I Could Not Go to Washroom, I Cried Every Day”: Female Banker Alleges Toxic Work Environment in PSU Banks
A female banker’s story has created a major discussion on social media. For many young people in India, a government or public-sector bank job is considered a secure and stable career. Students spend years preparing for competitive exams to get these jobs.
But one former bank employee has shared a very different experience. Her name is Madhurima. She spent around two years preparing for the IBPS examination and eventually secured a job in a government-owned bank.
However, after working there for around one and a half years, she decided to resign. She also had to pay around Rs 2 lakh as a bond penalty for leaving the bank. According to Madhurima, the job became a source of severe stress for her.
Speaking to Hindustan Times, she said that she was crying every day after work and was working for more than 12 hours on some days. She also alleged that her leave requests were denied and that she sometimes could not even take a proper break to use the washroom during working hours. According to her, this eventually contributed to a severe urinary tract infection, or UTI. Watch video what she said 👇
One more woman left her job in Government Bank, alleging toxic work environment. pic.twitter.com/3qVq2F23lI
— Hellobanker (@Hellobanker_in) October 2, 2026
How Her Banking Career Started
Madhurima is originally from West Bengal. After completing her master’s degree, she spent two years preparing for the IBPS examination. She was eventually selected for a government-owned bank and joined in October 2022. She was posted to a rural branch in Karnataka, where she also had to undergo nine months of training.
Initially, the job appeared attractive. Madhurima said that she was earning around Rs 70,000 per month and was also receiving house rent allowance. So financially, she did not have major concerns about the job. But according to her, the working conditions were very different from what she had expected.
Long Working Hours
Madhurima said that her working day generally started around 8:30 in the morning. On some days, she said that work continued until after 10:30 at night. She also alleged that she had to work on Sundays and was given additional responsibilities. One of the biggest difficulties, according to her, was working as a cashier.
In banks, cashier duties are normally performed by clerks. However, due to staff shortages, officers are also sometimes being asked to handle cashier duties when a clerk is on leave. This means that officers may have to manage cash transactions and other counter-related work in addition to their regular responsibilities. As a result, officers may have to handle multiple responsibilities during the same working day. They may have to complete their own official work while also managing the cashier counter when there is a shortage of staff.
She said that customers started arriving around 10 in the morning and continued coming until the afternoon. According to Madhurima, she sometimes remained at the cash counter for several hours without taking a proper break. She linked this lack of breaks to the severe UTI that she experienced.
Impact on Her Personal Life
The long working hours also affected her personal life. Madhurima got married in December 2022, while she was still undergoing training. She said that because of her work schedule, she had very little time to spend with her husband and in-laws. For her, the issue was therefore not only about working hours but also about the impact of the job on her personal life.
Allegation Against a Senior Employee
Madhurima also described an incident involving a senior employee who was not her direct manager. She alleged that the senior employee verbally abused her and made disparaging comments about women working in banks. She reported the matter to HR in Mumbai. According to Madhurima, the senior employee was contacted after her complaint, and his behaviour subsequently changed.
The Breaking Point
According to her, the situation reached a breaking point in February 2024. She said that she was denied leave to attend her friend’s wedding. After this incident, she decided to resign from the bank the following month. But leaving the job was not easy. She said that she had to pay around Rs 2 lakh as a bond penalty for leaving the bank. She also served her notice period while looking for another job.
A Major Salary Cut
Eventually, Madhurima found a job with a Bengaluru-based startup. However, there was a major reduction in her salary. Her new salary was around Rs 35,000 per month, compared with approximately Rs 70,000 that she was earning in the bank. Despite the lower salary, she felt that the change in working conditions was worth it.
Over the next two years, her salary increased. Today, according to the report, Madhurima works as a Senior Customer Support Executive. She earns around Rs 60,000 per month and works from home. She now lives with her husband in Hyderabad.
What Does This Story Tell Us?
Madhurima’s story has started a wider discussion about working conditions in the banking sector. A government or public-sector bank job can provide salary stability, benefits and job security. But at the same time, individual employees can have very different experiences depending on their branch, role, workload, management and working environment.
Madhurima’s allegations are her personal account of her experience. Her story has also raised questions about working hours, employee workload, leave, workplace behaviour and work-life balance in the banking sector.
So, what do you think?
Is a government bank job still worth the pressure if the working hours and workload become extremely demanding?
Share your views in the comments.
And if you are a bank employee, tell us about your experience as well. Share your experiences at email – hellobanker.in@gmail.com.
