AIGETOA brought this concept of Sabbatical Leave in BSNL and raised the issue as one of the demands in similar lines as has brought other major policies being followed in other CPSUs to BSNL. Initially management showed its reluctance to approve the policy but subsequently accepted it, thanks to the continued persuasion by TEAM AIGETOA on the matter. This was an agreed issue, still management did not move forward till Jan’26. However, our proactive pursuance yielded results and finally management directed establishment cell of BSNL CO to process the case.
Our submission in February 2026 https://aigetoachq.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/GS-AIGETOA-2025-26-104-Implementation-of-Sabatical-Leave-in-BSNL-Dated-17.02.2026.pdf may be referred to for details.
Thereafter, the case was approved by the Management Committee in Feb’2026. Finally, one of the long pending demands of AIGETOA was approved by BSNL board yesterday on dated 22.05.2026.
AIGETOA CHQ is in receipt of many queries from executives across India wrt details and applicability of the Sabbatical Leave. Therefore, we have prepared a small brief on the subject, based upon our submissions and deliberations with Management at several levels as stated below:
Sabbatical Leave basically enables regular employees of the organization with a minimum qualifying service period to avail a mechanism where they can take leave (Normally Maximum up to Five Years) to cater to various needs pertaining to the individual including Familial, Societal or personal needs etc. This also includes leave taken for supporting any family business, higher education, entrepreneurial ventures, skill upgradation, alternative professional assignments etc.
The benefit of this leave is that it keeps the service continued for the Sabbatical period i.e. employee is not required to resign from the service and instead can opt for temporary disengagement in various trenches as decided by management. When the employee rejoins the organization, this leave period is not counted as break in service.
Sabbatical Leave is an unpaid leave and is treated as Extra Ordinary Leave for the purpose of calculating service-related advantages. This Leave Period is not counted as qualifying service for any purpose pertaining to promotion, pension or gratuity or any service-related benefits. Advantage it carries is that willing employees can venture out alternative profession without the fear of losing Job in case employee wishes to return back to BSNL.
AIGETOA has requested Management for allowing maximum possible employees of BSNL to be made eligible. AIGETOA has also requested for allowing the employee to opt for resignation in case he/she doesn’t wishes to come back and rejoin BSNL.
The details of the approved policy are still awaited but we firmly believe that management must have taken the genuine submissions of AIGETOA into consideration.
We take this opportunity to extend our gratitude to Management for accepting a genuine demand which will be in the interest of willing employees. This was the minimum management could have done and finally they considered the implementation of Sabbatical Leave in BSNL.
Herein AIGETOA CHQ wishes to clarify that acceptance of this small demand by management should not make us complacent and we must keep ourselves focused on achieving the larger objective of realizing the resolution of various “P” i.e. 3rd PRC, Pay Scales, Pay Loss issues, 30 Percent SAB, Promotions and Profitability of BSNL.
We request one and all to extend their whole hearted support to the endeavors by AIGETOA/Bharatiya Doorsanchar Manch in its quest for achieving the desired objectives as stated above.
