Ernst and Young India chairperson Rajiv Memani has expressed regret at no one from the company attending the funeral of its employee.
Who died allegedly due to excessive work pressure, calling it “alien to our culture”. In a post on LinkedIn, Memani, who has faced massive backlash on social media over an alleged toxic work culture, said he was deeply saddened by the tragic demise of Anna Sebastian Perayil.
“I have conveyed my deepest condolences to the family, although nothing can fill the void in their lives. I truly regret the fact that we missed being present at Anna’s funeral. This is completely alien to our culture. It has never happened before; it will never happen again,” Memani said.
Memani also emphasised that he was committed to “nurturing a harmonious workplace” and would not rest until the goal was accomplished.
“It has always been very important to us to create a healthy workplace, and we attach the highest importance to the well-being of our people. I would like to affirm that the well-being of our people is my top-most priority and I will personally champion this objective,” he said.
Anna Sebastian Perayil, who joined E&Y in March, died on July 20. The incident came to light earlier this week after her mother Anita Augustine’s open letter to the company, alleging that Anna succumbed to “work pressure”, went viral.
Augustine claimed that no one from the company attended her daughter’s funeral. “After her funeral, I reached out to her managers, but I received no reply. How can a company that speaks of values and human rights fail to show up for one of its own in their final moments?” she wrote in the letter.
Memani faced criticism on social media after he denied the claim that “work pressure” was behind the death of the Pune woman, according to an Indian Express report.
As the issue gained momentum, the Centre launched a probe into the circumstances that led to the death of Anna. On Thursday, Minister of State for Labour Shobha Karandlaje said a thorough investigation into the allegations of an unsafe and exploitative work environment was underway.