- Crisis In Indian Banking Leads to Work Pressure and Driving Employees To Despair, Commit Extreme Steps
- Toxic work culture on the rise in banks
- 5DaysBanking: Bankers Urgently Demand 2 Days Off Per Week
- Banks see over 15% growth in new credit card addition: RBI data
- Banks Transfer ₹37,176 Crore to RBI’s Depositor Education and Awareness Fund in Last 3 Years
- Calls for Bankers’ Safety Amplified After Video of SBI Branch Manager Attack Goes Viral
- Nainital Bank Faces Privatisation Move Amid Staff Protests
- Whistleblowers Expose Nexus Operating from Three Banks
- Preserving RRBs: AIRRBEA Defends Rural Banking Against AIBOC-AIBEA Merger Proposals
- Union Bank of India’s new directive for weekend work at Retail Loan Points (RLPs) has sparked outrage among bankers
Women Bankers Distressed Over SBI Transfer Policy Failures
State Bank of India faces criticism over failure to implement transfer policies, causing distress among women bankers. Allegations of discrimination persist.
Author: Saurav Kumar
Published: March 1, 2024
Women bankers within the State Bank of India (SBI) have expressed distress over the institution’s failure to effectively implement transfer policies. Despite directives from the Department of Financial Services (DFS), SBI's transfer policy remains largely unimplemented, particularly affecting its female workforce.
DFS Directive Unimplemented
A woman banker on the condition of anonymity revealed that, “There is prolonged delay in adopting recommendations for a preferential transfer policy benefiting women workforce. Despite directives issued in 2014, the policy draft remains pending, creating uncertainty and frustration among female employees.”
Image: DFS Circular to Frame Transfer Policy for Female Bankers
In 2014, the DFS mandated all PSBs to develop transfer policies to alleviate challenges for female employees, but implementation remains pending.
Allegations of Discrimination & Hardships
Another banker highlighted gender discrimination within SBI, citing inadequate consideration for women’s family responsibilities in location assignments. She expressed, “Women employees lack convenient location postings to balance family responsibilities. It hinders career planning. Outstation assignments become distressing when children face food delays.”
“The lack of flexibility has resulted in resignations, with 38 women in SBI’s Chandigarh circle leaving in 2023 due to non-implementation transfer policy”, added the banker.
In August 2023, female employees protested against Chandigarh's Chief General Manager (CGM) for imposing unofficial overtime, hindering promotions. Consequently, the CGM transferred these employees to remote locations. The Assistant General Manager (AGM) HR has also not addressed transfer policy concerns despite requests, prompting continued efforts by the SBI Officers' Association.
Persistent Denial of Transfer Policy
The All India State Bank of India Employees’ Association (AISBIEA) has consistently raised concerns regarding inter-circle/state transfers. They allege that the bank unfairly restricts transfers for married women, hindering their ability to lead balanced lives.
K S Krishna, the General Secretary of AISBIEA, emphasised, “The lack of transfer opportunities for women employees at SBI is discriminatory. Despite numerous challenges, our efforts to address this issue persist.”
Image: Letter on Transfer Policy by AISBEA
Image Credit: K S Krishna
Moreover, the inadequate implementation of the transfer policy has also drawn attention from a senior official. Ranjan Gupta, the Chief General Manager (HR) of the bank, highlighted in a letter to local head offices on February 5, 2022, the lack of empathy in handling transfers or postings based on compassionate grounds.