The Center is probing whether the 26-year-old EY employee's death was due to overwork or there were other hidden reasons
Amid widespread outrage over the work-related death of a 26-year-old chartered accountant at Ernst & Young India, the Union Labor Ministry said it has taken up a complaint and will investigate the circumstances leading to the death. . Anna Sebastián Perrailer.
"Deeply saddened by the tragic loss of Anna Sebastian Perrail. A thorough investigation into the allegation of an unsafe and exploitative work environment is underway. We are committed to ensuring justice is served and the @Ministry of Labor has formally accepted the allegation. @Mansukhmandaviya," Minister of State for Labor Shobha Karandlaje X in a post. Said
He was responding to a post by BJP leader Rajeev Chandrasekhar, who described Anna's death as "very sad but disturbing on many levels" and sought an inquiry into her family's allegations of exploitative working conditions at Ernst & Young India.
Letter from a heartbroken mother
In a letter to Ernst & Young India chairman Rajeev Memani, Anna's mother Anita Augustine said her daughter died just four months after joining the company and urged its leadership to change a work culture that "seems to glorify extra work and neglect the man behind it." "Introduction".
I am writing this letter as a grieving mother who has lost her precious child, Ana Sebastian Perrail. My heart is heavy, and my spirit is shattered as I write these words, but I believe our story needs to be shared in hopes that no other family will have to endure the pain we are going through," the mother wrote.
He wrote that Anna was an excellent student who topped school and college and passed the tough chartered accountancy exams 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 20, 2024, my world came crashing down when I received the devastating news that Anna had passed away. She was only 26. years old."
The heartbroken mother recounted the incident just weeks before she received the crushing news.
"On Saturday, 6th July, my husband and I reached Pune to attend Anna's CA convocation. Since she had been complaining of chest tightness for the past week after reaching her PG late at night (around 1 am), we took her to the hospital. . Kochi From, he insisted on going to work after meeting the doctor, saying there was a lot of work left and he would not get time off. That night, he returned to his PG on Sunday, 7th July, that day he joined us in the morning. gave, but he still worked from home till afternoon and we reached the convocation venue late," he wrote.
"My daughter had a dream of taking her parents to her convocation with her own hard-earned money. She booked our flight tickets and took us. It breaks my heart to say that even in those two days, the last one was us. With our child. Cut, he can't enjoy them due to work pressure." Anita Augustine writes that Anna worked late into the night, even on weekends, "with no chance to catch her breath". "His assistant manager once called him at night with a task that needed to be completed by the next morning, leaving him little time to rest or recover. When he voiced his concerns, he was met with a dismissive response, "You can do Working nights, that's what we all do." "Anna would go back to her room completely exhausted, sometimes falling into bed without changing clothes, only to be bombarded with messages for more reports. She was doing her best, working very hard to meet deadlines. A fighter to the core, easy-going. Not one to quit. We asked him to quit, but he wanted to learn and get new exposure. However, the pressure proved too much for even him," Ma wrote.
The family said they were deeply hurt because no one from the organization attended Anna's funeral. "No one from EY 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 painful. Anna deserved better, and so do all employees who continue to work their . In this situation," her mother wrote, hoping that her daughter's experience "leads to real change".
What Ernst & Young India says
Ernst & Young India issued a statement and said it was deeply saddened by Anna's death and was taking the family's correspondence "with the utmost seriousness and humility".
"We are deeply saddened by the tragic and untimely death of Anna Sebastian in July 2024, and our deepest condolences go out to the bereaved family. Anna was briefly a part of the audit team of EY Global member firm SR Batliboi in Pune.
Joining the firm on 18th March 2024, for a period of four months. It is an irreparable loss to us all that his promising career was cut short in this tragic way. While no measure can compensate for the loss experienced by the family, we have provided and will continue to provide all the support we always do during such difficult times," the statement said.
"We are taking the family's correspondence very seriously and humbly. We value 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 added.
