Maternity and Sabbatical leave policies in SBI

State Bank of India (SBI), being the premiere public sector bank in India, takes care of the employees working under its administration by making necessary changes into its policies from time to time. To incorporate amendments into the existing policies to better them is a regular affair for SBI. It has certain leave policies for the betterment of its employees. The HR team in the SBI makes sure that the employees meet with the required needs from time to time and analyzes their performance based on the amenities given to them. Better performances from the employees depend upon the value given to the individual employees and respect their requirements.

The SBI has clear norms for the maternal leave, which it made effective from 27^th March, 2000. Replacing the earlier mandate on maternity leave, the SBI has now granted a maternity leave of six months for female employees on any one occasion and 12 months in their entire period of service. The bank has also mentioned that in case of miscarriage/abortion/MTP too, the female candidates would be eligible for maternity leave on a substantial payment per month. Along with the maternity leave, the female candidates in SBI are eligible to acquire a two-year sabbatical leave for purposes like children’s education from their work.

Important Points about sabbatical leave in SBI

• Arundhati Bhattacharya, who is the first woman to head State Bank of India, initiated the    change in sabbatical leave policy of the bank.
• Under the sabbatical leave, the women candidates can take break from their work for various purposes such as education of their children; take care of their elderly parents and in-laws.
• The SBI was toying with the idea of sabbatical leave to the single-male parents as well in a continuously changing society and its requirements to adjust with the flow and understanding the special needs of such employees.
• The Central Government of India provides a sabbatical leave to its employees for the period of two years and thus the SBI too had to limit the sabbatical leave to two years.

Important Points about Maternity leave in SBI

• On substantive payments, the pregnant female employees of SBI would be able to acquire a six month maternity leave on any one occasion.
• The maternity leave in the entire period of the female employees in the bank is set to be 12 months.
• On presenting a valid certification from registered medical practitioner/doctor, the female employees can acquire the leave in case of miscarriage/abortion/MTP as well.
• In case of further medical complications supported by valid medical documents, the leave could get extended in combination with or in continuation of maternity leave, if requested.
• Employees under their probationary period would be granted maternity leave of not more than 3 months on loss of pay and their probation would get extended by three months. Once the employee is selected and confirmed in the bank, they would get the payment for this period of leave.
• The maternity leave record should be incorporated to the overall leave record of the candidates, so that there leaves could carry forward in case of next maternal leave.

The maternity and sabbatical leave policies have been reinvigorated in the year 2014, when Arundhati Bhattacharya became the head of the SBI. She was the first woman to head the national organization since its inception and took immediate measures to help female candidates by providing necessary leaves and benefits. In the year 2014 the finance ministry also notified that the women candidates, whether married or unmarried, be given their home postings. This made the position of female employees even stronger in national banks like SBI. The maternity leave, which is a necessary leave among working women all around world, is being considered to get further alleviated to one year. This is under consideration and once the resolution gets passed by the concerned authorities, it would help the female candidates immensely.