EY India employee death: Chairman says ‘highest importance on well-being of employees’; Labour ministry to start probe

Rajiv Memani, Chairman and Regional Managing Partner of Ernst & Young India, responded to an emotional letter from Anita Augustine, mother of 26-year-old Chartered Accountant Anna Sebastian Perayil, who tragically died allegedly due to work pressure on July 20. 

Memani stated that EY employs nearly 1,00,000 people, all of whom work hard. 

“We have around one lakh employees. There is no doubt each one has to work hard,” Memani said while responding to Indian Express.

Days after the letter went viral on social media, the Union Labour Ministry announced Thursday that it would probe the incident.

“Anna was a part of the Audit team at S R Batliboi, a member firm of EY Global, in Pune for a brief period of four months, joining the firm on 18 March 2024. That her promising career was cut short in this tragic manner is an irreparable loss for all of us. While no measure can compensate for the loss experienced by the family, we have provided all the assistance as we always do in such times of distress and will continue to do so,” Indian Express quoted Memani.

Memani said they were taking the “family’s correspondence with the utmost seriousness and humility” and placing the “highest importance on the well-being of all employees.” 

“We are deeply saddened by Anna Sebastian's tragic and untimely passing in July 2024,” EY said in a statement.

According to Anita Augustine’s letter, Anna worked very hard at EY. The workload and long working hours took a physical, emotional, and mental toll on her. Augustine also noted that Anna continued to push herself despite suffering from immense stress and anxiety. 

“Deeply saddened by the tragic loss of Anna Sebastian Perayil. A thorough investigation into the allegations of an unsafe and exploitative work environment is underway. We are committed to ensuring justice & @LabourMinistry has officially taken up the complaint. @mansukhmandviya [sic],” Minister of State for Labour Shobha Karandlaje wrote on X while responding to BJP leader Rajeev Chandrasekhar.

“This is very sad but also disturbing at many levels. I rqst Govt of India @mansukhmandviya @ShobhaBJP to investigate these allegations made by the mother of unsafe and exploitative work environment that claimed the life of young, full of future Anna Sebastian Perayil [sic],” Chandrasekhar wrote on X.

What EY said in a statement

“We are deeply saddened by Anna Sebastian's tragic and untimely passing in July 2024, and our deepest condolences go to the bereaved family.

Anna was a part of the Audit team at S R Batliboi, a member firm of EY Global, in Pune for a brief period of four months, joining the firm on 18 March 2024. That her promising career was cut short in this tragic manner is an irreparable loss for all of us. While no measure can compensate for the loss experienced by the family, we have provided all the assistance as we always do in such times of distress and will continue to do so.

We are taking the family’s correspondence with the utmost seriousness and humility. We place the highest importance on the well-being of all employees and will continue to find ways to improve and provide a healthy workplace for our 100,000 people across EY member firms in India."