The tragic death of 26-year-old chartered accountant Anna Sebastian Perayil, who was employed at Ernst & Young—one of the “Big Four” accounting firms—has sparked a national outrage over exploitative corporate work environments.
A poignant letter from her mother, Anita Augustine, addressed to EY India Chairman Rajiv Memani, went viral on social media, accusing the company of overworking her daughter and condemning its toxic work culture. This incident has rekindled scrutiny of existing labour laws governing the white-collar workforce in India and whether reforms are required to curtail such exploitative workplace practices.
Currently, a host of central legislations govern the rights of private employees, including the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947, the Shops and Establishments Act, 1954, and the Factories Act, 1948, among others. However, white-collar employees are predominantly regulated by the contracts they sign upon employment, largely due to the ambiguities in the application of these laws.
There is also no standardised template for employment contracts mandated by these legislations, resulting in significant variation in contractual clauses across different companies. This lack of uniformity creates inconsistencies in the rights and obligations of employees, further complicating the regulatory landscape for white-collar workers.
Joining us for a conversation around this, is Mr. Sanjoy Ghose, a senior advocate practising at the Supreme Court of India and the Delhi High Court.
Host: Aaratrika Bhaumik
Production: Aniket Singh Chauhan
Published - September 24, 2024 07:25 pm IST
