EY India's chairman Rajiv Memani speaks out after employee's tragic death

Rajiv Memani, chairman of Ernst & Young (EY) India, has expressed remorse for not attending Anna Sebastian Perayil's burial, a time when he has been on the receiving end of an employee's death.

Hours after the center opened an investigation into the consulting firm's "unsafe and exploitative work environment," Memani wrote in a LinkedIn post on Sep 19 that he is "committed to nurturing a harmonious workplace."

He mentioned, "I am deeply saddened, and as a father, I can only imagine Ms Augustine’s (Anna’s mother, Anita Augustine) grief. 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.”

He also recognized social media claims about EY's work culture, saying that the Big Four Company places "the highest importance on the well-being of our people."

"I would like to affirm that the well-being of our people is my top priority, and I will personally champion this objective. I am absolutely committed to nurturing a harmonious workplace, and I will not rest until that objective is accomplished,” Memani added.

Memani's statement came hours after Union Minister of State for Labour and Employment Shobha Karandlaje announced that the government has initiated a probe into an alleged hazardous workplace environment.

“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 @LabourMinistry has officially taken up the complaint,” Karandlaje posted on X (formerly Twitter). The Labour Ministry officials did not respond to queries on the action taken.

The deceased 26-year-old EY employee Perayil's mother claimed in a letter to Memani that her daughter died as a result of "work pressure" at the firm. On Sep 19, Anna's relatives said that she fainted after returning home from work on July 20 and was proclaimed "dead on arrival" at the hospital.

“On July 20, Anna returned home from the office late in the evening and suddenly collapsed. She was taken to the hospital, where the doctors declared her dead. Before that, she had no health issues,” the family said.

She also said that nobody from EY had attended Anna’s funeral. “No one from EY attended Anna’s funeral. This absence at such a critical moment for an employee who gave her all to your organization until her last breath is deeply hurtful. Anna deserved better, and so do all the employees who continue to work under these conditions. ”

“The workload, new environment, and long hours took a toll on her physically, emotionally, and mentally. She began experiencing anxiety, sleeplessness, and stress soon after joining, but she kept pushing herself, believing that hard work and perseverance were the keys to success,” Anna’s mother had said in the letter to Memani and others in EY.