Gujarat Gramin Bank Employees Raise Complaint Against HR Head: The Officer Association of Gujarat Gramin Bank and Gujarat Gramin Bank Employees Association have written a formal letter to the General Manager (HR) at the bank’s Head Office in Vadodara, raising serious concerns about administrative harassment, violation of service regulations and poor HR management at the Regional Office in Valsad. The associations stated that the functioning of the HRM department, headed by HRM officer Mr. Naveen Tandel, and the conduct of Chief Manager Mr. Mignesh Shah have negatively affected the morale and working environment of employees in the region. The associations have mentioned several cases highlighting the toxicity in the region.
Gujarat Gramin Bank is sponsored by Bank of Baroda and its head office is located in Vadodara.
First Case: Complaint Regarding Salary Deduction of Assistant Manager Sanjay N. Chavda
The associations highlighted the case of Mr. Sanjay N. Chavda, Assistant Manager (Employee Code 1761). According to the complaint, Mr. Chavda met with an accident during the course of his duty and was under medical treatment. Despite submitting medical certificates and repeatedly informing the management about his condition, his medical leave was allegedly not handled properly.
The associations stated that Mr. Chavda tried several times to contact the HRM department through phone calls and emails, but his communications remained unanswered. On February 27, the HRM department reportedly deducted nearly 75% of his salary. After he resumed duty at his branch, he was immediately transferred to another branch. The associations also alleged that the officer has still not been provided any official explanation or documents regarding the reason for the salary deduction.
According to the associations, deducting the salary without giving the officer a chance to explain his situation is against the principles of natural justice and may violate the Gujarat Gramin Bank (Officers & Employees) Service Regulations, 2010. They also claimed that the Chief Manager may not be the competent authority to order salary deduction of an officer, yet the action was taken without following proper procedures.
The associations stated that such action amounts to administrative harassment, especially because the officer was recovering from an accident that occurred during duty. They emphasized that the bank has a responsibility to support employees who suffer injuries while performing their duties.
Second Case: Case of Office Assistant Yogesh Kukkar
The associations also raised another case involving Mr. Yogesh Kukkar, Office Assistant (Employee Code 2478). According to the letter, Mr. Kukkar had initially taken sanctioned leave for an examination and a family wedding. Later, he requested an extension of leave due to a medical emergency after his grandmother met with a serious accident.
Mr. Kukkar reportedly informed the authorities about the emergency and submitted hospital admission details, treatment documents and discharge records as proof. These documents were also available for verification through the hospital and the Rajasthan Government health portal.
However, the associations claimed that despite the leave extension application not being formally rejected or verified in HRMS and despite submission of medical evidence, the HRM department marked three days of his leave as Leave Without Pay. His salary for those days was deducted on February 27.
The associations also pointed out that the explanation from the employee was sought later through WhatsApp on March 2, which suggests that the salary deduction was made before asking for the employee’s explanation. According to the associations, this action was premature, arbitrary and against the principles of fair administrative procedures.
They said that taking financial action against an employee during a genuine medical emergency without proper verification or giving an opportunity to explain reflects an insensitive approach and causes mental stress and dissatisfaction among employees.
Concerns Over HRM Department Functioning
Apart from these two cases, the associations also raised concerns about the overall functioning of the HRM department during the tenure of HRM officer Mr. Naveen Tandel. According to the letter, he has spent most of his career working in regional or head offices, but employees in the region have experienced several issues during his tenure.
The associations listed multiple problems faced by officers in the region. They said phone calls and communications from staff often remain unanswered by the HRM department. Leave applications are sometimes verified at the last moment, which creates unnecessary uncertainty and stress for employees.
In several instances, officers were allegedly forced to bargain for their own leave. According to the associations, remarks such as “you applied for seven days and we are allowing four days, you should be thankful for it” were made to employees.
The associations also claimed that employees are often asked to provide evidence for leave purposes, such as producing wedding invitation cards for marriage leave or daily medical reports for medical leave. They further stated that staff allowances and claims are not processed on time.
Another concern mentioned in the letter was the large number of premature transfers carried out during the officer’s tenure, which allegedly caused inconvenience and dissatisfaction among officers.
Concerns Over Posting and Utilisation of Officers
The associations also mentioned that the HRM officer had earlier been transferred from the Regional Office to a branch. However, after the restructuring of the Regional Office, he was posted back to the Regional Office for a short period for training purposes by the then Regional Manager Mr. C. M. Saini.
In view of repeated complaints regarding HR functioning, the associations suggested that the officer’s services could be better utilized in branch operations. They also pointed out that several Scale IV branches are currently being managed by Scale III officers.
Associations Seek Intervention of Head Office
The associations warned that such incidents are creating serious dissatisfaction among employees in the region and may negatively affect their confidence and morale if the issues are not addressed in a fair and transparent manner.
They have requested the General Manager (HR) to intervene and take appropriate action. The associations demanded a fair and impartial review of the salary deduction cases of Mr. Sanjay N. Chavda and Mr. Yogesh Kukkar and asked that the deducted salary be credited back within a week.
They also requested an examination of the conduct and administrative actions of the concerned Chief Manager and HRM officer. The associations further asked the bank to ensure that HR administration in the region works in a transparent, responsive and employee-friendly manner.
In addition, they requested the redeployment of the concerned HRM officer to branch operations where his seniority and experience could be better utilized. They also asked the bank to issue clear instructions to prevent such incidents in the future.
Associations Warn of Escalating the Matter
The Officer and Employees Associations have warned that if appropriate action is not taken, they may explore legal remedies.
They stated that the issue may also be brought to the notice of higher authorities, including the Sponsor Bank, the Board, NABARD, the Department of Financial Services (DFS), the Labour Department and the Finance and Labour Ministries at the central level to protect the dignity, rights and morale of the employees.
