New mother turns down ₹30 LPA bank job in Bengaluru after ‘ultimatum’: ‘I don’t regret it’

A new mother has sparked a discussion online about workplace negotiations and motherhood after she revealed why she turned down a ₹30 lakh per annum job offer from a Bengaluru-based bank. Taking to Instagram, user Komal Khemani said her decision was not about money but about “pricing vulnerability” of women returning to work after childbirth.The video resonated with many working women, who said that they had faced similar situations. (Unsplash/Representative image)In her post, Komal explained that she had quit her previous job during the fifth month of pregnancy as she was based in Mumbai while her husband was in Bengaluru. Around the same time, a bank in Bengaluru began interviewing her for a role that matched both her profile and preferred location. However, the interview process spanned nearly 8 months.Komal said that she chose not to disclose her pregnancy initially as there is no formal rule requiring such disclosure during hiring. She shared that an interview was eventually scheduled just 14 days after her C-section. It was at this point that she informed the company that she had recently become a mother – something she said “did not sit right with them”.But despite this, Komal said that the process continued. “They went ahead with another round, asking why I wanted to return so soon. My daughter was 3 months then,” she said in the clip.(Also Read: Bengaluru entrepreneur, 23, begins health tracking journey, says he’ll be ‘Bryan Johnson of India’)Why did she reject ₹30 LPA offer? Komal alleged that though the organisation liked her profile, the compensation was revised downward after learning she was a returning mother. She was told to either accept a ₹30 lakh offer or risk the offer being withdrawn.“That’s when I realised this is not negotiation, it’s pricing vulnerability. And so I walked away,” she said, adding that rejecting the offer turned out to be one of the “best decisions” of her life. “This offer came after 8 months of interviews, personal questions, 14 days post C-section, and an ultimatum. I walked away — and I don’t regret it,” she wrote in the caption of the post.HT.com has reached out to Komal Khemani. The article will be ce a response is received.(Also Read: