Labour officials conduct inspection at EY's Pune office

Officials from the labour commissioner’s office in Maharashtra have conducted an inspection at the Pune office of Ernst & Young (EY) due to accusations that work-related stress possibly caused the death of 26-year-old chartered accountant, Anna Sebastian Perayil. Perayil’s mother’s letter claiming her daughter died from a heart attack caused by excessive work pressure prompted the inspection.

EY India faces backlash after employee allegedly succumbed to workload

EY is under scanner for the death of a 26-year-old charter accountant, leading to intense social media backlash and prompting the government to launch an inquiry into claims of an overwhelming workload.

Additional Labour Commissioner Shailendra Pol confirmed the inspection, stating, “Our officials visited the premises and made several observations. The company has been given seven days to respond to those findings.”

Report to be submitted to the state labour commissioner within a week

Pol also mentioned that a report on the circumstances of Perayil’s death in July will be completed and sent to the state labour commissioner in a week, before being forwarded to the Centre for additional scrutiny.

EY has rejected any connection between Perayil’s death and her workload, stating that the company follows standard industry practices for employee well-being despite increasing scrutiny.

Also read: ‘She had complained to the assistant manager, but…’: EY India employee’s father breaks silence

EY has rejected any connection between Perayil’s death and her workload, stating that the company follows standard industry practices for employee well-being despite increasing scrutiny. EY recently announced that it values the well-being of all employees greatly and is addressing the family’s concerns with utmost seriousness and humility.

The investigation by the labour commissionerate is still in progress, and next steps will depend on the company’s formal response and the inspection report’s results.

Also read: 26-year-old EY India employee dies due to ‘work stress’; mother writes to firm’s India head

Perayil’s case gained attention following her mother’s letter to the chairman of EY India, which brought to light the pressure her daughter was under as a result of the company’s work environment, and spread across social media. On September 19, Union Labour Minister Shobha Karandlaje announced that an investigation into the “claims of a hazardous and unfair work atmosphere is currently in progress.”