After the EY employee death, Deloitte assembles a three-person team to review people practices.
Amidst a social media uproar surrounding the purportedly work-related death of a young employee at tax consulting giant EY, Deloitte has appointed former revenue secretary Tarun Bajaj to a three-person external committee tasked with investigating employee practices, policies, and procedures, according to the company’s South Asia CEO Romal Shetty.
The tragic death of Anna Sebastian Perayil, a young CA who had recently joined EY’s Pune office, has brought attention to the intense work pressures and demanding environments in some professional services firms. In response, Deloitte’s Chief Happiness Officer initiative was highlighted by Deloitte representative Shetty as a measure to manage work pressure and foster an open work culture.
He acknowledged that while the client service business inherently involves deadlines and pressures, the firm takes strict action against any bad behavior within the organization. The incident at EY, described by Anna’s mother as the result of “backbreaking” workload affecting her daughter’s well-being, has sparked concerns about the mental and physical health of employees in such high-pressure industries.
This case has prompted broader discussions about the work culture in large consultancy firms like Deloitte, EY, PwC, and KPMG, collectively known as the Big Four, which are known for their rigorous demands and challenging work environments. It underscores the need for these organizations to balance client expectations with employee well-being, potentially re-evaluating their practices to prevent such tragedies and create a more supportive and sustainable work culture.
Deloitte’s Shetty emphasized that while a culture of bullying is not typical in long-established professional organizations, individual instances of misconduct can occur. He underscored the importance of having an open and supportive culture where employees feel safe to report issues without fear. Following the tragic death of Anna Sebastian Perayil at EY, Deloitte has taken proactive steps to re-evaluate its own organizational practices.
Shetty announced the formation of a panel consisting of three distinguished and independent individuals—Tarun Bajaj, former Revenue Secretary; Manoj Kohli, former CEO of Airtel; and Subodh Jaiswal, former CBI Director. This panel will review Deloitte’s people practices, policies, and processes, especially regarding the management of ethics cases and the effectiveness of its ethics helpline.
He acknowledged the challenges of managing stress and mental health in today’s diverse work environment and highlighted the need for organizations to adapt their practices to better support employees. This initiative reflects Deloitte’s commitment to creating a safer and more supportive workplace in response to the increased scrutiny on employee well-being and mental health in the professional services sector.
