Female bank staffers may soon get transfers of their choice

New Delhi: Female employees of public sector banks will soon be entitled to a major benefit of getting transfers of their choice.

The Finance Ministry has asked the banks to formulate women-friendly transfer policies so that they can get transfers at places where their husbands are working or parents are living.

The Department of Financial Services, sources said, has asked Public Sector Banks (PSBs) to formulate transfer and posting polices in such way so as to minimise "hardship" of women employees.

"...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," said a communication of the Department to head to PSBs.

In case of unmarried female employees, the banks have been asked to accommodate them "at a place where their parents" are stationed or as near as possible.

While giving directions to PSBs, the Department said it has come to its notice that female employees, both married and unmarried, "when place/ transfered away from their husband or parents...to distant locations face a genuine hardship or develop a feeling of insecurity".

There are 27 PSBs, including the latest Bharatiya Mahila Bank. Of the nearly 8 lakh employees in PSBs, about 2.5 lakh are females.

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

Also, they have been asked to consider pending requests under the new guidelines.