Banks are undoubtedly crucial to people all around the world, as they help with most financial concerns.
However, if they are so crucial to the economy and are indispensable to the people, then why are banks closed on Sundays?
Why Are Banks Closed On Sundays?
1. Everyone Needs A Weekend
After all, the staff working at any bank are human, just like us. Having an important job that helps with the overall economy of the country doesn’t mean they can’t take a day off.
Having a day or two off per week helps the body loosen up and reduces stress and anxiety. Taking the time to focus on hobbies and having fun has proved to improve overall productivity.
If a person worked an 8-hour shift every single day, the routine would drive them insane. We all need time to relax, not think about work, and recharge our energies to work efficiently.
2. Accountants Can Be Religious
Blue laws, or Sunday laws, prohibit working hours on a Sunday. Originally, this law was purely religious so that people would have time to go to church.
However, the separation of church and state made it inconvenient to close banks on Monday solely for religious reasons.
At the same time, some employees at the banks would still prefer having some time off of work to go get closer to God. So, it was the respectful choice to have banks close on Sundays.
3. It’s Not Beneficial On Sundays
Although banks deal with money transactions every day at a high rate, it’s still more beneficial for banks to stay closed one day per week.
To clarify, some banks spend a lot for their employees to work on Saturdays–almost a day and a half of overtime. So, for them to get employees to work on Sundays, they’d have to pay more.
Aside from the extra money they’d give to the employees, they’d also have to pay extra for insurance, utilities, and security.
Additionally, businesses work from Monday to Friday, which typically means that most money transactions happen during these business days anyways.
So, for the banks to stay open, they might pay more than what they’d make on Sundays, or at least it wouldn’t be beneficial enough.
4. Less Prone To Theft
Logically, a place that’s open 6 days a week is less prone to theft than a place that’s open all week long. This extra day actually helps banks be more secure and protected.
If every day the bank is open is considered a risk, then having a day off is more beneficial in terms of security. This helps lower the robbery rates and keeps the money safe.
5. Banks Aren’t Amusing On Weekends
Since most businesses close on the weekend, most people would rather spend their weekends unwinding or having fun rather than heading to a bank to make a transaction that can be made the very next day.
This is why it’s not worth the bank opening on Sundays. People would simply rather enjoy their weekends than deal with financial responsibilities that can be handled later.
6. Online Banking Is The Future
With the existence of online banking, ATMs, and call centers, it’s rarely a must to go to the bank yourself unless it’s more convenient for you.
Online banking helps users keep tabs on their accounts and the money they have in there, and all of this is just a few clicks away.
If you’re wishing to withdraw or add cash to your account, ATMs are virtually everywhere and are easier and faster to use. They won’t take but a few minutes of your time.
Even if it’s to deposit a check, most banks have an online application you can use to deposit a check into your account.
You can also transfer and receive money from others through the same online application.
Additionally, if you have any other requirement or a certain question that online banking doesn’t help you answer, then you always have the option of calling the call center.
You’d be talking to a representative that will help you get everything you need done effortlessly from the comfort of your house.
7. Tying Up The Week’s Loose Ends
On Saturdays, ATM and retail transactions get processed for everything to be more organized for the week. This takes a lot of processing power, so it’s not an easy thing to do.
That said, Sundays always exist in case anything major went wrong that would need to be fixed before people are back to the bank on Mondays.
This helps everything stay organized and reliable. It also makes sure that there’s some sort of a ‘margin of error.’
To learn more, you can also read our posts on why pawn shops are closed on Sundays, why you got paid early, and why markets exist.
Conclusion
Banks are essential to the financial system of any country. They play a role that can’t really be eliminated or substituted in our modern society.
Just because banks close on Sundays doesn’t make them any less important. Bank employees need to relax and enjoy their day off, after all, just like we do.