Govt launches probe into death of 26-YO EY employee after massive outrage

The death of a 26-year-old woman in Pune owing to ‘work stress’ while working at Ernst and Young (EY) has sparked massive outrage prompting the central government to probe the case.

MoS for Labour Ministry Shobha Karandlaje announced on Thursday that the government had launched into the allegations after officially filing a complaint.

The news of Anna Sebastian Perayil’s death came after a letter written by her mother Anita Augustine to EY India’s chairman Rajiv Memani became viral.

“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 & Labour Ministry has officially taken up the complaint,” Karandlaje said 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 https://t.co/1apsOm594d

— Shobha Karandlaje (@ShobhaBJP) September 19, 2024

What happened to Anna?

In the letter, Anna’s mother said it had been only four months since the 26-year-old joined EY after completing her Chartered Accountancy Course.

“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,” Anita Augustine wrote.

She recalled her daughter’s determination for her first job and said that she had been an excellent student who cleared her CA exam with distinction.

“EY was her first job, and she was thrilled to be part of such a prestigious company. But four months later, on July 20th, 2024, my world collapsed when I received the devastating news that Anna had passed away. She was just 26 years old,” the mother said.

However, things were not alright with Anna as she was overworked and had to work through nights sometimes and even on weekends.

Anna’s mother said, “Her assistant manager once called her at night with a task that needed to be completed by the next morning, leaving her with barely any time to rest or recover. When she voiced her concerns, she was met with the dismissive response, ‘You can work at night, that’s what we all do.’”

On July 6, when her parents were in Pune to attend her CA convocation ceremony, Anna complained of chest pain at night and was taken to a hospital in Pune. However, her cardiologist said that her ECG was normal and that she was not getting enough sleep and was eating late.

“Though we had come all the way from Kochi, she insisted on going to work after seeing the doctor, saying there was a lot of work to be done and she wouldn’t get leave. That night, she returned to her PG late again On Sunday, July 7th, the day of her convocation, she joined us in the morning, but she was working from home even that day until the afternoon, and we reached the convocation venue late.”

Her mother went on to say that Anna did not have time to even “catch her breath” and used to sleep without changing her clothes at times.

After her death, no one from her organisation came to attend her 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,” Augustine said.

‘Anna was allotted work like any other employee’

Meanwhile, Rajiv Memani told Indian Express, “We have around one lakh employees. There is no doubt each one has to work hard. Anna worked with us only for four months. She was allotted work like any other employee. We don’t believe that work pressure could have claimed her life.”

In an official statement, EY India offered condolences to the family and said Anna’s “untimely passing is deeply saddening.”

“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 said.