Union junior minister for labour and employment, Shobha Karandlaje, expressed deep sorrow over the death of Anna Sebastian Perayil, a 26-year-old chartered accountant with Ernst and Young (EY) India, who allegedly died by suicide because of work-related stress on Thursday.

Karandlaje also ordered an investigation into the allegations of exploitative workplace environment in India’s corporate sector.

Posting on X, Karandlaje said: “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, and the @LabourMinistry has officially taken up the complaint.”

She also tagged Union labour and employment minister Mansukh Mandaviya in her post.

Earlier on Thursday, BJP leader Rajeev Chandrasekhar called for a probe for the allegations made by Anna’s mother.

Chandrasekhar said that Anna’s death was “very sad but also disturbing at many levels.”

Mother’s call for Change

Anna’s mother, Anita Augustine, penned an emotional letter to EY India’s chairman, Rajiv Memani, detailing her daughter’s struggles and expressing her grief. She expressed how Anna had been overworked and stressed in her role at EY India, only four months into the job.

In her letter, Anita recalled Anna had been a top student and cleared the Chartered Accountant exam with distinction, eager to start on her career at EY.

On July 20, 2024, Anna passed away, leaving her family devastated.

Her mother described how in the last few days of her life, Anna worked late hours and was under pressure, being asked to complete tasks overnight by her assistant manager. Despite this, Anna was reluctant to quit, determined to learn and gain experience.

The family was hurt that no one from EY attended Anna’s funeral, leading her mother to call for changes in the company’s work culture to ensure no other family suffers the same loss.

EY India’s Response

EY India issued a statement expressing their sadness over Anna’s death and offering condolences to her family. They made it clear that they took the family’s concerns seriously and were dedicated to supporting the well-being of their employees. EY also mentioned helping the family and acknowledged the need to improve the work environment for their employees.