Often when you reach the State Bank of India (SBI) branch for your important government or personal work, you get to hear that it is lunch time, come after some time. Many times when this happens, customers feel that the bank employees have gone for lunch as soon as they reach. Many memes and jokes regarding SBI’s lunch time often go viral on social media. But is there really a fixed time in SBI when the entire bank stops work and sits down to eat? Let us know what are the official rules regarding lunch time in the country’s largest government bank and what rights you have as an aware customer.
Is there any fixed lunch time in SBI?
According to the official rules of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and State Bank of India, there is no fixed lunch time in the bank during which the shutters of the bank should be pulled down or public dealing should be stopped completely. Keeping in mind the convenience of customers, the system of staggered lunch is implemented in SBI. This means that bank employees take turns for lunch between 1:00 pm and 3:00 pm. The rule is that if the employee of counter number 1 has gone for lunch, then the employee of counter number 2 or any other staff will come in his place and take over that seat so that the customers do not have to wait.
What are your rights when you stop work in the name of lunch?
If you go to any SBI branch in the afternoon and find all the counters empty or the employees make you wait for hours citing lunch, then you can lodge a complaint:
- Meet the Branch Manager: First of all you can complain about this to the branch manager of the concerned bank.
- Helpline and online complaint: You can call SBI toll-free number 1800 1234 or visit their official website and lodge a complaint.
Let us tell you that SBI Bank is generally open for public dealing from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. It is mandatory to get your work done even during lunch between 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm, so next time you go to the bank, get your work done without any hassle.
