Rajiv Memani, the chairman of Ernst & Young (EY) India has now expressed regret over not attending the funeral of Anna Sebastian Perayil, the 26-year-old EY employee who died due to ‘work pressure’.
Through a LinkedIn post, he revealed that the deceased’s mother, Anita Augustine, wrote a letter to him showing her concern. “I am deeply saddened and as a father, I can only imagine Ms Augustine’s 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 wrote.
Anna’s mother in the letter to Memani said that 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,” she added.
He further added that over the past few days, he is aware that people have in their social media posts commented on some of their work practices. It has always been very important for them to create a healthy workplace and he ensured that the organisation attached the highest importance to the well-being of their 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. I am absolutely committed to nurturing a harmonious workplace, and I will not rest until that objective is accomplished,” he stated.
Memani posted hours after the Union Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Shobha Karandlaje, announced that the ministry has begun looking into claims of ‘unsafe and exploitative work environment’
Anna’s family announced on Thursday that she had passed away at the hospital after collapsing on July 20 after returning from work. “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 told The Indian Express. She added 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 organisation until her last breath, is deeply hurtful. Anna deserved better, and so do all the employees who continue to work under these conditions,” she noted.