Weekend Work Orders by Multiple PSBs Raise Concerns Over Employee Workload and Mental Health

Multiple Public Sector Banks (PSBs) including Bank of Baroda (BOB), Central Bank of India (CBI), Canara Bank, Indian Bank ordered staff to work on Saturday, July 26, and Sunday, July 27, 2025, to meet time-bound business targets and compliance tasks, according to internal communications of the banks. Bank employees note that 2nd and 4th Saturdays and all Sundays are official holidays in the banking sector. Despite this, they report being called in for work on these days for special campaigns, adding to their overall workload.

Weekend Orders Issued
Bank of Baroda – Sabarkantha Region
On July 25, 2025, Bank of Baroda’s Regional Office Sabarkantha, Gujarat directed branches to open over the weekend for Small Merchant Credit (SMC) account openings. Officers from multiple branches including Bayad, Shyamlaji, Ubharan, Gambhoi, and Ambalipura were deputed to other branches such as Choila, Bhiloda, Idar, Khedbrahma, Mahavirnagar, DFB Meghraj and Modasa to provide “extra manpower” for the task.
Image: Bank of Baroda’s order dated July 25, 2025 regarding weekend work.

Central Bank of India – Karnal Region
Also on July 25, Central Bank of India’s Regional Office Karnal, Haryana instructed a branch to hold a multipurpose camp on July 26 to promote Cent Vyavsaay, Cent Queen, and Social Security schemes. These schemes include Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY), Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY), Atal Pension Yojana (APY). Officials from the regional office were assigned to oversee the event.
Image: Central Bank of India,s Circular dated July 25, 2025 regarding weekend work.

Canara Bank – Mumbai-I Region
Canara Bank’s Assurance Section, Mumbai-I, Maharashtra issued a high-importance email instructing MSME Sulabh staff to report on July 26 and 27 for Risk-Based Internal Audit (RBIA) queries, as per directions from the “Competent Authority (DGM)”.
Image: Canara Bank’s official Circular dated July 25, 2025 regarding weekend work.

Indian Bank – Poonamallee Zone, Tamil Nadu
An internal message from Indian Bank’s Deputy Zonal Manager (DZM) instructed branches to conduct a Re-KYC campaign over the weekend, including door-to-door visits. Progress reports were to be submitted every two hours in a prescribed format.
Image: Indian Bank’s WhatsApp message regarding weekend work

Impact on Employees
According to employees and union representatives, repeated weekend work orders reduce recovery time between working weeks and impact mental health and work-life balance. Bankers point out that public sector bank staff already face high daily workloads due to staffing shortages, compliance requirements and sales targets.

The 2nd and 4th Saturdays, along with Sundays, were declared holidays in 2015 to provide employees with additional rest days. However, employees say that in recent years, special campaigns, audits, and enrollment drives have increasingly been scheduled on these holidays.

Previous Instances
Past records show that similar weekend work directives have been issued for account opening marathons, insurance drives, and Aadhaar seeding campaigns. In June 2025, some regional rural banks conducted weekend PMJJBY/PMSBY enrollment drives. Earlier this year, certain PSBs organised Sunday sessions to meet quarterly targets ahead of performance reviews.

Bankers’ Reaction 
Employees say that repeated weekend work orders are leaving them with little to no time for recovery between working weeks. “Work-life balance is totally ruined, breaks are necessary so we can function properly and deliver better results after the weekend.”

Image: Reactions of bankers on the X platform.

The issue comes shortly after the recent case of Shiv Kumar Mitra, a Chief Manager of BOB, who died by suicide, with colleagues attributing it to severe workload stress. Following last weekend’s directives, several bank employees expressed anger and frustration on Twitter, sharing their experiences and concerns about rising pressure in the sector.

Official Position
Banks generally cite business exigency and deadline-driven campaigns as reasons for holiday work orders. As of now, no public statement has been issued by Bank of Baroda, Central Bank of India, Canara Bank, or Indian Bank regarding last weekend’s operations. Employees state that such orders, though issued for specific business needs, reduce designated rest days and contribute to longer working hours across the sector.