New Delhi: Taking suo motu cognizance of the death of a 26-year-old employee of Earst & Young (E&Y) in Pune on July 20, 2024, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) today asked the Union Ministry of Labour and Employment for a detailed report in the matter.
The death of the young chartered accountant (CA) girl from Kerala was allegedly caused by an excessive workload in the firm, Ernst & Young (E&Y), which she had joined just four months back.
Reportedly, the mother of the girl wrote a letter to the employer, E&A, claiming that long hours of work had taken a heavy toll on her daughter’s physical, emotional and mental health, a charge denied by the company.
The Union Ministry of Labour and Employment is already getting the matter investigated, and the NHRC stated that it would like to know the outcome of the investigation, reportedly, being conducted in the instant matter relating to the death of the young employee.
“Apart from this, the Commission would also like to know the steps being taken and proposed to be taken to ensure such incidents do not recur. The response is expected within four weeks,” it stated today.
The NHRC observed that the contents of the media reports, if true, raised serious issues regarding challenges faced by young people at work, suffering from mental stress, anxiety, and lack of sleep, adversely affecting their physical and mental health, while chasing impractical targets and timelines resulting in grave violations of their human rights.
“It is the prime duty of every employer to provide a safe, secure and positive environment to its employees. They must ensure that everyone working with them is treated with dignity and fairness,” the NHRC stated.
The Commission further emphasized that businesses should take accountability for human rights issues and regularly update and revise their work and employment policies and regulations to ensure alignment with global human rights standards. “The painful death of the young employee in the instant case has indicated that there is an immediate need to take steps by all the stakeholders in this regard to stop such incidents in the country,” it stated.
According to the media report carried on September 18, 2024, the mother of the deceased girl claimed that her daughter’s death was reflective of the larger work culture, which glorified hard work but at the cost of health. She reportedly stated that how could a company like E&Y that speaks of values and human rights fail even to show up for the funeral of one of its own employees?
Last year, the Commission organized a conference on ‘harmonizing human rights and climate issues in businesses’ to sensitize various stakeholders, especially business and industry on human rights. The Commission also appointed a ‘Special Monitor’ to look into various practices and work environments leading to violations of human rights in business.
The Commission has specifically constituted a ‘Core Group on Business and Human Rights’ to review the existing legislations and regulations relating to the business environment and human rights and suggest measures for improvement. Based on these inputs, the Commission stated it intends to firm up its recommendations and send the same to the Central and State governments and their agencies to ensure the protection of human rights and a healthy work environment in business and industry.
– global bihari bureau
Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay
