EY Pune Office Lacked Shop Act License Amid Employee’s Death

The Ernst & Young (EY) office in Pune, where a young employee allegedly died due to overwork, has been operating since 2007 without a state-mandated permit that regulates work hours, according to sources from India Today TV.

Anna Sebastian Perayil, a 26-year-old audit executive, joined EY’s Pune office on March 18 this year and worked until July 19. She tragically passed away on July 21 following a heart attack. Her mother has written to EY India Chairman Rajiv Memani, alleging that excessive workload and prolonged work hours severely affected Anna’s health. The company, however, denied these allegations.

Following Anna’s death, the Labor Commissionerate inspected EY’s office in Yerwada on Monday. The investigation revealed that the company does not possess a Shop Act license, a legal requirement under the Maharashtra Shops and Establishments Act. This license is crucial for regulating employee rights, work conditions, wages, and safety measures.

Although the EY Pune office applied for a Shop Act license online in February, it had not received approval as of the time of inspection. The labor department is now scrutinizing the company for any potential exploitation of employees. Regulations stipulate that if employees are required to work more than eight hours, prior permission from the company’s manager is mandatory.

Additionally, the labor department has recommended implementing a central logout system for laptops, ensuring employees automatically log out after eight working hours.

In the wake of this tragic incident, Anna’s mother expressed concern over her daughter’s heavy workload, which she believes contributed to the heart attack. The labor department’s findings could lead to serious legal consequences for EY, and further investigations are ongoing regarding labor law violations at the Pune office.