SBI Says Pregnant Women Are Unfit For Job; Withdraws This Weird Guideline After Public Outcry [Updated]

SBI has shared their official statement on this matter:

“SBI has always been proactive towards the care and empowerment of its women employees who now constitute around 25% of our workforce. During the COVID period, as per Government instructions, pregnant women employees were exempted from attending office and allowed to Work From Home.

However, in view of the public sentiments, SBI has decided to keep the revised instructions regarding recruitment of pregnant women candidates in abeyance and continue with the existing instructions in the matter.”

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Public Relations is one of the important aspects for the fine working of any company. The way people outside as well as inside the organization perceive the organization can determine the future of the company. And looking at the possible bad publicity of the company, the largest public sector bank in India has rolled back its previous decision.

SBI withdraws controversial circular

Recently, after facing backlash from all corners, the State Bank of India withdrew the controversial circular. Now withdrawn circular prevented women who were over 3 months pregnant from joining the service. Looking at the possible damage to the image, the bank took the decision to keep the revised instructions regarding the recruitment of pregnant women candidates in abeyance and continue with the existing instructions in the matter. 

In a statement, SBI underlined, “SBI has always been proactive towards the care and empowerment of its women employees who now constitute around 25% of our workforce. During the COVID period, as per govt instructions, pregnant women employees were exempted from attending office and allowed to Work From Home.”

“However, in view of the public sentiments, SBI has decided to keep the revised instructions regarding recruitment of pregnant women candidates in abeyance and continue with the existing instructions in the matter,” the bank added further. 

As per the existing rules, pregnant women candidates are eligible to be appointed in the bank up to six months of pregnancy, provided the candidate furnishes a certificate from a specialist gynecologist that her taking up the bank’s employment at that stage is in no way likely to interfere with her pregnancy or the normal development of the fetus, or is not likely to cause her miscarriage or otherwise to adversely affect her health.

SBI received notice from DCW

It should be noted that the development comes after the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) issued a notice to the SBI. In its notice, the DCW noted that it has taken suo-moto cognizance of the new guidelines and demanded the cancellation of the same. The notice said, the guideline discriminated against people on the basis of gender, which was a violation of a fundamental right. 

Chief Swati Maliwal while sharing the notice, tweeted, “State Bank of India seems to have issued guidelines preventing women who are over 3 months pregnant from joining service & have termed them as ‘temporarily unfit’. This is both discriminatory and illegal. We have issued a Notice to them seeking withdrawal of this anti-women rule.”