Why did EY fire dozens of US staff for attending mandatory training events?

Several of the fired employees expressed disbelief, arguing they were unaware they were breaking any rules and that their intention was merely to attend interesting sessions

Weeks after facing scrutiny following an employee’s suicide in India, allegedly due to ‘overwork’, Ernst & Young (EY) finds itself under fresh controversy. This time, the company is facing criticism for dismissing dozens of employees in the United States, accusing them of ‘cheating’ during mandatory professional training sessions.

 

The dismissals occurred after an investigation into ‘EY Ignite Learning Week’, held in May, where employees allegedly attended multiple online training sessions simultaneously, according to a report by The Financial Times. EY said this behaviour violated the company’s policies.

 

Employees claim ‘misunderstanding of rules’

 

Several of the fired employees expressed disbelief, arguing they were unaware they were breaking any rules. They claimed their intention was merely to attend interesting sessions, with topics such as “How strong is your digital brand in the marketplace?” and “Conversing with AI, one prompt at a time.” The sessions were part of EY’s requirement for employees to earn 40 continuing professional education (CPE) credits annually.

 

 

Despite this, EY deemed that attending two sessions simultaneously constituted an ethical breach. Some employees said they were encouraged to attend as many sessions as their schedules allowed, further fuelling the controversy.

 

Criticism from dismissed employees

 

The firings have been met with sharp criticism. One former consultant, speaking to The Financial Times, shared that they often worked with multiple monitors and hoped to bring new ideas to their work. Another ex-employee questioned EY’s stance, pointing out the company’s multitasking culture and demanding workloads.

 

“If you’re expected to bill 45 hours a week and also complete internal tasks, how can you not multitask?” the employee asked, criticising the perceived disconnect between EY’s policies and its workplace expectations.

 

EY defends actions, cites ethical standards

 

EY stood by its decision, with a company spokesperson stating, “Our core values of integrity and ethics are at the forefront of everything we do. Disciplinary action was taken in a small number of cases where individuals violated our global code of conduct and US learning policy.”

 

This latest incident follows a larger pattern of professional training enforcement among the ‘Big Four’ accounting firms. EY, in particular, has been vigilant about such issues after paying a record $100 million fine to the US Securities and Exchange Commission in 2022. The fine was the result of a cheating scandal involving EY employees sharing answers for professional certification exams, including ethics tests, while senior leadership allegedly concealed the violations.

 

Internal backlash for EY

 

EY’s decision to fire employees over the training sessions has sparked an internal outcry. Many believed the punishment was disproportionate, especially as the system allowed employees to log into overlapping Zoom sessions without warning or restrictions. Critics have called into question the integrity of EY’s internal systems and its handling of employee training.

 

In response, EY has since revised how it promotes its internal training events. Following the investigation into the May incident, the company issued a warning in August, reminding employees to ‘complete this learning activity with integrity’ and avoid attending multiple sessions at once.