The latest development was triggered by a lengthy letter written by the deceased Anna Sebastian Perayil’s mother, Anita Augustine, to EY India chairman Rajiv Memani that went viral on social media on Tuesday.The mother had voiced concerns regarding the excessive workload placed on her daughter, a newcomer to the company, and indicated that Anna ultimately succumbed to work-related stress.
Also read: 26-year-old employee’s mother writes letter to EY Chairman: Anna’s death should serve as a wake up call for EY
Anna had joined the company in March, after completing CA, and passed away on July 20.
“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 & the Labour Ministry has officially taken up the complaint,” Karandlaje said on microblogging platform X, tagging Mansukh Mandaviya, the Minister of Labour and Employment and Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports.
Karandlaje was responding to another post on X by former Union minister of state for electronics and information technology, skill development and entrepreneurship, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, who had reposted The Times of India’s post on Augustine’s letter to EY.
Chandrasekhar requested Karandlaje to look into the allegations made by the mother “of unsafe and exploitative work environment that claimed the life of young, full of future Anna Sebastian Perayil.”
Also read: EY staffer’s death puts focus on work stress
Lobby group Nascent Information Technology Employees Senate (NITES) separately told TOI that it has also formally submitted letters to both the ministry of labour and employment, as well as the Ministry of home affairs, demanding an independent and thorough investigation into the matter.
“This shocking disregard for employee welfare and basic human dignity raises urgent questions about the toxic work culture within certain corporate environments… We believe this investigation is crucial to ensuring such tragedies are not repeated, and that employees across the IT, finance, and corporate sectors are protected from hazardous working conditions,” NITES president Harpreet Singh Saluja said.