Bank 5-Day Work Week 2026 — Latest Status & Saturday Holiday Truth
As of 7 October 2026, the 5-day banking week has NOT been notified. Banks still close only on the 2nd and 4th Saturdays. What is new: after a one-day strike on 11 September and a deferred three-day strike, the Indian Banks' Association formed a high-level committee with the unions on 29 September 2026 to discuss it. The final decision rests with the Finance Ministry and RBI.
Current Status of the 5-Day Work Week (7 October 2026)
The 5-day work week for Indian banks has not been implemented. The rule in force is still the 2015 notification under the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881: bank branches close on the 2nd and 4th Saturdays of every month, plus all Sundays and notified holidays.
The 12th Bipartite Settlement (BPS) and the 9th Joint Note, signed on 8 March 2024, recorded an agreement between the Indian Banks' Association (IBA) and the unions on a 5-day week. But that agreement only works once the Government notifies it — and that second step has still not happened. What changed in late September 2026 is that IBA has now set up a formal committee with the unions to work through how it could be implemented.
SBI PO Working Days in a Week (Right Now)
SBI is a public sector bank, so SBI POs — and IBPS POs in other public sector banks — follow exactly the same rule. How many days you work depends on which Saturday falls in that week:
| Type of week | Working days | Days |
|---|---|---|
| Week with the 2nd or 4th Saturday | Monday – Friday | 5 |
| Week with the 1st, 3rd or 5th Saturday | Monday – Saturday | 6 |
Sundays are always off, and state or festival holidays come on top. So in a typical month you work 2 or 3 Saturdays. This will change only if the Government notifies the 5-day banking week — SBI is represented on the IBA committee now discussing it, and any notification would cover SBI along with the other public sector banks.
What Happened in September 2026
September 2026 was the most eventful month for this issue since the 2024 settlement. Here is what happened, in order:
The United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) — an umbrella of seven employee and officer unions — went ahead with an all-India strike after talks failed to produce a concrete outcome. Branch services were disrupted across the country.
A strike planned for 28–30 September was put off after late-night talks between IBA and UFBU that began at 9:30 pm. IBA agreed to set up a high-level committee on declaring the remaining Saturdays as holidays, to discuss changes to the Performance Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for officers in Scale IV and above, and to take up residual issues from the minutes of 8 March 2024.
IBA named a committee chaired by Rajneesh Karnatak (MD & CEO, Bank of India), with Ashok Chandra (MD & CEO, Punjab National Bank) as alternate chair. Other bank-side members are Binod Kumar (MD & CEO, Indian Bank), Rakesh Sharma (MD & CEO, IDBI Bank) and G S Rana (DMD, State Bank of India). The general secretaries of the seven UFBU unions sit on the union side. No timeline was given.
The committee held its first meeting. Its recommendation will go to the Finance Ministry and RBI, which take the final decision.
The Fake "All Saturdays Off" Notification
Right after the committee news, a document dressed up as a Department of Financial Services gazette notification went viral. It claimed the Government had declared every Saturday a holiday for public sector banks, including SBI.
"The document being circulated is #Fake. No such notification has been issued by @FinMinIndia declaring every Saturday as public holiday for public sector banks."
How to check any bank holiday claim yourself:
- Look for it on pib.gov.in or the official PIB Fact Check handle.
- Check the Department of Financial Services website (financialservices.gov.in).
- Search the official gazette at egazette.gov.in.
- Check the RBI holiday list for your state on rbi.org.in.
If a "notification" appears only on WhatsApp, Telegram or YouTube and on none of the above, treat it as fake.
Full Timeline: 2015 to October 2026
The demand for a 5-day week in Indian banking goes back decades. Here is how the current situation came about:
Government notification under the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881 declares the 2nd and 4th Saturdays of every month as public holidays for banks. The 1st, 3rd and 5th Saturdays stay working days.
12th Bipartite Settlement and 9th Joint Note signed between IBA and the unions. Both record agreement on a 5-day week — subject to Government notification.
In a Lok Sabha reply, the Finance Ministry confirms it has received IBA’s proposal to make all Saturdays holidays, but gives no timeline.
Bank unions hold a nationwide strike demanding immediate implementation of the 5-day week.
AIBOC writes to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking his intervention.
UFBU holds a one-day all-India strike after talks fail.
Three-day strike (28–30 Sep) deferred after late-night IBA–UFBU talks.
IBA constitutes a high-level committee on five-day banking, chaired by Bank of India MD & CEO Rajneesh Karnatak.
Committee holds its first meeting.
PIB Fact Check flags a viral "all Saturdays holiday" notification as fake.
How Could Bank Timings Change?
A 5-day week does not mean bank staff simply get extra days off. Two approaches have been discussed publicly — neither has been notified:
- • Monday to Saturday, except 2nd & 4th Saturdays
- • Branch hours roughly 10am–4pm for customers (varies by bank)
- • 2 or 3 working Saturdays a month
- • Monday to Friday only
- • About 40 minutes added to each working day (figure from IBA–union talks)
- • All Saturdays closed
- • Each employee works 5 days
- • Weekly offs rotated among staff
- • Branches could still open on some Saturdays
Bank PO Salary Update 2026 (DA 27.83%)
While the work-week decision is pending, pay under the 12th Bipartite Settlement is fully in force. Bank Dearness Allowance rose from 25.70% (May–July 2026) to 27.83% from 1 August 2026, per the IBA circular dated 3 August 2026. Here is what that means for an IBPS PO at the entry stage:
Impact on SBI PO & IBPS PO Aspirants
If you are preparing for SBI PO or IBPS PO, here is what the 5-day week news means for you:
You will join at the 12th BPS pay scale with the current quarterly DA, whatever happens to the 5-day week.
The new committee makes a decision more likely than it was a few months ago, but there is still no confirmed date. If the staggered-off model is chosen, you may get a 5-day week while your branch still opens on some Saturdays.
The work-week issue and bank strikes have no bearing on SBI PO or IBPS PO exam schedules. Keep preparing as per the official calendars.
Use the TaiyarHo Eligibility Checker to confirm your age and qualification for SBI PO and IBPS PO before applying.
Which Saturdays Are Bank Holidays Right Now?
Under the 2015 rule that is still in force, bank branches follow this Saturday schedule:
October 2026 Saturdays:
- 3 Oct — 1st Saturday → Open
- 10 Oct — 2nd Saturday → Closed
- 17 Oct — 3rd Saturday → Open
- 24 Oct — 4th Saturday → Closed
- 31 Oct — 5th Saturday → Open
November 2026 Saturdays:
- 7 Nov — 1st Saturday → Open
- 14 Nov — 2nd Saturday → Closed
- 21 Nov — 3rd Saturday → Open
- 28 Nov — 4th Saturday → Closed
October and November are festival months. State-specific holidays (Dussehra, Diwali, Chhath and others) can close branches on additional days, and they differ by state — always check the RBI holiday list for your state before a branch visit.