Fri Sep 20 13:37:33 UTC 2024: ## EY India Faces Scrutiny After Employee’s Death Linked to Work-Related Stress
**Pune, India:** A UK-based consulting firm, Ernst & Young (EY), is under intense scrutiny in India after the mother of a deceased employee, Anna Sebastian Perayil, linked her daughter’s death to work-related stress. Perayil, 26, joined EY’s audit and assurance team in Pune in March and passed away four months later.
In a letter to EY India chairman Rajiv Memani, Perayil’s mother, Anita Augustine, alleged that her daughter was overworked and burdened with “backbreaking work,” leading to anxiety, sleeplessness, and stress. Augustine claimed that despite experiencing these issues, her daughter continued to push herself, believing hard work was the path to success.
The letter, which was allegedly leaked online by company employees, sparked outrage on social media and caught the attention of the Indian government. Minister of state for labour Shobha Karandlaje announced an investigation into the allegations of an unsafe and exploitative work environment at EY.
EY has responded by acknowledging the family’s correspondence with “utmost seriousness and humility.” The firm insists it has rules in place to ensure a healthy work-life balance and claims to be committed to improving the workplace environment.
However, the company’s response has been met with further criticism. Former employees from across the globe have shared their own experiences of alleged ‘toxicity’ in EY’s work culture, further fueling the debate on workplace stress and overwork in India’s corporate sector.
The incident highlights a growing concern over the mental health and well-being of employees in India’s corporate sector, prompting a call for increased attention to work-life balance and fostering a healthier workplace culture.
First Piper 