The young woman who died at EY Sydney may have experienced workplace bullying. Photo / 123RF
The young woman who died at EY Sydney may have experienced workplace bullying. Photo / 123RF
WARNING: This article discusses suicide. Helplines are available at the bottom
A friend of the woman who was found dead at Ernst and Young's Sydney office has revealed how the 27-year-old was struggling to cope with racism in Australia and workplace bullying.
On Monday, the EY senior auditor was identified as Aishwarya Venkatachalam.
Her friend Neeti Bisht described the woman as a career-driven "happy soul" who was still "finding her feet in Australia".
Bisht told the Daily Mail that Venkatachalam, who was a bridesmaid at her wedding, had spoken about issues with some of her colleagues when the pair saw each other in April this year.
Police found her body in the financial services firm's Sydney CBD offices shortly after 12.20am on Saturday, August 27, following a concern for welfare report. Police believe self-harm was involved and are not investigating the death as suspicious.
News.com.au has approached EY for comment in regards to the claims of bullying and racism, however, they did not respond before publishing. In a comment to the Daily Mail, the financial services firm said they had a "zero tolerance response to bullying, harassment and racism," and will continue to investigate the events that led to the tragedy.
"The review we launched last week following this tragedy is ongoing and it would be inappropriate to comment further until it is complete," the spokeswoman said.
"We are continuing to offer all our people counselling and support."
On Monday, Venkatachalam's uncle, Nachur Balasubramanian, said the family was still "trying to seek answers" in the aftermath of the tragedy.
He described his niece as "very educated, beautiful and brilliant" and said she had relocated to Australia from India after her wedding.
"She was a very good lady, she was brought up very well".
The EY employee who was found dead at the firm's Sydney office has been identified as Aishwarya Venkatachalam. Photo / Instagram.
EY worker's tragic last moments alive
This comes as more details have been revealed of the last hours of Venkatachalam's life.
Three women reportedly saw the 27-year-old crying in a nearby car park and having a panic attack shortly before midnight on Friday, the Daily Mail reports.
According to one of the women, the EY worker had been kicked out of a work event and had left her key in the building.
She reportedly claimed security had denied her access.
"I found her in a car park, close to my car, crying her eyes out so my girlfriends and I offered to help her out," one of the women who spoke to the EY worker told the publication.
"She was trying to communicate with a cleaner who worked there — I think she may have thought they were from the same country.
"He was trying to help but he had no English. He ended up walking away and we asked if she was OK."
Family break silence after tragic death
The brother of the EY employee penned a moving poem for his sister, revealing his family is "shocked beyond words".
The heartbroken man described how "life turned upside down" the moment his family were informed of the 27-year-old corporate high-flyer's death last Friday.
PWC Deloitte KPMG and EY. Big accountancy firms have a reputation for pushing staff to work long hours. Photo / 123RF
Inside dark work culture where 27-year-old died
Since the employee's death, current and former employees have told news.com.au of the culture of overwork which occurs in major financial services businesses, particularly among financial auditors. Ex-staff cited 70 to 80-hour work weeks, especially during peak periods from July to September.
These claims were consistent with those made by employees from other Big Four accounting firms which include PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), KPMG and Deloitte.
One former auditor who's worked at PwC and EY described the culture at the Big Four firms as an "iron man contest".
"You survive or leave," he told news.com.au, on the basis of anonymity.
"Each level punishes the next level down. They see it as: 'If I had to do it, then you have to do it' and it propagates the same kind of bad behaviour."
News.com.au is not suggesting the work culture at EY contributed to the employee's death and the employee's identity and role within the company have not been disclosed.
