EY Pune Employee Death: Labour Ministry Launches Probe As Mother Cites 'Overwork'

EY Pune Employee Death: Anna Sebastian Perayil employed by Ernst and Young India, reportedly succumbed to work-related stress

EY Pune Employee Death: EY is facing criticism following the viral spread of a letter from a grieving mother, who claims her daughter passed away due to "overwork" just four months into her tenure at the consulting firm.

Source : Anna Sebastian Perayil/LinkedIn

EY Pune Employee Death: Amid public outrage over the death of 26-year-old chartered accountant (CA) Anna Sebastian Perayil, the Union Labour Ministry has announced an investigation into the circumstances surrounding her death. Perayil, employed by Ernst and Young India, reportedly succumbed to work-related stress.

In response to the incident, Minister of State for Labour Shobha Karandlaje stated, "We are 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 and the Labour Ministry has officially taken up the complaint." Karandlaje shared this update via a post on X, addressing concerns raised by BJP leader Rajeev Chandrasekhar.

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

Chandrasekhar had previously described Perayil's death as "very sad but also disturbing at many levels," urging a thorough probe into the claims made by her family regarding the work conditions at Ernst and Young India.

Meanwhile, EY is facing criticism following the viral spread of a letter from a grieving mother, who claims her daughter passed away due to "overwork" just four months into her tenure at the consulting firm.

EY's Response Over Anna's Death

In response, EY has pledged to improve the health and well-being of its employees, vowing to work towards a healthier work environment. "We are deeply saddened by Anna Sebastian's tragic and untimely passing in July 2024, and our deepest condolences go to the bereaved family," the firm said in a statement on Wednesday.

Anna's Mother Calls Out EY Work Culture

According to her family, Perayil's death resulted directly from the excessive workload and pressure she faced at the company, where she began working in March 2024. Her mother, Anita Augustine, has sent a harshly worded email to EY India's CEO, Rajiv Memani, condemning the firm for "glorifying overwork" and failing to uphold its human rights values.

Augustine revealed that her daughter, who passed her CA exams in 2023, worked relentlessly to meet high expectations but soon began suffering from anxiety, sleeplessness, and stress. Despite her family’s concerns, Perayil continued to work excessively, fearing that quitting might harm her career prospects.

Her email alleged that Perayil’s manager assigned her an overwhelming amount of work, including verbal requests beyond her official duties, which forced her to work late into the night and on weekends. Augustine claimed that her daughter’s boss even rescheduled meetings during cricket matches, adding to her stress. "Anna would return to her room utterly exhausted, sometimes collapsing onto the bed in her clothes, only to be inundated with messages demanding more reports," Augustine wrote.

Augustine expressed outrage over the company’s lack of empathy, noting that EY Pune employees skipped her daughter’s funeral and that her managers failed to respond to her messages afterward.

While the exact cause of Perayil’s death remains unclear, Augustine mentioned that her daughter had complained of chest constriction in the weeks leading up to her death. Despite medical evaluations, her condition deteriorated, ultimately leading to her passing.