The All India Union Bank Employees’ Association (AIUBEA) has opposed the recent dress code instructions issued by Union Bank of India for its employees.
The union has written a letter to the Chief General Manager of the bank requesting that the dress code guidelines should remain only suggestive and not mandatory.In the letter dated 14 May 2026, the union referred to the bank’s circular issued on 11 May 2026 regarding “Courteous & Smartly Attired Staff – Professional Dress Code.”
The association said the bank had repeated old guidelines issued in 2018 and later years asking employees to follow specific dress codes.
The employees’ union said there was no need for strict instructions because bank staff members have always come to offices in a neat and presentable manner suitable for the image of the bank.
The union also stated that employees understand the importance of professional appearance while working in offices and branches.
However, the association strongly objected to the bank directing employees to wear only certain types of clothes. According to the union, a large portion of Union Bank employees are young, and modern outfits such as T-shirts and jeans are now widely accepted as smart and presentable attire in modern workplaces.
The union said many CEOs and senior executives in large corporate companies also wear modern outfits in offices. It added that nearly 70 percent of the bank’s workforce is young and naturally prefers modern dressing styles.
The association believes that allowing modern and presentable dressing can help the bank connect better with next-generation customers.
The union also pointed out that traditional clothes like kurta and pyjama are still considered proper office wear in many parts of central and northern India.
Therefore, the association said employees should not be forced to follow only formal dress rules.AIUBEA further said that making formal dress mandatory could reduce employee enthusiasm and may even affect their basic rights.
The association clarified that it supports neat and presentable dressing but believes this can be maintained without enforcing a strict dress code.
The union also informed the bank management that similar views had already been communicated earlier in 2018, 2022, 2023 and 2024.
In the letter, General Secretary N. Shankar requested the management to consider the union’s suggestions positively and keep the dress code guidelines non-mandatory for employees.
