life of a young woman with so much potential.”
She also said no one from the company had attended her daughter’s funeral.
An Ernst and Young employee said the alleged toxic culture was standard practice and came from the top.
He said it was normal to work 12-hour days and on the weekends.
The worker said staff were regularly belittled, with employees viewed as resources rather than human beings.
He said: “There is an extreme hierarchy.
“Senior managers were known to terrorise junior staff to keep everyone on their toes constantly.
“They would shout and throw files around and people would often be reduced to tears.”
One issue was how competitive roles at corporate companies were in India.
More young Indians are graduating from universities but the number of positions in the corporate sector has not risen.
Typically, there are tens of thousands of applicants for a single position.
The employee said: “There’s no incentives for big corporates to change their practices because executives know that if one person won’t do it or quits, there are thousands of other people who will take their place.
“The sole focus is productivity and long hours, with no thought for the wellbeing of employees. It’s hard to see that changing anytime soon.”
After Anna’s death, Ernst and Young’s India head, Rajiv Memani, released a statement stating that the allegations of high pressure were “completely alien to our culture” and said he attached “the highest importance to the wellbeing of our people”.
Excessive demands were not at the forefront of big accounting firms in India.
Infosys founder NR Narayana Murthy caused controversy in November 2023 when he suggested that Indians should be prepared to work 70-hour weeks to ensure the country’s growth.
Ravneet previously worked at an IT company.
He said the environment was toxic where employees were not allowed to socialise in the workplace, they had all their breaks closely monitored and had their pay arbitrarily docked.
He said: “Everything we did was so heavily policed.
“They knew they could exploit people because everyone is desperate and wait years to get these kinds of jobs.”
“They can’t afford to lose them, so they don’t complain even when we know when we are being exploited or labour laws are being broken.”
Ravneet said the job took a toll on his mental health before he was fired one day without any reason.
This was an issue in other sectors in India.
Sara, who has worked in corporate events for over a decade, said it was the norm to work 16-hour days and be given tasks at 11 pm on Sunday night and told to have them done by first thing Monday morning.
She said: “These companies actually encourage gruesome office politics because they think it’s good for business to have employees feeling uncertain and threatened in their jobs, so they will work harder.”
To free herself from the toxic work culture, she went freelance.
Sara added: “You barely have time to eat or sleep properly and in the end, you lose sight of yourself completely.
“Of course, it takes a huge toll – but no one seems to care.”
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