EY Executive Anna Sebastian Perayil’s Death Case : NGO Demands Forensic Audit Of The MNC By Ministry of Labour

People Activism Forum, a Delhi-based NGO, has filed a strong-worded complaint into the death of just 26-year-old EY executive, Anna Sebastian Perayil, a Chartered Accountant by profession. The complaint has been sent to Union Minister of Labour, Mansukh L. Mandaviya and copies of the same have been sent to MoS Labour, Shobha Karandlaje, Secretary – Labour, Disciplinary Directorate of The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) and Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO), complaining of the “toxic” work atmosphere in the offices of multinationals operating in India.

Pradeep Kishan Yadav, Director of People Activism Forum, who retired as Executive Director with Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL), has “demanded a forensic audit of EY, as this will show gross violations of all norms, standards & also engaged in manipulating and falsifying records to appear as a totally compliant organization which in fact has horrid work culture, dismal pay, maximum exploitation, no overtime payment, asking employees not to charge beyond 34 hours a week and with this Forensic Audit of EY, the smoke screen may fall like a pack of cards”.

www.indianpsu.com – which is in possession of a copy of the complaint, spoke to Pradeep Kishan Yadav, who said “there are zero repercussions or remorse on the part of employers who routinely harass workers. The goal of multinational auditing firms like E&Y, KPMG, Deloitte, PwC, Grand Thornton, etc., operating in India, is to make money through exploitation at the behest of their masters sitting in the USA or European Union. In all these so-called multinationals, it is we Indians who are working and being exploited by our own people at their masters’ behest”.

He adds that “The ‘Right to Disconnect’ rule has recently come into effect in Australia and France like more than 20 countries mainly in Europe and Latin America. Is it not surprising that MNCs in India, especially the big 5 accounting firms do not apply similar initiatives for Indian employees’ welfare in India? This is so as they still have the imperialist mentality to exploit Indians as slaves. The only long-term sustainable solution to this overarching issue is to disallow such big 5 accounting firms from functioning in India and restore such work responsibilities to Indian firms who will be more empathetic towards fellow Indians”.

www.indianpsu.com also send an email query to Rajiv Memani, Chair, EY Global Growth Markets Council (GMC), EY India Chairman and Regional Managing Partner, but he chose not to reply.

The complaint filed by People Activism Forum is given below for the benefit of the viewers of www.indianpsu.com –

Anna’s mother, Anita Augustine, wrote an emotional yet a strong-worded letter to Rajiv Memani, the India Boss of EY. Here are some excerpts from the letter –

Her manager would often reschedule meetings during cricket matches and assign her work at the end of the day, adding to her stress. At an office party, a senior leader even joked that she would have a tough time working under her manager, which, unfortunately, became a reality she could not escape.

Anna’s death should serve as a wake-up call for EY. It is time to reflect on the work culture within your organization and take meaningful steps to prioritize the health and wellness of your employees. This means creating an environment where employees feel safe to speak up, where they are supported in managing their workload, and where their mental and physical well-being is not sacrificed for the sake of productivity.

No one from EY attended Anna’s funeral. This absence at such a critical moment, for an employee who gave her all to your organization until her last breath, is deeply hurtful. Anna deserved better, and so do all the employees who continue to work under these conditions. My heart aches not just for the loss of my child but also for the lack of empathy shown by those who were supposed to guide and support her. After her funeral, I reached out to her managers, but I received no reply. How can a company that speaks of values and human rights fail to show up for one of its own in their final moments?

I hope my child’s experience leads to real change so that no other family has to endure the grief and trauma we are going through. My Anna is no longer with us, but her story can still make a difference.

Team www.indianpsu.com, at this grief-stricken time, stands with the family of Anna Sebastian Perayil and vows to to do its best to unfold this matter. After all, just a candle march cannot be the way to get justice ! ‘JUSTICE FOR ANNA’ and we will not leave this matter here as a simple news story till the young one gets justice !

Anna died on July 20, this year and after a passage of more than two and a half months, we still wonder as to why, there has been no criminal case registered against EY India and its top bosses.

It was only the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) which took suo motu cognizance of the death of Anna Sebastian Perayil and issued a notice to the Union Ministry of Labour and Employment asking for a detailed report. The detailed report is still awaited. And for the rest, especially those in the opposition, it was sheer lip service which they perhaps did as part of their daily routine and conveniently forgot!

www.indianpsu.com has been getting complaints about harassment and toxic work atmosphere, especially from former employees of the organization, who also claim that those presently working here are too a suffering lot, but remain tight lipped as they are fear that if they raise their voice on public platforms, they would be “marked” and soon would be labelled as “untouchables” for other corporates in India.

TO BE CONTINUED…..