Women bank employees to get transfers of their choice

Women staffers of public sector banks may soon get transfers of their choice as the finance ministry has advised state-run banks to formulate women-friendly transfer policies so as to enable them to work in places where their husbands or parents are living.

The directive from the Department of Financial Services asking public sector banks to formulate transfer and posting polices to minimise "hardship" of women employees is part of the women-friendly policies of the Narendra Modi government.

"It has been decided to accommodate as far as possible placement/transfer of married employees, on her request, at a place where her husband is stationed or as near as possible to that place or vice versa," the department said in a communication to PSBs.

In case of unmarried female employees, the department has suggested that the banks should accommodate them "at a place where their parents" are stationed or as near as possible.

''It has been brought to the notice of this department that female employees of the public sector banks (PSBs), married or unmarried, when placed or transferred away from their husband or parents, as the case may be, to distant locations face a genuine hardship and develop a feeling of insecurity,'' said a circular of department of financial services," the communication from the department noted.

The public sector banks have been asked to frame the policy in this regard with the approval of their board and "take immediate action for implementation and compliance".

''Pending requests may also be considered under these guidelines,'' said the finance ministry directive.

There are 27 public sector banks, including the newly set up Bharatiya Mahila Bank, with nearly 8 lakh employees, including about 2.5 lakh females.