‘Human rights don’t stop at workplace’: Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on EY employee’s death

The multinational consulting firm employee, who worked as a chartered accountant, had passed away on July 20 this year. Anna’s family, speaking to The Indian Express, had said she had collapsed after reaching home from office, and was declared “dead on arrival” at the hospital.

Had a deeply emotional and heartrending conversation with Shri Sibi Joseph, the father of young Anna Sebastian, who passed away after a cardiac arrest, following four months of deeply stressful seven-day weeks of 14 hours a day at Ernst&Young. He suggested, and I agreed, that I…

— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) September 20, 2024

“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! Will raise this matter at the first opportunity during the next session of parliament,” Tharoor added.

In the letter to EY India Chairman Rajiv Memani, the employee’s mother claimed that no one from the company attended her daughter’s funeral. “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?” Augustine wrote in her letter.

The Centre on Thursday launched a probe into the allegations of an “unsafe and exploitative work environment” at the audit and tax firm.

The firm, meanwhile, has denied the allegations and promised to continue to take steps to make the firm’s work environment healthier.