EY case puts spotlight on white-collar labour laws

● Decades-old laws largely focused on blue-collar workers

- SHIVAM PATEL

Authorities in two states—Maharashtra and Karnataka—are drafting tighter workplace rules and inspections to protect white-collar employees following the death of a young executive at global consultancy Ernst & Young (EY), which her family blamed on overwork.

The country's decades-old labour laws are largely focused on blue-collar workers, leaving others vulnerable to workplace abuse, unions say.

Labour authorities in Maharashtra and Karnataka said they have stepped up scrutiny of office practices at private firms in an effort to protect white-collar workers after a string of complaints, four officials in the two states told Reuters. Hundreds of strategic centres of global firms are in Mumbai and Bengaluru.