Centre To Probe 26-Year-Old EY Employee's Death Due To Alleged 'Overwork'

The untimely demise of 26-year-old Anna Sebastian Perayil, a chartered accountant at Ernst & Young (EY) India, has sparked widespread outrage, with allegations of extreme work stress contributing to her tragic passing.

The Union Labour Ministry has launched an investigation into the case after receiving a complaint. Minister of State for Labour, Shobha Karandlaje, expressed her condolences and commitment to ensuring justice, stating that the Labour Ministry is officially investigating the matter.

BJP leader Rajeev Chandrasekhar also called for a probe, describing the incident as "very sad but also disturbing at many levels," echoing the family's claims of an exploitative work environment at EY India.

Anna's mother, Anita Augustine, penned a heart-wrenching letter to EY India chairman Rajiv Memani, detailing the immense stress her daughter faced in the months leading up to her death.

"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," she wrote.

Anita recounted how her daughter, a dedicated and high-achieving professional, was unable to enjoy her own CA convocation due to relentless work pressure.

"It was my daughter's great dream to take her parents to her convocation with her own hard-earned money. She booked our flight tickets and took us. It breaks my heart to tell you that even during those two days, which were the last we would spend with our child, she couldn't enjoy them because of the work pressure."

The mother shared how Anna's assistant manager would call her with urgent tasks, leaving her little time for rest, and how her daughter worked late into the night, sometimes even collapsing from exhaustion.

"We told her to quit, but she wanted to learn and gain new exposure. However, the overwhelming pressure proved too much even for her," the letter said.

Adding to the family's distress, no one from EY even 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," Anita wrote, hoping that her daughter's experience would lead to real change in the company.

In response, EY India expressed its sadness over Anna's untimely passing and offered condolences to the family. The firm stated it was taking the family's correspondence with "utmost seriousness and humility" and reiterated its commitment to employee well-being, promising to continue supporting the family during this difficult time.

"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 from EY said.