Employee's Death Sparks Work-Life Balance Debate: EY India Faces Criticism
In Short
- A Pune woman allegedly died due to excessive work pressure.
- The incident came to light after her mother wrote a letter to EY India’s chairman.
- The government is investigating claims of an unsafe and exploitative work environment.
After the tragic death of a 26-year-old EY India employee in Pune, Anna’s mother accused the company of placing overwhelming work pressure on her daughter, who passed away just four months after joining. In a letter addressed to EY India Chairman Rajiv Memani, she expressed her grief and frustration, noting that no company member attended the funeral. This has ignited a social media storm, with people criticizing the company’s work culture.
Response from EY Indian
In response, EY India expressed its sorrow, stating, “Anna was part of the audit team of SR Batliboy, a member firm of EY Global in Pune, for four months, joining the firm on 18 March 2024. The tragic end of his promising career is an irreparable loss for all of us.”
After the death of 26-year-old EY employee, Narayana Murthy's '70-hour work week' came to mind
This incident has brought back discussions around Narayana Murthy’s controversial statement from last year, where he suggested a 70-hour workweek to boost productivity. At the time, the corporate world was divided on the idea. Now, with the recent death of an EY employee, questions around work-life balance in the corporate sector have resurfaced.
On X (formerly Twitter), CA Rishika Gupta commented, “While EY is being shamed, it must be said that the culture of ‘ sitting late’ and overworking is glorified or seen as the norm not just in the Big 4 but in many corporations. Remember Narayana Murthy’s 70-hour workweek?”
