NHRC issues notice to Ministry of Labour and Employment over death of chartered accountant due to workload

NHRC issues notice to Ministry of Labour over death of accountant due to excessive workload at Ernst & Young.

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Saturday (September 21, 2024) issued notice to the Union Ministry of Labour and Employment over the death of a 26-year-old chartered accountant from Kerala due to ‘excessive workload’ at Ernst & Young India, where she joined work four months ago.

It was reported recently that the woman’s mother, in a letter to the accounting firm, claimed that long hours of work had taken a heavy toll on her daughter’s physical, emotional and mental health, a charge denied by the firm. The Ministry has taken up a complaint in this regard, Union Minister of State Shobha Karandlaje said on X on Thursday.

In its notice, the Commission has observed that the matter raises serious concerns over the challenges faced by young citizens at work, including stress, anxiety, and lack of sleep, which are adversely affecting their physical and mental health.

The Commission has sought from the Ministry details of outcome of the investigation in the case and the steps being taken to ensure such incidents do not recur. The response is expected within four weeks.

“.... chasing impractical targets and timelines is resulting in grave violations of human rights of the employees. It is the prime duty of every employer to provide a safe, secure and positive environment to its employees. They must ensure that everyone working with them is treated with dignity and fairness,” the Commission observed.

It also emphasised that businesses take accountability for human rights violations and regularly update and revise their work and employment policies and regulations to ensure alignment with global human rights standards.

“The painful death of the young employee in the instant case has indicated that there is an immediate need to take steps by all the stakeholders in this regard to stop such incidents in the country,” the communique from the Commission read.