India investigates EY’s ‘work environment’ after employee’s death

INDIA is investigating the work environment at accounting firm Ernst & Young (EY) following the death of a 26-year-old employee.

The mother of the deceased, Anna Sebastian Perayil, has blamed her death on work-related stress and demanded accountability.

India's labour minister Shobha Karandlaje confirmed the investigation on Thursday.

Perayil, who was employed at EY for four months, died in July. Her mother, Anita Augustine, wrote to EY's India chairman, stating that Perayil was overworked with a heavy workload that affected her "physically, emotionally, and mentally." The letter went viral on social media.

The labour minister posted on X, saying, "A thorough investigation into the allegations of an unsafe and exploitative work environment is underway."

In response, EY stated that it places "the highest importance on the well-being of all employees." The company added, "We are taking the family's correspondence with the utmost seriousness and humility." EY employs around 100,000 people at its member firms in India.

The incident has highlighted concerns about employee welfare in high-pressure jobs. This follows similar discussions earlier this year after the death of a junior banker at Bank of America and JPMorgan's creation of a new role to address related concerns.

India's Nascent Information Technology Employees Senate (NITES), a union of IT workers, has called for an independent probe into Perayil’s death. The group has also requested a broader review of working conditions in the country's IT and finance sectors.

Police in Pune, where Perayil worked, have not yet commented on the cause of her death.

(With inputs from Reuters)