The dream of working in a government bank attracts millions of young people in the country who spend years studying and preparing for competitive exams. Government service is valued for good salary, employment guarantees, and social status. However, the story of 31-year-old Madhurima from West Bengal turned out differently. After two years of preparation for the IBPS exam, she managed to get a job in a government bank, where her starting salary was around 70 thousand rupees per month.
Nevertheless, after some time, the job became too difficult for her, and she decided to resign. For leaving, she had to pay a penalty of 200 thousand rupees for terminating the contract. After this, she started working in a private position with a salary of only 35 thousand rupees per month.
After completing her master's degree, Madhurima spent about two years preparing for the IBPS exam. In October 2022, she was accepted into a government bank and received a position at a branch in rural Karnataka. Initially, everything seemed positive: she was paid about 70 thousand rupees net, and she was also provided with a housing allowance. Financially, the job was very profitable. However, shortly after starting work, she felt that the price of this position was her personal life and peace of mind.
Madhurima shared that she got married in December 2022 while still on probation. According to her, soon after the wedding, she had to return to additional training. She noted that she could not spend much time with her husband and mother-in-law. Furthermore, it was difficult for her to get leave at the bank; her requests for leave were often rejected.
Madhurima's work was not limited to standard nine-to-five hours. Her workday often started around 8:30 AM and continued past 10:30 PM. Working until 7:00 PM was considered normal, and sometimes she had to work on Sundays as well. In addition to office duties, she had to perform other tasks after work hours. She pointed out that besides her cashier duties, she was assigned to bring in new clients and meet other targets for the bank.
Madhurima also mentioned a serious problem while working as a cashier. She had to sit continuously at the counter for long periods. She reported that at times, such as from 10:00 AM to 3:30 PM, she had no opportunity to take a break. Because of this, she could not properly use the restroom. Madhurima stated that the constant lack of breaks led to a severe urinary tract infection (UTI), which lasted about two or three months and was accompanied by bleeding. Despite feeling unwell, she could not take leave and was forced to go to work.
Work at the bank was not limited to the branch. After finishing her shift at the counter, she had to travel to rural areas to meet new clients and open new accounts. In the area where she was located, she did not speak Kannada, which made communication with clients difficult. Moreover, as a woman, it was unsafe for her to travel alone in the village in the evening to meet clients.
The constant workload and pressure negatively affected Madhurima's personal life. She recounted that she cried every day after returning home from the office. She was so exhausted from work that she could not even communicate normally with her parents. Her parents visited her, but due to work, she could not spend much time with them.
Madhurima also accused a senior employee of verbal humiliation. She stated that this senior employee made inappropriate remarks about women working in the bank. After she filed a complaint with the HR department, the relevant employee was approached, and his behavior changed.
After almost two years of such work, an incident occurred in February 2024 that made Madhurima consider quitting. She applied for three months of leave before her friend's wedding. However, three days before the wedding, she was informed that the bank was undergoing an audit, and she could not take leave. Following this, in March 2024, she decided to resign. Since she was on probation, she had to serve a one-month notice period.
For resigning, she had to deposit 200 thousand rupees.