‘Our Weekends Are No Longer Ours’: Odisha Grameen Bank Staff Directed to Work for Janasuraksha Campaign

The bank’s circular, numbered RO/RM/10/2025-26 and dated September 24, 2025, reveals the mounting pressure on branches struggling to achieve campaign targets within the stipulated three-month period.

Mandatory Weekend Work Directive

The official instruction states: “In case any branch fails to achieve the target by 26th September, such branches shall remain open on 27th and 28th September 2025 to complete the pending work. The presence of Branch Manager along with staff is compulsory on these days.”

The circular further emphasizes that “All concerned are directed to take this instruction seriously and put in their best efforts to ensure 100% achievement within the stipulated time,” with a stern warning that “Non-compliance will be viewed seriously.”

This is not the first time Odisha Grameen Bank has issued such orders — in the recent past, employees were asked to report on Sundays to finish annual closing work. For many staff members already stretched thin, the new directive signals yet another blow to their work-life balance.

RRB Employees Face Mounting Work Pressure

An employee, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Kanal, “This order means our weekends are no longer ours. If targets are missed, we are forced to work on what should be our rest days. It feels like we are being punished for a situation created by staff shortages, not by us.”

Another employee added with frustration: “Targets keep piling up, but that should not come at the cost of our families and our health. Weekends were the only time we could breathe — now even that is being taken away.”

According to recent IBPS manpower data, Odisha Grameen Bank has 300 vacant posts for Office Assistants. The shortage is fuelling chronic understaffing, leaving employees burdened with excessive workloads while facing pressure to meet aggressive targets set by management.

The circular’s threatening tone to take instruction seriously has created additional stress among employees who fear punitive action if targets are not met, regardless of ground realities or market conditions. This latest directive adds to the growing concerns about work-life balance and employee welfare in Regional Rural Banks (RRBs).