The death of Anna Sebastian Perayil, a 26-year-old Chartered Accountant (CA) at Ernst and Young (EY), has sparked a raging debate about exploitative working conditions in Indian workspaces.

Now, CA Dr Rohit Ruwatia Agarwal, a Central Council Member (CCM) at the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI), has highlighted the need of guidelines focused on improving the working conditions in accountancy firms.

Taking this to social media platform X (formerly Twitter), he wrote, “I have requested ICAI council to discuss in the council & issue guidelines focused on improving the working conditions of Chartered Accountants. Emphasizing work-life balance, health and wellness programs, ethical employment practices, and regular reviews of the work environment will motivate employers to adopt better practices and enhance CA welfare. We at the council will certainly work on the matter.”

Anna Sebastian Perayil a native of Kerala, had joined EY Pune on March 19 this year.

A letter written by the deceased’s mother to EY Chairman Rajiv Memani described in detail the toxic and hostile work culture at EY which led to Anna's death. It was highlighted that the workload, new environment, and long hours took a toll on her physically, emotionally, and mentally.

The incident has ignited critical conversation around toxic work culture and exploitative practices that prevade large corporate offices in India.