The Bank of Baroda (BoB), a major public sector bank, is facing criticism over its toxic work culture. Unions and officers are alleging harassment, unrealistic targets, and disrespectful treatment by senior executives. The issue came to light after a woman Chief Manager in Ernakulam attempted to take her own life, citing work pressure and harassment. The incident sparked protests and demands for urgent intervention to protect the dignity and wellbeing of staff.
The Bank Employees Federation of India (BEFI) organized a protest outside the BoB Regional Office in Ernakulam, calling for an end to “anti-worker practices and policies” by the management. The All India Bank of Baroda Officers’ Association (AIBOBOA) also wrote to the bank’s zonal management, urging immediate steps to restore a respectful workplace. The association noted that while BoB champions “Respect” as a core organizational value, officers often face humiliation in meetings and are burdened with “inhuman levels of pressure” from steep and unrealistic targets.
The crisis in Ernakulam is not an isolated case. There have been other incidents of work-related stress and suicides, including the death of a Senior Manager in Ranchi who took his own life after being kept in a review meeting until 10 p.m. Unions have linked his death to extreme work stress. Employees in West Bengal’s Burdwan region have also lodged a formal complaint against the Regional Manager and Deputy Regional Manager, accusing them of harassment and abusive behavior.
Underlying these problems is the issue of acute staff shortage. Branches across the country are reportedly running with limited personnel, forcing officers to manage multiple roles while still being pushed to meet higher business goals. Unions argue that without fresh recruitment and proper assessment of human resource requirements, pressure on existing staff will only worsen. The demand for a five-day banking week, raised repeatedly by public sector bank employees as a measure to reduce stress, remains pending with the Ministry of Finance.
Unions are emphasizing that the wellbeing of employees cannot be treated as secondary in the push for profitability. A demoralized and overstressed workforce will inevitably affect customer service and business growth. The rising number of stress-related incidents in Bank of Baroda reflects a broader shift in work culture across public sector banks. Unions say aggressive monitoring, disregard for work-life balance, and target-driven policies are eroding the dignity of officers and creating an atmosphere of fear rather than motivation. Unless the bank addresses these issues with urgency, officers warn, it risks not only further tragedies but also lasting damage to its institutional image and its ability to deliver on its public mandate.