Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi: BharatPe co-founder Ashneer Grover, known for his stint as a judge on Shark Tank India, has found himself at the center of a renewed debate on toxic work cultures after a video of him explaining why he quit Ernst & Young (EY) on his first day resurfaced on social media. This comes days after the tragic death of Anna Sebastian Perayil, an EY employee, who allegedly died due to overwork.
In the resurfaced clip, Grover recounts walking into EY’s office and pretending to have chest pain to leave on his first day, despite being offered a lucrative ₹1 crore package. He described the work atmosphere as lifeless, calling the employees “mare huwe” (dead) and “laash” (corpses). However, Grover controversially claimed that the best offices are often those labeled as “toxic,” because, in his view, that’s where work gets done.
It’s baffling to see anyone advocate for a toxic environment. #AnnaPerayil
Your views? pic.twitter.com/QhPnCeKhxq— Harsh Goenka (@hvgoenka) September 19, 2024
This perspective didn’t sit well with many, including billionaire industrialist Harsh Goenka, who criticized Grover for seemingly endorsing a toxic work environment. “It’s baffling to see anyone advocate for a toxic environment,” Goenka wrote on X, using the hashtag #AnnaPerayil to reference the EY employee’s death.
Anna Sebastian, a 26-year-old chartered accountant who joined EY’s Pune office just four months ago, tragically passed away in July, with her family alleging that excessive work pressure led to her death. Anna’s mother expressed her grief in a heartfelt letter, accusing the company of neglecting employee well-being. She also pointed out that no one from EY attended Anna’s funeral, calling for changes in the company’s work culture to prevent future tragedies.
In response, EY India Chairman Rajiv Memani issued a statement expressing his commitment to creating a “harmonious workplace.” He also expressed regret over the absence of EY representatives at Anna’s funeral, stating that it was “completely alien to our culture.”
