EY employee's death due to alleged 'overwork': Human Rights Commission takes suo motu case

Kochi/New Delhi: The National Human Rights Commission has taken a suo motu case into the death of a 26-year-old woman employee at Ernst and Young in Pune. Anna Sebastian Perayil, a native of Kalamasseri allegedly died due to extreme work pressure at the firm. She was a Chartered Accountant at EY in Pune.

The NHRC has sought a report from the union ministry of labour and employment over the incident. It also sought the centre to explain measures that should be taken to avoid similar incidents in future. The ministry has already initiated a probe into the alleged unsafe and exploitative work environment days after the tragic demise of Anna Sebastian Perayil.

The National Human Rights Commission in a statement noted that it has constituted a 'Core Group on Business and Human Rights' to review legislations and regulations and firm up recommendations that will be sent to the central and state governments and their agencies to ensure the protection of human rights and healthy work environment in business and industry.

It also emphasised that businesses should "regularly update and revise their work and employment policies and regulations" to ensure alignment with global human rights standards. The NHRC said it has taken "suo motu cognisance of media reports that a 26-year-old chartered accountant girl from Kerala died in Pune, Maharashtra on July 20, 2024, allegedly, due to excessive workload at the Ernst & Young that she joined four months back".

On Thursday, Union Labour and Employment Minister Mansukh Mandaviya had said that the death of Chartered Accountant Anna Sebastian Perayil was being investigated. She had died of cardiac arrest in Pune this July.

Reportedly, the mother has written a letter to the employer claiming that "long hours of work had taken a heavy toll on her daughter's physical, emotional and mental health", a charge "denied" by the company, the NHRC statement said. The Union Ministry of Labour and Employment is getting the matter investigated, the statement said.

The Commission has observed that the content of the media reports, if true, raises serious issues regarding challenges faced by young citizens at work, suffering from mental stress, anxiety, and lack of sleep, adversely affecting their physical and mental health while chasing impractical targets and timelines resulting in "grave violations of their human rights".

"It is the prime duty of every employer to provide a safe, secure and positive environment to its employees. They must ensure that everyone working with them is treated with dignity and fairness," the rights panel said.

The painful death of the young employee in the instant case has indicated that there is an "immediate need to take steps by all the stakeholders in this regard to stop such incidents in the country".
Accordingly, it has issued a notice to the Union Ministry of Labour and Employment, seeking a detailed report, it said.

The Commission would also like to know the outcome of the investigation, reportedly, being conducted in the instant matter relating to the death of the young employee, the NHRC said. Apart from this, the Commission would also like to know the steps being taken and proposed to be taken to ensure such incidents do not recur. The response is expected within four weeks, it added.

According to the media report, carried on September 18, the mother of the deceased woman has claimed that her daughter's death is "reflective of the larger work culture, which glorifies hard work but at the cost of health". She has reportedly stated that how can a company that speaks of values and human rights "fail even to show up for the funeral of one of its own employees," the statement said.

Meanwhile, Ernst & Young (EY) had on Wednesday issued a statement stating, "We are deeply saddened by Anna Sebastian's tragic and untimely passing in July 2024." Since the death, EY has been in touch with the family, helping them but it is only now that her family has chosen to write to the company, complaining about the "excessive workload", it had said.
The company said it will continue to improve and provide a healthy workplace in its offices throughout the country.

The Commission mentioned that it it had taken suo motu cognisance of media reports regarding alleged unfair practices at the workplace by two multinational companies in the states of Haryana and Tamil Nadu

Both matters are under consideration before the Commission. Apart from this, the Commission at various platforms has been insisting businesses integrate human rights protection, safety and security especially of women into their organisational culture to operate sustainably and extend these principles to formulate policies in such a manner that a healthy work environment is created for the welfare of the workers, it said.

Last year, the Commission organised a conference on 'harmonising human rights and climate issues in businesses' to sensitise various stakeholders, especially business and industry on human rights. The Commission has also appointed a 'Special Monitor' to look into various practices and work environment leading to violations of human rights in business.

The NHRC has specifically constituted a 'Core Group on Business and Human Rights' to review the existing legislations and regulations relating to the business environment and human rights and suggest measures for improvement, it said.

Based on these inputs, the Commission intends to firm up its recommendations and send the same to the Central and state governments and their agencies to ensure the protection of human rights and a healthy work environment in business and industry, the statement said. 

Anna Sebastian Perayil died on July 20, four months after she had joined EY as an Audit and Assurance executive. Meanwhile, representatives from Ernst & Young (EY) sought a meeting with Anna's parents in Kochi on Thursday, sources told Onmanorama. After the letter written by Anna's mother found its way into social media, the organisation issued a note conveying their condolences and promised to continue to find ways to improve and provide a healthy workspace for employees.

Her death, allegedly due to work stress, sparked massive social media outrage, forcing the company to issue a statement.

"Anna was a part of the Audit team at S R Batliboi, a member firm of EY Global, in Pune for a brief period of four months, joining the firm on 18 March 2024. That her promising career was cut short in this tragic manner is an irreparable loss for all of us," the EY said in the statement. It went on to state that while no measure can compensate for the loss experienced by the family, the firm has provided all the assistance and will continue to do so. "We are taking the 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.
(With PTI inputs)