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 Bengaluru. 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.
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.