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‘Sir, I Need Leave to Take My Child to Hospital’ — ‘Do 5 Insurance Policies Today, Then Ask’ AIBOBOU Flags Inhumane Leave Denials in Bank of Baroda
The All India Bank of Baroda Officers’ Union has written to the MD & CEO of Bank of Baroda, raising concern over rising denial of casual and emergency leave. The letter highlights how officers face humiliation for seeking leave.
Author: Kalyani Mali
Published: 20 hours ago
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The All India Bank of Baroda Officers’ Union (AIBOBOU) on 29th July 2025 wrote to the Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Bank of Baroda (BoB), raising concern over a growing pattern of leave rejections across branches. The union flagged the emotional and mental impact on officers being denied casual and emergency leave, even in urgent medical situations. It urged prompt intervention and warned that continued inaction may lead to organised protests.
A Repeated Pattern of Humiliation
The letter documents the everyday humiliation faced by branch-level officers when they request leave from regional authorities. According to the union, officers are subjected to performance-linked denials, even in medical emergencies involving their dependents.
Image: AIBOBOU's letter to the MD & CEO
Courtesy: K. Sriniwasrao
A particularly distressing example is included, revealing an officer being denied leave despite meeting multiple business parameters—simply because they had not met targets for unrelated campaigns. The officer pleads for urgent time off to take a family member to the hospital, only to be dismissed with a cold demand: “Do 5 insurance policies today. Then ask.”
‘This is Not an Exception. It is a Pattern’
AIBOBOU asserts that such incidents are not isolated but are part of a widespread culture across the bank. The letter names specific officer groups allegedly involved in perpetuating this toxic environment and criticises the corporate office’s silence, stating, “Your office has not issued any advisory or written guidelines to curb such misuse of power or to uphold human dignity. Is silence your answer to suffering?"
Ethical Demands for Humane Treatment
The union's demands are framed around restoring basic dignity and rights in the workplace. These include, issuing clear written instructions for leave approvals, adopting a humanitarian approach to officer treatment, ensuring accountability of executives misusing their authority.
Reminder of a Larger Crisis
The letter also draws attention to a grave trend—more than 500 officer suicides in Public Sector Banks over the last decade. The union warns that the neglect of officer wellbeing cannot continue to be sidelined in favor of corporate image and compliance.
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Call for Urgent Policy Reform
AIBOBOU blames the current crisis partly on the management’s overdependence on external consultants and a failure in internal workforce planning. According to the letter, officers are being forced to compensate for staff shortages by sacrificing their own health and family responsibilities.
‘Officers Deserve Dignity, Not Humiliation’
Speaking to Kanal, K. Sriniwasrao, General Secretary of AIBOBOU, said the treatment officers are subjected to when applying for leave reflects a deeper crisis in the bank’s work culture. He pointed out that officers are not “mere tools to be insulted for numeric targets” and must be treated with dignity.
The letter from AIBOBOU presents a serious appeal to the Bank of Baroda's top management to address what the union describes as a widespread and systemic issue. By documenting on-ground experiences and calling for humane, policy-based reforms, the union urges the bank to prioritise the wellbeing and dignity of its officers.
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