EY Employee Row: Centre Probes Matter After Mother Cites 'Overwork' As Cause Of Death

A day after the outrage over the untimely death of a 26-year-old chartered accountant Anna Sebastian Perayil working with Ernst and Young India, allegedly owing to work stress, the Union Labour Ministry on Thursday said they would be investigating the circumstances that led to the death of the young woman.

Taking cognisance of the matter, Minister of State for Labour Shobha Karandlaje said in a post on X, "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,"

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 in an official statement said it 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.

"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 1,00,000 people across EY member firms in India," the company added.