SBI Introduces Sabbatical leave to Female Staff; May Extend to Males

SBI gives 2-years Sabbatical to Female Staff; May Extend to Males

State Bank of India (SBI) has introduced a new policy which allows women employees to take a two-year sabbatical leave from work without pay. This time off can be used for various reasons, such as pursuing higher education, caring for a family member, or even traveling. One popular reason for taking this leave is to focus on their child’s education. The policy is aimed at supporting women in their personal and professional lives, giving them the opportunity to take time off and return to work with renewed energy and focus.

In an interview with PTI, Arundhati Bhattacharya, the first female head of the State Bank of India (SBI), revealed that the bank is expected to expand this provision to single male parents as well. The bank has introduced a two-year hiatus for its female employees if they wish to take it for any reason, such as their children’s education or caring for elderly parents/in-laws.

She was asked about the status of the scheme she had introduced right after taking up her role last October, to which she replied positively. While private sector entities like ICICI Bank have already implemented such initiatives, it is uncommon for a government-owned bank to do so. Bhattacharya mentioned that the bank intends to broaden the sabbatical leave policy to include single male parents as well, as it is crucial to consider their individual requirements and be empathetic towards them.

“At this point, we have not taken the initiative to provide support for single-parents, but down the line, we might consider extending the same support to males who are single-parents. They also require that kind of sensitivity and understanding, and it’s essential that we examine their needs as well.”

During her previous tenure as the head of SBI Caps, Bhattacharya had successfully introduced a program of sabbaticals that allowed women to take a break from work for six years. However, she had to make some adjustments at SBI in accordance with the government’s policies and limit the sabbatical duration to only two years.

According to the statements made by the concerned individual, SBI Caps has had the experience of doing it for a longer time than what has been done here for two years. The reason behind doing it for two years here is majorly because the government has also been doing it for the same time period. This information has been sourced from Economic Times/PTI.

Source : www.paycommissionupdate.blogspot.in