Report on death of EY employee expected in 10 days, says Mansukh Mandaviya

Labour Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Monday announced that an investigation is underway into the alleged unsafe and exploitative work environment at Ernst & Young (EY) that may have contributed to the death of 26-year-old employee Anna Sebastian Perayil. The final report on the matter is expected within 10 days.

Perayil, an accountant employed at SR Batliboi, a member firm of EY Global, died earlier this year, allegedly due to excessive work pressure. The Ministry of Labor and Employment launched an investigation into working conditions at the firm following her death.

At a press conference, Mandaviya said, “We have sought information from government agencies and will provide further details once the report is available.” He assured that appropriate action would be taken based on the findings and stressed, “We will not overlook any mistakes made by the government. The report should be ready in a week or ten days.”

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Minister of State Shobha Karandlaje also expressed her condolences and said on social media: “I am deeply saddened by the tragic loss of Anna Sebastian Perayil. The allegations of an unsafe and exploitative working environment are currently being thoroughly investigated. We are committed to ensuring justice is done.”

EY responded last week with a statement expressing regret over Perayil's death in July 2024. The company said it had been in contact with Perayil's family and was committed to supporting her. However, her family recently raised concerns about excessive workloads that allegedly contributed to her death.

In response to these concerns, EY has pledged to improve the work environment. “We place the highest priority on employee wellbeing and will continue to provide a healthy workplace for our 100,000 employees across EY member firms in India,” the company said in a statement.

Perayil, who passed her CA exams in 2023, had worked at EY's Pune office for four months before her tragic death. Earlier this month, her mother wrote to EY India Chairman Rajiv Memani criticising the company for “glorifying” overwork. EY acknowledged the family's loss but noted that it would continue to offer support and takes the family's complaints seriously.