In the wake of the recent death of an Ernst & Young (EY) India employee in Pune, allegedly due to excessive work-related stress, another similar incident has emerged. This time, a female employee of HDFC Bank in Lucknow, Sadaf Fatima, reportedly died from work pressure. Fatima, who served as the additional deputy vice-president at HDFC Bank’s Vibuti Khand branch in Gomti Nagar, collapsed at her desk. Despite being rushed to a nearby hospital, she was declared dead on arrival, and her body was subsequently sent for a postmortem examination.
The tragic incident has drawn reactions, including from Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav, who underscored the growing burden of stress in both private and government sectors. He pointed out that employees are working under “compulsion,” likening their condition to that of bonded laborers, without the freedom to voice their concerns. Yadav also emphasized that the government’s role should be to address these issues rather than offering "empty suggestions."
Yadav criticized Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, who had recently advised young professionals facing work stress to practice stress management techniques. He remarked that, instead of improving working conditions, the minister's comments only added to the distress of workers. “If the government cannot provide solutions or improvements, it should refrain from making insensitive remarks that only increase public frustration,” he stated.
In a similar case, Anna Sebastian Perayil, an EY India employee in Pune, also lost her life, with her family alleging overwork as the cause. Anna, who had passed her CA exams in 2023, joined EY India four months prior as part of the Audit team at S R Batliboi, a member firm of EY Global. Her mother wrote an emotional letter claiming her daughter’s life was cut short by the "glorification of overwork." The letter detailed how Anna often worked late into the night, including weekends, returning to her PG accommodation completely drained. As a newcomer, she faced a heavy workload, and no one from the company reportedly attended her funeral.