During the recent "EY Ignite Learning Week" in May, several employees at EY completed multiple online courses, leading to an internal investigation. The company announced job cuts as disciplinary measures for violations of its U.S. learning policy and global code of conduct, emphasizing its commitment to integrity and ethics.

Employees expressed outrage over what they perceived as an excessive response to the situation. Many of the terminated workers claimed they were driven by curiosity and unaware of any wrongdoing by enrolling in multiple seminars. A warning in an August email highlighted that employees should complete learning tasks with integrity and refrain from taking other courses simultaneously.

Staff frustrations stem from the high demands placed on them, with expectations to log 45 hours of work per week and engage in additional internal tasks. Some employees pointed out perceived hypocrisy, noting that unethical practices among higher-ups, such as manipulating meeting appearances, went unpunished. 

Critics on the employee messaging platform Fishbowl labeled the layoffs as "disproportionately severe" and questioned EY's responsibility in creating an environment that allowed overlapping learning opportunities. One commenter described the company's response as "cruel," suggesting that more effective measures, like reducing ratings or delaying promotions, would have been more appropriate. Currently, EY employs approximately 393,000 people globally.