A young banker, who has worked in a public sector bank for nine months, wrote on Reddit that the reality of working in a PSU bank is far removed from the respect and stability that is often associated with such a job. He said that he studied really hard to secure the job, and his family was very proud of his achievements.
The Redditor stated that the customers and the management look at employees as ‘slaves’.
“You know how it is. Our parents, relatives, everyone… they make a government job sound like the ultimate goal. ‘Secure’, ‘respectable’, ‘easy going’. I studied so hard for it, and when I got in, my family was so proud. There is no respect, neither from customers nor from management. For management, we are slaves,” the original poster (OP) wrote.
He added that the pressure to sell insurance, credit card, loan, and fixed deposits dominates every aspect of the job.
“First off, forget “easy going.” The targets are insane. They want us to sell insurance, credit cards, loans… like, I’m a banker, not a street vendor. The pressure is non-stop. Telling a rural branch to do FD of 1cr everyday is just stupidity,” he wrote.
He further said that the seniors act like “bosses from a 90s movie”, while mentioning that staffing shortages add to the stress. He said that three people are expected to handle the work of six people with just three on duty, handling long customer lines.
“The line of customers never ends, the phone is always ringing. You can’t even go to the bathroom without someone getting mad.” He added that even when unwell, staff were forced to work late; despite requesting to leave early with a fever, he ended up working until 9 PM while management insisted everyone works late.
He summed up the personal toll of the job bluntly: “I go to bed every night thinking, ‘I should just quit.’ But then you remember it’s a ‘government job,’ and everyone tells you you’re crazy for even thinking about leaving. I worked hard for this to have a good life and not to die everyday.”
The post quickly gained attention and resonated with several experienced professionals who shared similar experiences and advice.
One user, a banker with 14 years of retail liabilities experience, said, “The bane of every retail guy is insurance cross-sell. I strongly believe it is a sub-standard product masquerading as an ‘investment plan.’ The work culture is now uniform across private and PSU banks.”
Other redditor highlighted that this problem extends beyond banks. A Redditor noted, “I also understand that it’s the same in Post and Telegraph. They want you to bring couriers and parcels as part of your targets… Seriously.”
Some offered advice to take decisive action,the user said, “Quit, do what you think is right and thank me later. I and many others quit SBI and banks of its ilk. I have never regretted my decision.”
Another added,“Sarkari mindset. Even a peon thinks they are the owners. Glad I quit my banking job and joined corporate at the right time.”