Officials from the Maharashtra labour commissioner’s office have inspected the Ernst & Young (EY) office in Pune, following allegations.
That workplace stress may have led to the death of 26-year-old chartered accountant Anna Sebastian Perayil. The inspection was prompted by a letter from Perayil’s mother, who claimed her daughter suffered a fatal heart attack due to excessive work-related pressure.
EY faces scrutiny over the death of a 26-year-old charter accountant, which has triggered a social media storm and pushed the government to initiate a probe into allegations of a “backbreaking” workload.
Additional Labour Commissioner Shailendra Pol confirmed the inspection, stating, “Our officials visited the premises and made several observations. The company has been given seven days to respond to those findings.”
Pol also noted that a report on events surrounding Perayil’s death in July will be prepared and submitted to the state labour commissioner within a week, after which it will be forwarded to the Centre for further review.
Despite the growing scrutiny, EY has denied any link between Perayil’s death and her workload, maintaining that the company adheres to industry-standard practices regarding employee welfare.
Last week, EY stated that it placed “the highest importance on the well-being of all employees” and was “taking the family’s correspondence with the utmost seriousness and humility.”
The labour commissionerate’s investigation remains ongoing, with further action contingent on the company’s formal response and the findings of the inspection report.
Perayil’s case gained attention after her mother’s letter to EY India’s chairman, highlighting the stress her daughter faced due to the company’s work culture, started circulating on social media.
Earlier on September 19, Union Labour Minister Shobha Karandlaje stated that a thorough probe into the “allegations of an unsafe and exploitative work environment is underway.”