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Stress in Indian Banks: A Hidden Crisis; Where to Find Help
In India, banks are often seen as safe and stable places. But behind the counters and office desks, many employees are silently struggling. In recent years, a worrying trend has come to light — more and more banking staff are taking their own lives because of extreme work pressure.
Author: Ashish Shan
Published: 10 hours ago
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Why are Bank Employees Under Pressure?
Life inside a bank is not as easy as it looks. Many employees are asked to:
- Meet unrealistic sales and loan recovery targets.
- Work long hours, sometimes 12–14 hours a day.
- Handle the work of multiple people because there are not enough staff.
On top of that, some face humiliation, transfer threats, and constant pressure from their seniors. Instead of focusing on customer service and healthy growth, many banks push their employees to chase numbers at any cost.
Read more here - The Issues of Banking Sector in India
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The Human Side of the Crisis
For some employees, the stress becomes unbearable. There have been reports of suicides during tough times like demonetisation, mergers of public banks, and loan recovery drives. Every life lost leaves behind a broken family, friends, and colleagues who ask, “could this have been prevented?”
Sadly, most employees never talk about their stress because of the stigma around mental health. People worry they’ll be judged or seen as “weak.” Unlike banks in many other countries, Indian banks don’t yet have strong wellness or counseling systems.
What Needs to Change
Bank employee unions have been demanding:
- Hiring more staff to reduce workload.
- Suicide Prevention Helplines in India
Help is available. You are not alone. These helplines are free, confidential, and there are people ready to listen to you: - Ending unrealistic targets.
- Giving proper work-life balance.
- Setting up mental health support systems inside banks.
Unless these changes happen, the crisis will only get worse.
National Helplines
- KIRAN (Govt of India): 1800-599-0019 (24×7, multiple languages)
- Tele-MANAS: 14416 / 1800-891-4416 (24×7, government-run)
Major NGOs & Services
- Vandrevala Foundation: 9999-666-555 or 1800-233-3330 (24×7, also on WhatsApp)
- AASRA (Mumbai): 022-27546669 / 9820466726 (24×7)
- iCALL (TISS): 9152987821 (Mon–Sat, 10 am–8 pm)
- Samaritans Mumbai: 84229 84528 / 84529 / 84530 (afternoons–evenings)
- 1Life: 78930 78930 (24×7)
Regional Helplines
- Sneha (Chennai): 044-24640050 (24×7)
- Sumaitri (New Delhi): 011-23389090 (2 pm–10 pm weekdays, 10 am–10 pm weekends)
- Roshni (Hyderabad): 040-66202000 / 2001 (Mon–Sat, 11 am–9 pm)
- Lifeline Foundation (Kolkata): 033-24637401 / 24637432 (10 am–6 pm daily)
- Sahai (Bangalore): 080-25497777 (Mon–Sat, 10 am–8 pm)
Final Word
No job is worth your life. Stress can be heavy, but reaching out for help can make all the difference. If you are feeling hopeless, please call one of the helplines above, talk to a friend or family member, or seek professional help.
And if you know someone in distress, share these numbers. A single call could save a life.
[Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial stance of this publication.]
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