Centre asks EY India to explain its position on CA employee's death

Anna Sebastian Perayil died in July: Mother blames 'backbreaking work' at company

The Union labour ministry has asked EY India’s management to appear before it and explain its position regarding the death of its 26-year-old employee, Anna Sebastian Perayil, a senior labour ministry official said.

“The Central Labour Commissioner has sent a notice to EY management, requiring them to explain their stance in this case. Only after this will we be able to determine the circumstances leading to the young woman’s death. Since labour is a concurrent subject, the Maharashtra State Labour Department has also been directed to investigate the matter and provide a report,” the official said.

Business Standard’s queries to EY India about this development remained unanswered until the time of going to press.

 

Perayil, a chartered accountant with SR Batliboi, a member firm of EY Global in Yerawada, Pune, died on July 20 while undergoing treatment at a city hospital after complaining of exhaustion.

The tragedy became public after her mother, Anita Augustine, wrote a letter to EY India head, Rajiv Memani. The letter went viral on social media, where Anita attributed her daughter’s death to “back-breaking work” at the company.

Earlier in the day, Shobha Karandlaje, Minister of State for Labour & Employment, wrote on X that a “thorough investigation” into the allegations of an unsafe and exploitative work environment is underway.

“Deeply saddened by the tragic loss of Anna Sebastian Perayil. We are committed to ensuring justice, and @LabourMinistry has officially taken up the complaint,” Karandlaje wrote in response to a post by former Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar, who had shared a news article about Perayil and described the death as “disturbing on many levels”.

On Wednesday evening, EY India issued a statement describing Perayil’s death as an “irreparable loss” to the company.

“While no measure can compensate for the loss experienced by the family, we have provided all assistance, as we always do in such times of distress, and will continue to do so,” the company added.

On the same day, in a letter to the company’s employees, Memani said he had “personally” expressed his “condolences” and “deepest regret” for the “irreparable loss”. Business Standard has reviewed a copy of the letter.

“If you ever face challenges or need guidance, I strongly encourage you to please reach out to your team leaders, members of the talent team, and your support network across the firm. I personally assure you that when you speak up, you will be heard with empathy and understanding,” it read.

The issue has prompted reactions from parliamentarians across party lines, calling for a better work-life balance in the corporate sector.

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar expressed on X that he was “very saddened” to hear the news.

“The rising cases of young people dying due to stress need our attention. I hope EY India will take corrective steps,” he said.

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav wrote on X that, given the current unemployment situation and the impact of recession and excessive taxation on businesses, there is tremendous pressure on companies to maximise output with minimal staff.

“Every employee, from top to bottom, is under pressure from each other. In a larger context, this pressure and tension stem from the failure of economic policies,” he wrote in Hindi.

The International Labour Organization’s 2022 global report on work-life balance defined long hours as regularly working more than 48 hours per week. According to the report, South Asia led the list with 70.3 per cent of employees working more than 48 hours a week.