EY Employee Death: Shashi Tharoor Brings Up Human Rights, Rahul Gandhi Asks AIPC To Draft Guidelines

In light of the recent news of the trgic death of the 26-year-old Chartered Accountant Anna Sebastian Perayil allegedly owing to the 'overwork'culture at Ernst and Young (EY), Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Friday said human rights do not stop at the workplace. He also shared his “heartrending” conversation with Anna's father.

Human rights don't stop at workplace: Tharoor

After his conversation with the bereaved family, Tharoor wrote on X, “Had a deeply emotional and heartrending conversation with Shri Sibi Joseph, the father of young Anna Sebastian, who passed away after a cardiac arrest, following four months of deeply stressful seven-day weeks of 14 hours a day at Ernst & Young.”

“Inhumanity at the workplace must be legislated out of existence with stringent punishment and fines for offenders. Human rights do not stop at the workplace! Will raise this matter at the first opportunity during the next session of parliament,” he added.

Tharoor further asserted that in the next Parliament session, he would raise the issue of legislating a fixed calendar for all workplaces - private sector or the public- that would not exceed eight hours a day, five days a week.

Helpline, guidelines for corporate employees: Rahul Gandhi

Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha and senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also spoke to the parents of Anna Sebastian Perayil on Saturday and assured them that he would “personally fight for this cause.”

Taking cognisance of the matter, Gandhi reportedly instructed the All India Professionals’ Congress (AIPC) to come up with draft guidelines for better working conditions for professionals in the corporate sector. The AIPC chairman has also been instructed to create an awareness movement for all working professionals in India in Anna's momeory.

“AIPC will announce a helpline soon to collect information from corporate professionals about issues related to work stress and toxic work culture,” an AIPC statement said on Saturday.

Centre investigates the matter

A day after the outrage over Anna's death, allegedly owing to work stress, the Union Labour Ministry on Thursday said they were investigating the circumstances that led to the death of the young woman.

Reacting to the incident, Union minister of labour and employment, Mansukh Mandaviya said, “Be it a white collar job or any worker, whenever a citizen of the country dies, it is natural to be saddened by it. The matter is being investigated, and action will be taken based on whatever facts are revealed in the investigation.”

What did the girl's mother say?

The incident which took place on July 20, surfaced on Wednesday when Anna's mother Anita Augustine in a letter to Ernst & Young India chairman Rajiv Memani cited 'overwork' as the reason behind her daughter's death and urged its leadership to bring a change in their work culture that "seems to glorify overwork while neglecting the very human being behind the role".

"I am writing this letter as a grieving mother who has lost her precious child, Anna Sebastian Perayil. My heart is heavy, and my soul is shattered as I pen these words, but I believe it is necessary to share our story in the hope that no other family will have to endure the pain we are going through," the heartbroken mother narrated in the letter.

It was also highlighted in the letter that it was even more disheartening to see that no one from the organisation attended Anna's funeral.

"No one from EY attended Anna's funeral. This absence at such a critical moment, for an employee who gave her all to your organization until her last breath, is deeply hurtful. Anna deserved better, and so do all the employees who continue to work under these conditions," her mother wrote.

'Ernst & Young's reaction

Issuing response to the letter, Ernst & Young India's Chairman and Managing Partner Rajiv Memani said he was deeply saddened by Anna's death and was taking the family's correspondence with the "utmost seriousness and humility".

"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," the statement said.

"I have conveyed my deepest condolences to the family, although nothing can fill the void in their lives. I truly regret the fact that we missed being present at Anna's funeral. This is completely alien to our culture. It has never happened before, it will never happen again," Memani wrote.