Pregnant Government Bank Employee Shares Chats With Toxic Manager, Says She Gets Harassed At Workplace

It’s no secret that banking jobs in India come with intense pressure, but a recent viral post has brought the issue back into sharp focus. A woman working at a public sector bank has alleged severe mental harassment by her manager while she is 28 weeks pregnant, describing the environment as emotionally and physically overwhelming and also toxic and inhumane. Her anonymous Reddit post has struck a chord online, sparking outrage and renewed criticism of workplace culture in Indian banks.

Pregnant bank employee highlights disturbing workplace toxicity

A viral Reddit post has drawn attention to the troubling work culture inside a public sector bank, where a pregnant employee says she has been pushed far beyond her limits. Despite her branch running with just one staff member, the woman claims her manager showed no empathy toward her condition. She shared that even during a difficult first trimester, marked by severe viral infections and a fever as high as 103°F, her requests for rest were routinely dismissed. What should have been a period of care and support became a daily battle against exhaustion.

According to her post, her manager repeatedly denied her sick leave, even when she faced serious pregnancy-related complications like nausea and intrahepatic cholestasis, a liver condition known for causing intense itching and sleepless nights. She wrote that she sometimes breaks down at work due to the “inhuman behaviour,” explaining that she is often forced to work late and skip meals just to keep things running. Her words read,

“He has been harassing me mentally and using many tactics. I have hardly taken sick leave twice or thrice in the month when I absolutely have to, due to exertion and nausea.”

Her account paints a harsh picture of an environment where compassion takes a backseat to pressure and workload.

The employee insisted she has remained dedicated to her job throughout her pregnancy, attending work even during bouts of high fever because she was the only one available in the branch. She said she has barely taken a sick day unless absolutely necessary.

Raising concerns allegedly triggers retaliation against pregnant bank employee

In her viral post, the woman shared that her situation worsened after she quietly reported “suspicious” loan approvals made by her manager to senior officials. Once an internal inquiry began, she believes the manager realised she was the one who had raised the concern – and that’s when the alleged retaliation started. What was already a stressful environment began to feel openly hostile.

According to her, the troubling behaviour escalated quickly. She wrote,

“He had got a whiff of my complaint, I feel, and he has been harassing me mentally and using many tactics.”

She shared that she was routinely overloaded with work. The woman also described relentless micromanagement causing exhaustion. She added that what she fears most is that her manager is trying to force her into taking maternity leave earlier than she intended. She wrote,

“I was planning to go to work till the end as we don’t have work from home option, so that I can use my maternity leave when the baby arrives.”

She said the decision to go on maternity leave should be hers,

“Everyone wants me to just not be confrontational and go on leave. Why should I go on leave before I decide I want to go on maternity?”

Her account has once again raised tough questions about the culture of power misuse and lack of empathy within India’s banking system.

Have a look at the screenshots attached in the post to corroborate the claims

Here is how netizens reacted to the post

Netizens took to the comment section of the Reddit post and reacted in myriad ways. Have a look at some of the comments,

What are your thoughts on such a toxic work culture in public sector banks? Do share your thoughts via the comments below.