EY employee's death highlights job stress: 1 in 3 Asians face burnout

The tragic death of an EY employee has sparked social media discussions about the importance of work-life balance and burnout, which, according to a McKinsey report, is a greater concern for Asians

The death of a 26-year-old employee working at Ernst & Young Global Limited (EY), one of the big four accounting firms, has brought renewed attention to the importance of work-life balance and the mental health of the working population.

The news about the Indian employee, who, according to her mother, died recently due to “overwork” just four months after joining EY, has sent shockwaves through the corporate world. Many people have taken to social media to express their shock and share personal experiences of how intense work pressure has affected their well-being.

A LinkedIn user, identified as Aakash Venkatasubramanian, shared that his wife also quit EY after facing a similar situation, alleging that 18-hour workdays are often glorified and normalised at many big companies in India. His post, which has garnered over 30,000 likes and hundreds of reshares, also suggested that Indian employees are more vulnerable to this crisis due to the absence of strong labour protection laws. “Indians are being seen as donkeys to offload work to, and India is seen as a huge factory willing to operate 24 hours a day, all year,” it read.

‘One in three Asian employees facing burnout’

The claim that Indian employees suffer disproportionately from work stress may not be unfounded. According to a 2022 report by consulting firm McKinsey, work stress in Asian countries is higher compared to other regions. “While one in four employees worldwide is experiencing symptoms of burnout, that figure is even higher for Asia—nearing one in three,” the report titled ‘Employee mental health and burnout in Asia: A time to act’ states.

For the survey, the McKinsey Health Institute surveyed employees from India, Japan, Australia, and China to gain insights into Asian corporate work environments. It found that female employees and frontline workers in the region reported higher levels of burnout, symptoms of depression, and distress than their global counterparts. Burnout is defined as a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by prolonged stress.

‘Toxic workplace behaviour leading cause of burnout’

According to the report, ‘toxic workplace behaviour’ emerged as the leading factor in predicting burnout symptoms and intent to leave, accounting for over 60 per cent of the contributing factors. It also stated that mental health-related absenteeism costs Australian businesses around $13.6 billion annually.

12 billion working days lost annually: WHO

A report published by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in September stated that poor working environments pose significant risks to mental health. The global health body estimated that 15 per cent of working-age adults had a mental disorder in 2019. The WHO report also revealed that depression and anxiety result in the loss of 12 billion working days annually, leading to $1 trillion in lost productivity each year.