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HSBC employee in Hyderabad claims she was ‘ethnically humiliated’ at work: ‘I will slap you so hard’

A woman shared a post on LinkedIn claiming that she was "ethnically humiliated" in her office. She added that HR did nothing even after she reported it.

Updated on: Jun 6, 2024, 11:58:54 IST
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An HSBC employee took to LinkedIn to share a post to document the alleged discrimination she faced at her workplace. She claimed that she was “ethnically humiliated” by her seniors and also faced “objectifying remarks” from a colleague. The woman added that her manager and HR did nothing after knowing about the incidents.

A woman claimed that an incident of being "ethnically humiliated" at the workplace left her in mental agony (Representational image). (Unsplash/Dev Asangbam)
A woman claimed that an incident of being "ethnically humiliated" at the workplace left her in mental agony (Representational image). (Unsplash/Dev Asangbam)

“I have been working in HSBC GSC HYD for more than a year and as this journey comes to an end now, I would like to share my experience with you all,” she wrote.

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“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,” she added.

In the following lines, she talked about the alleged incidents. She said that one of her colleagues told her, “Ek chamaat maarenge, Bihar pahuch jaogi (I will slap you so hard, you will go back to Bihar). She added that another said that her habit of smoking as a woman is making her entire team look bad.

“I reached out to the concerned HR team and filed a POSH Complaint for the same, after weeks of the incident, on 3 May, I received an email from the HR team to give feedback for the same without any updates on what action was taken,” she added. She completed her post with a picture of the email she sent.

Take a look at the entire post here:

A post shared by a woman about her workplace (Part 1). (LinkedIn/Nitika Kumari)
A post shared by a woman about her workplace (Part 1). (LinkedIn/Nitika Kumari)
A post shared by a woman about her workplace (Part 2). (LinkedIn/Nitika Kumari)
A post shared by a woman about her workplace (Part 2). (LinkedIn/Nitika Kumari)
A post shared by a woman about her workplace (Part 3). (LinkedIn/Nitika Kumari)
A post shared by a woman about her workplace (Part 3). (LinkedIn/Nitika Kumari)

Since being shared, the post has gone viral. Till now, the share has accumulated more than 1.4 lakh reactions. The post has further prompted people to share varied reactions. While some supported the woman, others criticised her for publicly naming her company and coworkers.

What did LinkedIn users say about this post?

“You should draft an email to the HSBC headquarters and CC the CEO in India. Please do not stay silent; self-esteem is so valuable,” suggested a LinkedIn user.

“Disheartened about what happened. It's high time people stop passing insensitive comments about Bihar and its people. It's funny how insecure they can be of Biharis and their capabilities to excel in the same environment as theirs. I'm happy that you chose to speak about it OUT AND LOUD! More power to you! HSBC hope you are listening?” added another.

Also Read: Employee treated like a 'pest' by boss after he had to take off due to injury. Here's what happened

“For the good of your career, please take this down. You have identified coworkers without their permission and aired detailed issues inappropriate for this forum,” joined a third.

“The incident aside - publishing internal emails on social media with personal data is likely the worst possible way to handle this situation. Emails sent and received on work email accounts are the property of HSBC, which amounts to a potentially fair reason for dismissal,” wrote a fourth.

(We have contacted HSBC and will update the story if we receive a response).

  • Trisha Sengupta
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    Trisha Sengupta

    Trisha Sengupta is a Chief Content Producer at Hindustan Times with over six years of digital newsroom experience. Specialising in high-engagement storytelling, she blends viral trends with traditional journalism to cover the intersection of technology, finance, and human emotion. Her reporting spans real estate and personal finance struggles in hubs like Bengaluru and Gurgaon, the NRI experience, and corporate shifts like tech layoffs. Trisha also frequently tracks global figures and writes human interest stories. Offline, Trisha is an avid reader, history enthusiast and solo traveler. She balances her journalism career with family life while actively integrating AI tools into her modern storytelling approach.Read More