Home › Circulars › RBI/2021-22/70

Mandatory Leave for Sensitive Bank Roles

No longer current — withdrawn, no replacement on file yet

Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2021-22/70 · issued 09 Jul 2021 · ~1 min read

Quick answerRBI mandates banks to enforce a surprise mandatory leave of at least 10 working days annually for employees in sensitive positions, without prior notice, and restrict their access to work resources during leave. Compliance required within six months.

The rule, in the simplest words

Employees in sensitive jobs must take a surprise leave of at least 10 working days in one go every year.
No advance notice is given to the employee about this leave.
During leave, they cannot use work computers, files, or other tools, except the general office email.
Banks must make a list of sensitive jobs and get it approved by the board, and update it from time to time.
Banks have six months from the circular date to put this into practice.

How it plays out — a real example

Ravi, the branch manager at a mid-sized bank, is on the sensitive list. One Monday, his regional head tells him to go on leave immediately for two weeks. Ravi hands over his laptop and access cards, and during his leave, he cannot check internal systems except his official email. This surprise break helps the bank spot any hidden irregularities in his transactions.

What changed

RBI updated its 2015 circular on mandatory leave for sensitive roles, repealing the earlier instruction. The new directive retains the core requirement but emphasizes surprise and stricter resource access controls.

What it means for you

Banks must identify sensitive roles via a board-approved policy and ensure these employees take a continuous 10-day leave without notice. During leave, they cannot access work systems except general corporate email. This is a supervisory check to prevent fraud and operational lapses.

Historical instruction — do not use for current compliance. This is what was required at the time; it no longer reflects current RBI requirements. If no replacement rule is linked above, that only means none is recorded on our register yet — it does not prove no later applicable rule exists. Confirm on the official RBI source below.

What banks were required to do at the time

Review and update your mandatory leave policy to align with the new circular.
Identify and periodically review the list of sensitive positions with board approval.
Ensure affected employees take at least 10 consecutive working days leave annually without prior intimation.
Block access to work resources during mandatory leave, except internal/corporate email.
Implement the policy within six months from July 9, 2021.

Who it affects

All commercial banks including small finance, local area, and regional rural banks, Primary (Urban) Co-operative Banks, State Co-operative Banks, District Central Co-operative Banks, Employees in sensitive positions or areas of operation

❓ Common questions

Regulatory timeline

Decoded by BankPulse 2026-08-03 04:06 IST
repealed_by — Consolidation of Regulations — Withdrawal of circulars (28 Nov 2025)
Status change: withdrawn 03 Aug 2026, 04:00 IST

Built from our lineage records — each fact carries its provenance; missing history simply is not shown (never guessed).

What is the minimum leave duration?

At least 10 working days in a single spell every year.

Can employees access email during mandatory leave?

Yes, internal/corporate email is allowed for general purposes, but no other work resources.

Who decides which positions are sensitive?

Banks must prepare a list based on a board-approved policy and review it periodically.

📜 This document’s life story (1 recorded event, each backed by RBI’s own words)

Repealed by RBI/2025-26/100 — Consolidation of Regulations — Withdrawal of circulars (28 Nov 2025)

RBI’s words: “Official withdrawal register entry #296: DoR.ORG.REC.31/21.06.017/2021-22 — "Mandatory Leave for Employees Posted in Sensitive Positions or Areas of Operation" dated July 9, 2021”

