'It will never happen again': EY India Chairman on missing young CA's funeral who died of 'overwork'

In a LinkedIn post on Thursday evening, Memani shared his deep sorrow over Anna's passing and empathized with her mother’s grief.

His message also comes a day after the Central government said that it is investigating the circumstances of the death of a 26-year-old chartered accountant employed by Ernst & Young India, alleged due to excessive work pressure.

Anna’s mother, Anita Augustine, had penned a heart-wrenching letter to Memani about the work conditions at EY India, which she believes contributed to her daughter's death.

Anna passed away in July in Pune, just four months after joining S R Batliboi, an EY Global member firm.

"Anna would return to her room utterly exhausted, sometimes collapsing on the bed without even changing her clothes, only to be bombarded with messages asking for more reports. She was putting in her best efforts, working very hard to meet the deadlines," Augustine wrote in her letter.

In his LinkedIn post, Memani wrote: "I am deeply saddened, and as a father, I can only imagine Ms Augustine’s grief. I have conveyed my deepest condolences to the family, although nothing can fill the void in their lives."

Augustine had also said that no employee of EY India attended her daughter's funeral in Kerala.

Memani said that they "truly regret" missing Anna’s funeral.

"This is completely alien to our culture. It has never happened before; it will never happen again," he said.

"Over the past few days, I am aware that people have, in their social media posts, commented on some of our work practices. It has always been very important to us to create a healthy workplace, and we attach the highest importance to the well-being of our people," he said.

Memani also stated that the "well-being of our people is my top-most priority, and I will personally champion this objective".

"I am absolutely committed to nurturing a harmonious workplace, and I will not rest until that objective is accomplished," the post read.

The issue has sparked a social media storm, with many sharing their experiences of toxic workplace environments.

Several netizens, including former employees of the Big Four consultancies, have criticized the work culture, highlighting how long working hours are often glorified, with little regard for employee well-being or "empathy."

Minister of State for Labour Shobha Karandlaje stated that a thorough investigation into claims of an unsafe and exploitative work environment is currently in progress.

The minister was addressing a post by BJP leader Rajeev Chandrasekhar, who described the woman's death as "very sad" and "disturbing at many levels."