EY chairman expresses regret, says will not rest till harmonious workplace achieved

EY India chairman vows to investigate work environment after employee's death, prioritizing well-being of staff.

Ernst & Young (EY) India chairman Rajiv Memani has expressed regret at not attending the funeral of a 26-year-old employee whose death was blamed on stress by her mother, and said he will not rest till achieving the goal of harmonious workplace.

Anna Sebastian Perayil, who passed her CA exams in 2023 and worked at EY Pune office for four months, died in July. According to a letter her mother wrote to Memani, she was overworked with a "backbreaking" load as a new employee that affected her "physically, emotionally, and mentally".

The government too has stepped in to say that it will investigate the work environment at Big Four accounting firm EY.

Also read: Centre probes young EY employee’s death after mother blames it on ‘work stress’

In a post on LinkedIn, Mr. Memani said he was "deeply saddened" by the death and as a father, can only imagine the grief of the family.

"I have conveyed my deepest condolences to the family, although nothing can fill the void in their lives," he wrote. "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."

With the incident catching the attention on social media, he said he was aware that people have commented on some of EY's work practices. "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. I am absolutely committed to nurturing a harmonious workplace, and I will not rest until that objective is accomplished," he added.