📜 Read the original circular — full text as issued by RBI

Notifications - Reserve Bank of India Skip to main content Selected Selected Change Language हिंदी Search the Website Search Home About Us ▼ About Us Organisation & Functions ▶ Organisation Structure Departments Offices Training Establishment ▶ College of Agricultural Banking Reserve Bank Staff College College of Supervisors RBI's Functions and Working Governors Deputy Governors Executive Directors Communication Policy of RBI Sources of Information ▶ Annual Publications Half-yearly Publications Quarterly Publications Monthly Publications Weekly Publications Occasional Publications SDDS NSDP Data Releases Publications available on Subscription General Information RBI History Museum ▶ The RBI Museum RBI Monetary Museum Notification ▼ Notifications Master Directions Master Circulars Amendment Directions Draft Notifications/Guidelines ▶ Draft Notifications/Guidelines Draft Directions (RE-wise) Index To RBI Circulars Standalone Circulars Circulars Withdrawn Press Releases Speeches & Media Interactions ▼ Speeches Media Interactions Memorial Lectures Podcasts Publications ▼ Biennial Annual Half-Yearly Quarterly Bi-monthly Monthly Weekly Occasional Reports Working Papers Legal Framework ▼ Act Rules Regulations Schemes Research ▼ External Research Schemes RBI Occasional Papers Working Papers RBI Bulletin History DRG Studies KLEMS State Statistics and Finances Statistics ▼ Data Releases Database on Indian Economy Public Debt Statistics Regulatory Reporting ▼ List of Returns Data Definition Validation rules/ Taxonomy List of RBI Reporting Portals FAQs of RBI Reporting Portals Home Notifications Notifications ( 809 kb ) Mandatory Leave for Employees Posted in Sensitive Positions or Areas of Operation RBI/2021-22/70 DoR.ORG.REC.31/21.06.017/2021-22 July 9, 2021 All Commercial Banks (including Small Finance Banks, Local Area Banks and Regional Rural Banks) All Primary (Urban) Co-operative Banks/State Co-operative Banks/ District Central Co-operative Banks Dear Sir, Mandatory Leave for Employees Posted in Sensitive Positions or Areas of Operation Please refer to our circular DBR.No.BP.BC.88/21.04.048/2014-15 dated April 23, 2015 , advising banks to implement a ‘Mandatory Leave’ policy for the employees posted in sensitive positions or areas of operation. It has been decided to update these instructions and repeal the circular dated April 23, 2015 ibid. 2. As a prudent operational risk management measure, the banks shall put in place a ‘mandatory leave’ policy wherein the employees posted in sensitive positions or areas of operation shall be compulsorily sent on leave for a few days (not less than 10 working days) in a single spell every year, without giving any prior intimation to these employees, thereby maintaining an element of surprise. 3. Banks shall ensure that the employees, while on ‘mandatory leave’, do not have access to any physical or virtual resources related to their work responsibilities, with the exception of internal/ corporate email which is usually available to all employees for general purposes. 4. Banks shall, as per a Board-approved policy, prepare a list of sensitive positions to be covered under ‘mandatory leave’ requirements and the list shall be reviewed periodically. Implementation of this policy shall be reviewed under the supervisory process. 5. The revised instructions shall be applicable to all the banks and they shall comply with these instructions within six months from the date of issue of this circular. Yours faithfully, (Sunil T S Nair) Chief General Manager 2026 All Months January February March April May June July August September October November December 2025 All Months January February March April May June July August September October November December 2024 All Months January February March April May June July August September October November December 2023 All Months January February March April May June July August September October November December 2022 All Months January February March April May June July August September October November December 2021 All Months January February March April May June July August September October November December 2020 All Months January February March April May June July August September October November December 2019 All Months January February March April May June July August September October November December 2018 All Months January February March April May June July August September October November December 2017 All Months January February March April May June July August September October November December Archives 2016 All Months January February March April May June July August September October November December 2015 All Months January February March April May June July August September October November December 2014 All Months January February March April May June July August September October November December 2013 All Months January February March April May June July August September October November December 2012 All Months January February March April May June July August September October November December 2011 All Months January February March April May June July August September October November December 2010 All Months January February March April May June July August September October November December 2009 All Months January February March April May June July August September October November December 2008 All Months January February March April May June July August September October November December 2007 All Months January February March April May June July August September October November December 2006 All Months January February March April May June July August September October November December 2005 All Months January February March April May June July August September October November December 2004 All Months January February March April May June July August September October November December 2003 All Months January February March April May June July August September October November December 2002 All Months January February March April May June July August September October November December 2001 All Months January February March April May June July August September October November December 2000 All Months January February March April May June July August September October November December 1999 All Months January February March April May June July August September October November December 1998 All Months January February March April May June July August September October November December 1997 All Months January February March April May June July August September October November December 1996 All Months January February March April May June July August September October November December 1995 All Months January February March April May June July August September October November December 1994 All Months January February March April May June July August September October November December 1993 All Months January February March April May June July August September October November December 1992 All Months January February March April May June July August September October November December 1991 All Months January February March April May June July August September October November December Top Back to previous page More Links Bank Holidays Banking Glossary Citizen's Charter Complaints Contact Us COVID-19 Measures E-LMS Events FAQs Financial Education Forms IFSC/MICR Codes Important Websites Opportunities @ RBI RBI Clarifications RBI Kehta Hai RBI’s Vision and Values (1257 kb)--> Right to Information Act Tenders Follow RBI RSS Twitter YouTube Instagram Facebook LinkedIn © Reserve Bank of India. 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Reproduced for reference with acknowledgment — Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2021-22/70 · issued 09 Jul 2021. The plain-English explanation above is BankPulse’s own independent summary.

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BankPulse Compliance Evidence Pack — generated 03 Aug 2026 · status cross-checked against RBI’s official withdrawal register (refreshed weekly).
Official RBI source: https://www.rbi.org.in/Scripts/NotificationUser.aspx?Id=12129&Mode=0 — Plain-English summary by BankPulse (bankpulse.ai), reviewed by our expert reviewer, CA Amit Jain. Independent platform, not affiliated with the Reserve Bank of India; is our own plain-English paraphrase, not RBI’s original wording.