'Hire more people instead of abusing workers' rights': Shashi Tharoor on EY employee's death

He emphasized that if a company requires its employees to work overtime continuously, it should hire more staff instead of violating worker rights.

Anna Sebastian Perayil, a chartered accountant from Kerala, had been employed at EY's Pune office for four months before her death in July.

Earlier this month, a letter written by her mother, Anita Augustine, to EY India Chairman Rajiv Memani—criticizing the company's "glorification" of overwork—gained widespread attention.

Tharoor shared pictures of his "emotional" meeting with Anna's "anguished" parents on X and expressed his support for an inquiry and accountability.

He called for new laws and regulations to address the "toxic work culture" prevalent in "bottom-line-obsessed, under-staffed establishments" and advocated for improved training for mid-level managers.

The Congress leader, who represents Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala, accused the company of contributing to Anna's death, which he said resulted from "overwork and intolerable stress and pressure from her managers."

"If a company needs 16-hour days and nights from its employees all the time, it needs to hire more people, not abuse the rights of those it recruits and exploits," he said.

Last week, Shashi Tharoor had a conversation with Anna Sebastian Perayil’s father, Sibi Joseph, who advocated for a standardized 40-hour work week. "He (Anna's father) suggested, and I agreed, that I raise the issue of legislating, through Parliament, a fixed calendar for all workplaces, whether in the private sector or the public, that would not exceed eight hours a day, five days a week," Tharoor shared on X on September 20.

"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," the Congress MP stated. He also expressed his intention to bring up the matter during the next session of Parliament, likely scheduled for December.

Sibi Joseph, speaking to the media last week, revealed that he had advised Anna to leave her job due to the grueling work hours, which often extended till 12:30 am at EY India.

"We advised her to quit, but she insisted that this stint would provide valuable professional exposure," he said.

Joseph also claimed that the family had raised concerns about the excessive work pressure with senior officials at EY, but no action was taken. "She had complained to the assistant manager, but they insisted on working even at night," he added.

The family said that the company only responded after Anna’s mother’s letter went viral. "We are not planning to move legally, but we don't want anyone else to face the same fate. We don't want the newbies joining such corporate companies to face similar situations," Joseph said.

Anna’s mother, Anita Augustine, also mentioned in her letter that no one from the company attended her daughter’s funeral, which the family found deeply distressing.