EY employee death: TMC MP to raise 'toxic work culture' issue in Parliament

Highlighting the condition of employees in private firms across India, TMC MP Saket Gokhale has called for an urgent investigation into the working conditions at EY

Two days after the death of an Ernst and Young (EY) employee came to the fore, Rajya Sabha MP Saket Gokhale announced on Thursday (September 19), that the matter would be raised in Parliament. He also mentioned that a letter had been sent to the labour secretary of Maharashtra.

Highlighting the condition of employees in private firms across India, the TMC MP has called for an urgent investigation into the working conditions at EY, which are alleged to have contributed to the death of Anna Sebastian Perayil on 20 July. The incident only came to wider attention following a letter written by her mother, Anita Augustine, to EY’s India head, which went viral on Tuesday, 17 September.

“It is extremely disturbing and concerning to read Anita Augustine’s letter, where she describes how her daughter, Anna Sebastian Perayil, died due to overwork in a toxic work environment at her firm,” said Saket Gokhale in an official statement.

He said, “There have been numerous accounts from employees stating that such conditions are widespread in many consultancies and other private companies. This is UNACCEPTABLE! We have sufficient laws in place to protect employees from unfair practices, underpayment, and being forced to work excessive hours. The issue is that the government, which is tasked with enforcing these laws, often turns a blind eye when wealthy corporations and multinationals are involved.”

Anna’s death puts EY under lens

Anna Sebastian Perayil, a chartered accountant who worked with SR Batliboi, a member firm of EY Global in Yerawada, Pune, passed away on July 20 while receiving treatment at a city hospital. She had been admitted after feeling unwell and complaining of exhaustion. Colleagues were initially informed that she had suffered a heart attack.

However, in her letter, Anna’s mother, Anita Augustine, alleged that her daughter had been subjected to extreme work pressure, which deteriorated her health and ultimately caused her death. She also expressed concerns about the ‘new environment’ at the company, which she feared could harm other employees in the future. The letter, addressed to EY India Chairman Rajiv Memani, flagged the culture of glorifying overwork at the multinational consulting firm.

EY’s response to employee’s death
 

EY has released a statement saying, “Anna was part of the audit team at SR Batliboi, a member firm of EY Global in Pune, for a brief period of four months, having joined the firm on March 18, 2024. The tragic loss of her promising career is deeply felt by all of us.”

The firm said while nothing could make up for the family’s loss, it had provided support and would continue to do so. "We are treating the family’s correspondence with the utmost seriousness and humility. The well-being of all our employees is of the highest importance, and we will continue to find ways to improve and provide a healthy workplace for our 100,000 staff across EY member firms in India,” the statement said.