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WhatsApp Group Controversy at Utkal Grameen Bank: Work Pressure From Regional Managers Sparks Staff Resentment
Utkal Grameen Bank faces staff unrest as Regional Managers enforce work beyond hours through WhatsApp, bypassing protocols. Employees allege harassment, undue pressure, and threats of punitive actions, sparking widespread discontent.
Author: Saurav Kumar
Published: October 4, 2024
In an urgent appeal to the Chairman of Utkal Grameen Bank (UGB), the Utkal Grameen Bank Employees Association (UGBEA) has raised serious concerns over the use of WhatsApp groups by Regional Managers to communicate with Office Assistants. The letter highlights that these groups, though unofficial, are being used to enforce daily reporting beyond office hours. The association argues that this practice violates the bank’s service regulations and creates undue pressure on staff, impacting their morale and mental well-being.
The letter said, “Though WhatsApp message is not the official mode of communication, still WhatsApp groups are created officially at Regional Offices for the Office Assistants and they are expected to report their daily performances. Staff members are being compelled to remain active, often after working hours, with undue pressure to report performances, violating the service regulations and Banks extant instructions.”
The Association claims Office Assistants are being forced to report directly to Regional Managers via WhatsApp, bypassing Branch Managers. This shift disregards official procedures and subjects staff to harassment, including transfer threats for non-compliance.
Work Pressure on Office Assistants
In addition to the issues surrounding WhatsApp usage, the association’s letter also details growing instances of staff being coerced into working beyond official hours.
According to the letter issued by the Association, “there is a growing trend of Regional Managers to instruct the Branch Managers to force the Office Assistants to remain in the Branch well beyond official working hours, with little consideration for their personal and family commitment.”
The letter further states, “We do not dispute that sometimes, due to some exigency, for the interest of the organisation, some extra efforts are required, and some extra time is also needed to strike the goal, but it should not be a routine affair." Despite an agreement signed during their last conciliation proceedings, the Association claims that "the workmen staff are still being forced to stay beyond the office hours, and if anybody expresses their inability due to personal difficulties, they are being termed as non-performers, argumentative, or indisciplined.”
Office Assistants are reportedly being labelled as non-performers or argumentative if they refuse to stay past working hours due to personal commitments. Despite a prior agreement prohibiting such practices, the association claims that these demands persist, leading to widespread dissatisfaction and even resignations.
The UGBEA has urged the bank’s top management to intervene and rein in the Regional Managers, warning that these unethical practices could lead to industrial unrest and harm the bank’s overall reputation.
UGB is grappling with issues such as cross-selling of accidental insurance, excessive work pressure, discrimination and abuse by Regional Managers, and the harassment of women employees.