Growing Concern Over Workplace Safety and Mounting Workload in the Banking Sector Due to Acute Shortage of Staff

The recent passing of a senior public sector bank officer under alleged work-related stress has once again highlighted a silent crisis unfolding across Indian Banking workplaces — the burden of excessive workload and the lack of emotional and mental safety of the bank employees.

The incident has triggered widespread grief and introspection across the banking fraternity, sparking a broader call for reforms to ensure employee well-being, humane work environments, and responsible leadership.

This is not an isolated case. Every month, we hear of officers silently suffering under mounting pressure, managing multiple responsibilities, and receiving little emotional support from top management. Workplaces must not just focus on performance but on the person behind that performance.

Public sector banks, in particular, are grappling with acute staff shortages, rising customer demands, excessive management expectations, regulatory pressure, and the digital shift — all of which have intensified the workload on officers. Many employees are assigned duties far beyond their sanctioned roles, with little regard for sustainable work hours or mental health without any support.

Officers across scales are reported working regularly for more than 10 to 12 hours a day without any break. They face short deadlines, unrealistic performance targets and immense pressure from top management with minimal support. Proper leave, rest, or access to counseling is often missing. In many cases, there is also a persistent fear of punitive transfers/initiation of disciplinary proceedings for pretty matters or poor appraisals for those who are unable to cope.

The impact of this toxic work culture goes far beyond office walls. Due to long working hours and rising unrealistic expectations, many officers are unable to fulfill even basic family duties and responsibilities. Marital relationships are being strained. Officers struggle to spend meaningful time with their children, which can lead to emotional disconnect, behavioral issues, and long-term family stress.

“The workplace stress doesn’t just harm the officer — it silently breaks the home,” said one officer.

This invisible toll is rarely acknowledged in formal settings but is deeply felt by thousands of officers and their families.

In light of rising mental health concerns, unions and HR experts are urging management to define clear workload norms and fill vacant positions and decide standard staffing patterns for different categories of branches. There is growing demand for employee wellness programs, medical check up including mental health support, stress audits, and functioning grievance redressal systems. Leadership at all levels must be sensitised and trained to manage teams with empathy and fairness. Officers also need support through better digital tools, sufficient staffing, and fair performance appraisal systems.

Calls have also been made to regulatory bodies such as the Ministry of Finance, the Reserve Bank of India, and the Indian Banks’ Association to issue clear and binding guidelines on workplace safety and mental health safeguards.

The recent tragedy is not just about one individual. It reflects a deeper systemic failure that must be addressed urgently. In every officer’s silent struggle lies a warning — if the system does not change, the consequences will continue to be devastating.

Let this not be just a moment of mourning. Let this be the beginning of a movement. Work pressure should never cost a life. Humanity must come first.

[Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial stance of this publication.]