What Shashi Tharoor Said After Talking To Anna Sebastian Perayil’s Father
Congress leader and Lok Sabha member Shashi Tharoor has called for workplace reforms after a heartfelt conversation with Sibi Joseph, the father of Anna Sebastian Perayil, a young Chartered Accountant who died following a cardiac arrest. Tharoor shared his discussion with Joseph, whose daughter passed away after working under extreme pressure at Ernst & Young (EY) in Pune.
In a social media post, Tharoor revealed that Joseph suggested the introduction of legislation to limit working hours to eight per day, five days a week, across all sectors. Tharoor agreed, vowing to raise the issue in Parliament, stating, “Inhumanity at the workplace must be legislated out of existence with stringent punishment and fines for offenders. Human rights do not stop at the workplace!”
This follows an emotional letter by Anna’s mother, Anita Augustine, addressed to Rajiv Memani, Chairman of EY India, holding the company accountable for her daughter’s death. Anna had worked long hours, suffered from anxiety and exhaustion, and collapsed from the overwhelming demands placed upon her. Augustine described the intense work culture, alleging that her daughter was pressured by her managers despite showing signs of distress.
EY India has expressed its condolences and reaffirmed its commitment to employee well-being, promising to address the concerns raised by the family.
“We are deeply saddened by Anna Sebastian’s tragic and untimely passing in July 2024, and our deepest condolences go to the bereaved family. Anna was a part of the Audit team at S R Batliboi, a member firm of EY Global, in Pune for a brief period of four months, joining the firm on March 18, 2024. That her promising career was cut short in this tragic manner is an irreparable loss for all of us,” a statement from EY India read.
EY India also stressed that they are committed to the well-being of their employees, adding, “While no measure can compensate for the loss experienced by the family, we have provided all the assistance as we always do in such times of distress and will continue to do so. We are taking the family’s correspondence with the utmost seriousness and humility.”
Meanwhile, the central government has already announced a probe into the matter.
