Pune: The Pune office of Ernst & Young (EY) has been operating without a licence under the Shops Act since 2007, raising concerns after the tragic death of a young chartered accountant (CA). An official from the Maharashtra labour department stated on Wednesday that this lack of licensing is a violation of regulations that protect employee welfare and rights.

The Shops and Establishments Act oversees various business operations, focusing on employee health, safety, and financial security. Following the death of 26-year-old Anna Sebastian Perayil, a labour department official conducted an inspection of the EY office on Monday, as directed by the central government.

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Anna passed away in July, just four months after starting her job at EY. Her mother reached out to EY India chairman Rajiv Memani, claiming that excessive workload and long hours contributed to her daughter's death. However, the firm denied these allegations.

Additional labour commissioner Shailendra Pol noted that the inspection covered multiple legal provisions under the Shops Act, including minimum wages, maternity benefits, and payment of overtime. "During the inspection, it came to light that the EY Pune office had not obtained the licence under the Shops & Establishments Act since its inception in 2007," he said.

He emphasised that failing to obtain the Shops Act licence is a clear violation of norms. "A show cause notice will be issued by our shop inspector and we will wait for their reply and accordingly further action will be decided," the official said.

Union Minister for Labor Mansukh Mandaviya has confirmed that an investigation into Anna's death is ongoing. A notice will be issued to EY, and further actions will be determined based on their response.

Agency