Tragedy Strikes EY India: Chairman Rajiv Memani Breaks Silence on Employee’s Sudden Death, Debunks Work Pressure Claims
Ernst and Young India Chairman Denies Claims of Work Pressure Leading to Employee’s Death
Ernst and Young India Chairman Rajeev Memani has denied claims that Anna Sebastian’s death was due to work pressure. The reaction came after a letter written by Anna’s mother to the head of Ernst & Young India went viral on social media and sparked massive protests.
Memani stated that Anna was treated like any other employee and that the pressure at work could not have cost her her life. “We have around 1 lakh employees. There is no doubt that everyone has to work hard. Anna has worked with us for only four months. She has been given a job like any other employee. We don’t believe that the pressure of work will take her life,” Rajeev Memani told The Indian Express.
Memani expressed his condolences on Anna’s passing and described it as an irreparable loss for Ernst & Young India and all its employees. Anna joined the firm on March 18, 2024, as part of the audit team at SR Batliboi, an EY Global member firm in Pune.
Memani also revealed that he responded to the letter written to him by Anita Augustine (Anna’s mother) and assured her of full support as well as further steps to improve the system. “We take the family correspondence with extreme seriousness and humility. We place great importance on the well-being of all employees and will continue to find ways to improve and provide a healthy work environment for our 100,000 people across EY member firms in India,” he said.
Anna’s mother described her daughter as a ”fighter” who excelled in both school and college, passing all her exams. She said Anna worked tirelessly at EY and was dedicated to meeting the challenges of the job.