Bank workers stressed by peddling debt and worried for customers

By AAP, 9 June 2010

BANK workers are suffering high stress levels caused by the pressures of meeting sales targets and feeling unable to provide good customer service, a survey has found.

The Finance Sector Union's (FSU) Better Banking survey results show workers are also often concerned about customers' capacity to manage personal debt.

More than half of the 1359 respondents said under-staffing was preventing them from doing their job properly, while 66 per cent reported having to deal with angry customers because of delays linked to offshore jobs.

Nearly all of those who participated in the online questionnaire, conducted in March, said they wanted banks to stop sending jobs overseas.

A sweeping dissatisfaction over pay was also revealed, with 89 per cent saying the gap between the salaries of CEOs and ordinary workers was too big.

The tellers, office workers and managers - employees from various banks across Australia - who took part in the survey, signalled widespread concern for customers.

Almost 80 per cent of respondents said Australia needed tougher regulations to stop personal debt spiralling out of control, while 82 per cent supported new, international rules to prevent high-risk banking activities.

On a personal level, about half reported feeling under pressure to sell debt products, even if customers did not ask for them or may not have been able to afford them.