‘Attend Calls on Leave!’Central Bank of India faces backlash over order asking staff to stay available during leave
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The Central Bank of India’s Ludhiana Regional Office has issued a controversial order, instructing staff members to keep their phones switched on and attend calls from branches and controlling offices even when they are officially on leave.
The office order dated August 6 and signed by the Deputy Regional Manager (DRM), noted that many officials were switching off their phones during leave, making it difficult for branches and controlling offices to contact them. The circular strictly instructed that no officer should switch off their phone while on leave. The DRM warned that failure to attend official calls would be “viewed seriously” and could lead to disciplinary action.
While the bank’s management has justified the move as a step to ensure smooth communication between branches and regional offices, the directive has sparked criticism. Experts point out that such instructions blur the line between professional duties and personal time, raising concerns about employees’ right to disconnect.
Labour law experts argue that forcing employees to remain available during sanctioned leave defeats the very purpose of leave, which is meant for rest and personal commitments. Trade unions have also raised questions on whether such directives amount to an overreach by management, potentially violating employees’ work-life balance.
This order highlights a bigger problem in India’s banking sector — staff often face heavy workloads, long working hours, and pressure to stay available even after office time. As awareness about employee well-being grows, the Central Bank of India’s directive is expected to spark discussions on the need for clear rules that protect employees from extra work demands during their personal time.
Several employees, speaking on condition of anonymity, expressed frustration. One officer said, “The pressure of work in banks is already very high. Now even during personal leave, if we are expected to answer official calls, there will be no boundary left between work and personal life.”
Another Officer said – “Leave is a legal right of every employee. If staff are forced to remain available for official calls during leave, it effectively means they are working without being on duty. This is against labour rights and needs to be challenged.”
What you think of this order? Do let us know in the comment section below.
If the mobile phone or landline phone bill has been paid or reimbursement by bank than you will be attended the phone call after banking hours .
Hi everyone. One question in my mind is that while on duty an officer attends phone from their family or friends or not. If an officer does not avoid to attend his personal phone why he or she will not attend official phone while on leave
In what it is right to answer when using paid phone? Generalky paid phone wilk be left in the hone while on leave. Is is right to answer? Phone should used only when on duty if unattended proper reason tobe given to superiors. On their own one ccan’t rewrite the law? This is called atrocity and should be tackled in the initial stage itself.
This is my opinion that if an officer or staff can attend call of their family or others than why it cannot be expected that they will attend call while on leave. In fact Bank is not an office but it is a business centre.
The incident seems nothing else than I discipline on the part of officer not attending the phone calls. I think there is no system to inform entire hierarchy of the bank whenever staff moves on leave. It will be decent on the part of officer to pick the call and say atleast I am on leave, please contact other person.
Any body if knowingly calls an officer on leave he should understand there may be emergency and he may be indispensable for the same.
These sort of things will never arise if an officer keeps his institutional interest paramount.
“If individuals can attend to personal calls from family and friends during office hours, it’s reasonable to expect that official phones can be checked during leave time, especially for those in key positions who may receive emergency calls from the office. It’s essential to balance our rights with our responsibilities, ensuring that we fulfill our duties while also being accessible when needed.”
I see many of you are clarifying this letter that if an officer is attending his personal calls during the office time then you must attend the official calls while on duty but what if an officer is not attending any of his personal calls during the office hours even in case of emergency he first attend the official work, the customers and the superior and while doing so he many times ignores call from his family or personal social friends. In Such case do you expect him to ignore the official phone calls and to attend the personal life first when the officer is on leave?