In February 2025, the MD&CEO of Punjab National Bank said that he does not favour holiday working. He addressed a town hall meeting in Mumbai and said that for the past 10–11 years, he has never worked on a Sunday, nor has he called any employee to work on a holiday. He stated that working on holidays does not add value to the bank’s business or profitability. Instead, he stressed that employees should be given proper time to rest and spend quality moments with their families.
The MD advised all Circle Heads (CHs) and Zonal Managers (ZMs) not to call employees for duty on holidays. He said that authorities call staff to work on holidays just to satisfy their ego.
One year has passed since MD&CEO gave instructions not to call staff to work on holidays but the ground reality is different. Most of the Circle Heads/Regional Managers call staff to work on holidays, citing the quarterly closing. The issue of holiday working is increasing day by day in Punjab National Bank.
If we talk about the latest developments, Punjab National Bank Agra ZO ordered staff to work on 26 March 2026 – the day declared as holiday for the celebration of Ram Navami. The Bulandshahr Circle Office has ordered its staff to work on the designated holiday.
In another instance, Circle Head of Ayodhya issued orders to all branch heads to open branches on holidays – 28 and 29 March 2026. In the letter he wrote – The Government of Uttar Pradesh has announced holiday on 26 and 27 March 2026 on the occasion of Ram Navami. In view of the above and considering the annual closing of Financial Year 2025–2026, it has been decided that CBS SOL IDs of all branches and offices (except Currency Chests) shall remain operational on 28th March 2026 (4th Saturday) and 29th March 2026 (Sunday). These days shall be utilized for carrying out essential administrative and financial year closing activities. All Branch Heads and officers are advised to make effective use of these two days to complete pending year-end activities and achievement of the annual budget targets of their respective branches.
These two letters are just an example showing that Circle Heads are still calling employees to work on holidays despite instructions from MD&CEO. There are hundreds of such letters that force employees to work on holidays.
Working on holidays has several negative effects on employees and the overall work environment. It disturbs work-life balance, as employees do not get time to rest or spend important moments with their families, especially during festivals. This often leads to low morale and reduced job satisfaction, as staff may feel forced to work even on officially declared holidays. Continuous work without proper breaks can also cause mental stress, burnout, and frustration. If holiday working becomes common, it creates an unhealthy work culture and increases pressure on staff.
