‘I feel suffocated’: government bank employee quits job after 15 years, reveals crushing workplace pressure

“A PSU bank job comes with stability, a decent house, a car, a steady salary, and a certain respect in society,” he reflected. Yet, he added, the reality had shifted, leaving him with high blood pressure, thyroid issues, and fatty liver disease. His work also demanded frequent relocation to remote areas, strict sales targets, and long hours, stretching from 10 am to 10 pm.

He expressed frustration over being forced to sell what he described as “useless insurance products,” working weekends to meet targets, and managing “unreasonable whims of bosses.” On top of that, employees were discouraged from raising concerns, even on social media.

“I no longer feel like I can do justice to myself,” he admitted, noting that several colleagues had also reached breaking point under similar pressures.

In a move he described as drastic but necessary, the banker has stopped reporting to work. “Yes, this means my salary will stop. My financial struggles may begin. But I hope, with all my heart, that I’ll get my life back,” he wrote.

Take a look at the post:

At 39, I feel suffocated in my government bank job. I don’t think I can do it anymore
byu/inbox4harsh inIndianWorkplace

Netizens share their struggles

The post struck a chord online, with many social media users sharing messages of support and recounting their own struggles in demanding jobs.

A user wrote, “I got the same high BP and fatty liver working in IT and the stress is enormous+ layoff fear with all the pending EMIs. I sometimes wish I had a job security like yours and get posted to remote areas. See the other sides grass is always greener.”

Another user added, “I am a ps banker as well. So many people of scale 4 and scale 6 are quitting my bank and joining private sector for that big pay day and then quit that life for good. Alternatively you can even pursue some certifications and then join another organisation. But yes now a days any job is better than psb job. No doubt about it.”

A third person suggested, “The suffocation is valid and after quitting your job you are likely yo feel liberated. The way I did. But by choosing a route less taken by, you are inherently accepting the risk. You are just jumping from one furnace to another.”

A fourth individual wrote, “This is the place where indian parents force their kids to be.”