Lagatar24 Desk
Pune: The Ernst & Young (EY) office in Pune, which employed a 26-year-old audit executive who died under allegedly excessive workload conditions, has been operating since 2007 without a required state permit to regulate work hours, according to a senior government official. The company is now facing scrutiny following the death of Anna Sebastian Perayil, with her mother pointing to “backbreaking” work demands in a letter to EY India’s chairman.
The Maharashtra Labour Department has confirmed that the Pune office lacked mandatory registration under the state’s Shops and Establishments Act. This law restricts working hours to nine per day and 48 per week. Shailendra Pol, Maharashtra’s additional labour commissioner, revealed that EY only applied for the permit in February 2024, and the application was rejected for non-compliance since 2007. EY has been given seven days to explain the oversight, which, if linked to the employee’s death, could result in fines or imprisonment.
The death of Anna Perayil has sparked a central government investigation and revived debates over the mental and physical toll of high-pressure jobs. Her mother, Anita Augustine, claimed that Anna worked long hours, including weekends, with little opportunity to rest, leading to her death from cardiac arrest.
Maharashtra’s labour officials are seeking further information from EY, including work hour logs and welfare policies, to determine if Perayil was overworked during her tenure at the firm. EY India, which employs around 100,000 people, has not yet commented but previously stated that it prioritizes employee well-being and is taking the family’s concerns seriously.
