The union labour ministry has initiated a probe into the death of Anna Sebastian Perayil, a 26-year-old executive of Ernst & Young, allegedly due to work stress. EY faced severe backlash after a letter penned by Anna mother, detailing her hardships, went viral on social media.
Union Minister of State for Labour Shobha Karandlajetweeted, “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” Karandlajewas responding to a tweet by former union minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar urging action.
“This is very sad but also disturbing at many levels. I rqst Govt of India@mansukhmandviya @ShobhaBJP to investigate these allegations made by the mother of unsafe and exploitative work environment that claimed the life of young, full of future Anna Sebastian Perayil,” Chandrasekhar tweeted.
In her letter to EY chairperson Rajiv Memani, Anna’s mother Anita Augustine said she was excited to be part of a reputed company, however, the workload took a massive toll on Anna.
“She began experiencing anxiety, sleeplessness and stress soon after joining, but she kept pushing herself, believing that hard work and perseverance were the keys to success,” Anita wrote.
According to the letter, Anna had been “complaining of chest constriction” for a week. When her parents came to visit her in Pune, two weeks before her death, for her C.A. convocation, they took her to the cardiologist, who said it was due to the lack of proper sleep and eating late.
“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 grieving mother wrote.
Anita also mentioned Anna's manager in the letter. She said that he would reschedule meetings as per his convenience, and attend cricket matches. When Anna voiced her concerns about the workload, the assistant manager replied, “You can work at night; that's what we all do.”
The letter by Anita Augustine has sparked a debate online about work-life balance, with many netizens, mostly ex-employees, calling out EY.
Meanwhile, EY responded to the letter saying they take “family's correspondence with the utmost seriousness and humility”. “We place the highest importance on the well-being of all employees and will continue to find ways to improve and provide a healthy workplace for our 100,000 people across EY member firms in India," it added.