Reading this you almost get the sense that this compounding workload was deliberately cruel and backbreaking. Is this some kind of hazing done to new hires, or does EY just have an unbelievably toxic work culture in general?
It's the knowledge that almost none of the associates (and lower) will stay longer than 1-2 years, so you can use and exploit them as meaty calculators. You also see this in any large private law or accounting firm.
It’s abusive, but it’s also a sign you did something. You have to do the work asked of you, and the more work you do, the better for a CV. That’s why so many people tolerate this treatment, and why it’s not a negative signal for people reading a CV later.