Bank of India published Personal Mobile Numbers of Branch Heads on Internet

Bank of India, a leading public sector bank in India, has made the personal mobile numbers of its Branch Heads available on the internet. People can search on Google and find the contact details of Branch Heads.

Approximately 25 Google Business listings of Bank of India branches in Bengaluru Zone have been updated with the personal mobile numbers of the respective Branch Heads.

As a result, Branch Heads may receive calls from unknown people on their personal mobile numbers. The issue is particularly serious for female employees, as the personal contact numbers of female Branch Heads have also been published on the internet. This raises serious concerns about the safety and privacy of female employees.

Making employees’ personal mobile numbers public can put their safety and privacy at risk. They may receive unwanted calls, face harassment and even become targets of fraud. They may also receive calls from customers late at night and outside working hours. Instead of publishing personal numbers, the bank should provide a permanent official mobile number to every branch. This number should remain with the branch even after the Branch Head is transferred. This will help customers contact the branch easily while protecting the privacy and safety of bank employees.

One female said – ” I received a call from an unknown person late at night on my personal mobile number. I am worried about my safety and privacy. Anyone can find my number on Google and contact me at any time. This makes me feel unsafe, especially as a female employee. The bank should not make our personal mobile numbers public without our consent.”

Also Read: PNB openly publishing Mobile No of Employees on Internet, Females worried about Safety!

Union Takes Action

The Federation of Bank of India Officers’ Associations (FBOIOA) has taken note of the matter and requested Bank of India management to take the following measures on priority:

1. Remove Personal Mobile Numbers: The bank should immediately review and remove the personal mobile numbers of Branch Heads from Google Business listings, the bank’s website, passbooks and all other publicly accessible platforms.
2. Investigate the Matter: A formal investigation should be initiated to find out how personal mobile numbers were collected, uploaded and published. The investigation should also examine the instructions, approvals and authorisations under which such information was disclosed.
3. Fix Accountability: The officials, agencies or personnel responsible for uploading or updating personal contact details without the informed consent of the concerned employees should be identified. If any procedural lapses or negligence by bank officials are established, appropriate action should be taken under the bank’s existing rules and procedures.
4. Provide Official Mobile Connections: The bank should provide dedicated official mobile connections for customer communication at every branch and restore non-functional branch landline connections. This would ensure that the contact number remains with the branch even after the transfer of a Branch Head.
5. Formulate a Uniform Policy: The bank should adopt a uniform policy under which only official branch contact details, and not employees’ personal mobile numbers, are published on public platforms. These official numbers should remain with the branch irrespective of transfers or changes in the Branch Head.
6. Issue Instructions to All Zones: Suitable instructions should be issued to all Zonal Offices and branches prohibiting the publication or sharing of employees’ personal contact details without proper authorisation and informed consent.
7. Review All Branch Listings: The bank should conduct a comprehensive review of all branch listings across the country instead of limiting the exercise to the cases already reported. The Federation has also requested the bank to inform it about the corrective action taken.