Pregnant public sector banker alleges toxic workplace harassment manager: ‘First trimester was tough’

A pregnant public sector banker has sparked a wave of concern online after sharing a detailed Reddit post describing what she calls “toxic” and “inhuman” treatment from her branchmanager. The woman alleged that the manager regularly overburdened her with work.(Unsplash/Representational Image) “PSB manager being toxic and being inhuman to a pregnant woman,” the caption of the post reads. The woman who works with a branch running with only one staff member claimed she has remained regular at work despite a punishing first trimester. “My first trimester was incredibly hard, and I had bouts of viral in which I got a fever of 103,” the woman adds. According to her post, matters worsened after she quietly raised concerns with senior officials about suspicious loan sanctions allegedly approved the manager. When an enquiry was initiated, she believes the manager realised she had been the whleblower and began retaliating. “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.” Forced to work through illness: The Reddit post includes screenshots showing that the woman’s leave requests were ignored even when she was dealing with pregnancy-related problems. The woman alleges that the manager regularly overburdens her with work, micromanages her day, and sometimes denies her a proper lunch break. The banker said the emotional and physical strain has become overwhelming, leaving her in tears at work. She fears the manager is trying to force her to start her maternity leave early. “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 ba arrives.” Check out the post here: Screengrab of the Reddit post.(Reddit) Reddit reacts: The Reddit post drew strong reactions, with many users expressing shock at the woman’s situation. One of the users commented, “If you ever feel the IT industry in India is toxic, one should work in Banks. This is the prime example.” A second user commented, “Banks are extremely toxic unless you are working in corporate offices. Branch banking is hell.” “Rule no.1 of working in PSB, never take any office calls after you have left the branch, and particularly not when such types of persons are in your workplace,” another user commented. (Disclaimer: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.)