The practice of holiday working in Banks is not stopping. There are various reports that Bank employees are repeatedly called to work on holidays. This practice is creating various issues – first, it disrupts the work life balance of Bank employees and second, it increases the operational cost for banks.
Two major unions of Bank of Maharashtra officers have written a letter to the bank’s management raising concerns about officers being asked to work on holidays and weekly offs. The letter has been jointly issued by the Bank of Maharashtra Officers’ Organisation (BOMOO) and the Bank of Maharashtra Officers’ Association (BOMOA).
In the letter dated 13 March 2026, the unions addressed the General Manager of the HRM Department at Bank of Maharashtra, Pune. They stated that several Zonal Managers (ZMs) are calling officers to work on 14th and 15th March 2026, which fall on holidays or weekly offs, mainly for activities related to the CKYC campaign and compliance work.
- A study by the World Health Organization (WHO) found that working very long hours can increase the risk of stroke and heart disease.
- Research by Harvard Business Review shows that employees with better work-life balance are more productive and have higher job satisfaction.
- According to the American Psychological Association, lack of work-life balance can lead to stress, burnout, and reduced mental well-being.
- Studies also show that employees who get enough rest and personal time perform better and make fewer mistakes at work.
- Companies that promote work-life balance often experience lower employee turnover and better workplace morale.
Officers Already Working Under Pressure
The unions said that March is the last month of the financial year, and bank branches are already under heavy pressure to meet business targets and commitments. According to the unions, officers are working hard to complete financial year tasks, and calling them to work on weekends will disturb their work-life balance and family commitments.
Allegations of Leave Cancellation and Pressure
The letter also mentions that some Zonal Managers have been cancelling the leaves of officers suddenly. In certain cases, officers are allegedly being threatened with transfers if they do not report to duty on weekly offs or holidays.
The unions clarified that they understand officers may sometimes need to work in emergency situations, as banking services are important and may require attention at any time. However, they said that officers are now being forced to open branches on both Saturday and Sunday, which are officially declared holidays.
Concerns Over CKYC Workload
The unions also highlighted that the CKYC (Central Know Your Customer) process is a detailed and time-consuming task that requires careful verification. According to them, such work cannot be rushed and doing it during holidays will increase the workload of staff and affect their personal time.
They stressed that holidays are important for employees to rest and maintain their well-being, especially during the busy financial year-end period.
Request to Management
The officers’ unions have requested the bank management to intervene and advise Zonal Managers not to call officers for work on holidays. They suggested that the bank should consider alternative arrangements, such as adjusting deadlines or allocating additional resources, so that CKYC work can be completed without affecting employees’ work-life balance.
Reference to Earlier Agreement
In their letter, the unions also referred to the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed between the bank management and the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFMU) on 24 March 2023. They stated that the current situation goes against the spirit of that agreement.
The unions have once again requested the management to respect the understanding reached in the MOU and avoid calling officers on holidays, particularly during the ongoing festive season and financial year-end workload.
The matter is now awaiting a response from the bank’s management.
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