While scrolling down the usual LinkedIn post, I came across a writup of Nitika Kumari, who happens to be an year-old employee at HSBC bank.
Well, it didn't come to me as a shocker to read her post on the atrocities she bore at her workplace relating to “TOXICITY AT WORK."
Her post stated a casual HR behaviour towards her sufferings, which protras an inhuman approach of HSBC"s management, according to Kumari's post.
Her post read:
"There have been quite a few incidents that happened during the last one year which I neglected thinking "Isn't this what corporate life feels like?" I neglected everything to the point where it became unbearable for me and made me go through some serious mental health issues and panic attacks.
The most recent incident that I would like to share with you all is when I was ethnically humiliated by one of my colleague.
The incident happened on 22 April 2024 when I was subjected to ethnically insensitive remarks by my colleague hashtag#Ajmeera Ashok. The exacts words which was used by him is 'EK CHAMAAT MAARENGE, BIHAR PAHUCH JAOGI' which exactly means - I will slap you so hard, you will go back to Bihar."
According to this incident, it showcases a non-inclusive mindset/approach of HSBC's employees at their workplace. The role of HR should be to sensitize its employees base towards being inclusive to each other's culture and not bully basis their hometown or upbringing.
And this wasn't it, according to Kumari.
In series of many such incidents, another one that shook her and compelled her to leave HSBC was when, “I was on a smoke break when hashtag#VINAY KUMAR RAJULDEV, AMO from the UK CDD team approached me and made objectifying remarks on me. The comment he made was 'Tmhare jaisi ladki hum aaj tk ni dekhe hai, akele pura UK team ka naam kharab kr k rkhi hai.' which means - He has never seen a girl like me, I have ruined the name of their team. I did ask him the reason for saying such things to which he replied 'tmhare alawa kisi UK team ki ladki ko hm ni dkhe hai cigarette pite huye' which means - he has never seen any girl from the UK team smoking cigarettes. Later while going back inside the office, I saw him eating tobacco and spitting on the wall inside the office premises.”
According to Kumari, she did follow a proper corporate protocol of reaching out to her HR and filing a POSH complaint too,, but nothing seemed to be falling in place for Kumari and finally her last working day falls on 13th June, 2024.
BW People did try to get in touch with the management, seeking their views over the same but received no response over it.