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A NSZZ Solidarność sponsored Report addresses psychosocial risk factors and hazards in the general banking sector in Poland.

Psychosocial hazards and risks are directly linked to work-related stress. The Report identified the Banking sector as a typical work environment which is subject to significant psychosocial risk factors. Demands placed on banking sector employees, i.e. constant customer service, fast work pace, multitasking and pressure on financial outcomes, are potential stress factors.

Polish research institutes and labour institutions point out that the level of psychosocial hazard is growing in the customer service sector, including in the banking sector. Bank workers are usually concerned about their current job and the chances of getting a new one. Due to the growing levels of reported psychosocial hazards in the banking sector (especially when it comes to stress factors, deterioration of work conditions and interpersonal relations, including mobbing), it has been decided that a research on the possible risk areas should be carried out.

The Research involved 1110 employees from various banking companies from all over Poland. The data was collected in the period between October 2013 and May 2014.

78% of the respondents declared that in their workplace there are conflicts which stem from the excessive pressure on delivering financial results, whereas only 4% did not observe any conflict inducing stress at their work. No respondent believed that the customers are the source of the conflicts. It concludes that all conflict inducing factors are of in-company nature.

More than 90% of the respondents declared that their job is a source of stress for them. More than 80% of the respondents think about their job constantly and struggle to divide it from their personal life. More than 60% of the respondents declare problems connected with psychological harassment. Despite having mentioned feeling stressed at work, being psychologically harassed and experiencing conflicts at work, the majority of the respondents did not seek medical/psychological help. Nearly half of the respondents turned to trade unions for help after experiencing stress or mobbing at work. More than 80% of the respondents feel that they experience ailments and conditions having roots in their work.

The reported prevailing anxiety stems from fear of being dismissed (almost 70% of the respondents). Another vital factor seems to be the fear of experiencing mobbing (18%). One half of the respondents claimed that their employers provided possibilities to improve qualifications and the other half claim that they do not.

More than 60% of the respondents agree that they can use the knowledge and skills obtained during training at work. More than 70% of the respondents declare that they do not feel satisfied and gratified with their job. More than 80% of the respondents believe that the crisis had a negative impact of their work relations. Almost 80% of the respondents declare that their companies do not provide any help when it comes to finding a new job or reskilling and retraining.

Concerning anti-mobbing practices, some of the respondents admit that anti-mobbing procedures have been introduced, some of them claim that such procedures are not present in their workplace, whereas a third group of respondents is not aware of the existence of such procedures. While examining the case of using such procedures, 30% of the respondents declare that they have not used them and 32% do not believe that the procedures are valid and working and hence do not want to use them.

The research concluded that stress, which is widely believed to be a harmful phenomenon, is prevalent in the Polish general banking sector. The Report concludes that it is vital to investigate the sources of stress and implement preventive measures which may moderate the risk of work-related psychological inconvenience. Working in a bank is connected with the risks of:

• the occurrence of serious conflicts stemming from the pressure on delivering financial results, which worsens the interpersonal relations; the risk became prevalent with the advent of the economic crisis, which had a direct translation into the work conditions in the banking sector.
• the development of high level of stress which was explicitly pointed out by the respondents in the questionnaire (90% of the respondents admit that they feel stressed at or about their work).
• the incapability of dissociating the work from the private life; this may be a result of improper labour organization and personnel management.
• psychological harassment experienced by the majority of respondents, who also point out that they have to be treated for the symptoms of work-related stress (for example by psychologists or doctors); the respondents declare experiencing psychological and somatic symptoms of stress.
• the anxiety of being dismissed, which is the most frequently reported source of stress and uneasiness.

Respondents poorly evaluated the atmosphere at work, did not feel satisfied about their job and most often did not identify themselves with the company and its objectives. Their motivation is poor or non-existent. They considered that anti-mobbing preventive measures were faulty or pointed out the lack of anti-mobbing procedures. According to the respondents, their workplaces do not provide counselling in case of being dismissed due to staff reduction. Another diagnostically relevant issue concerns the fact that the majority of respondents would change their job if they had an opportunity to do so.

Given the seriousness of the findings it is recommended that employers, employee representatives and OHS institutions must urgently enact remedial measures that prevent the occurrence and aim at controlling the level of stress-inducing factors in banks through:

• increased observation of the workstations;
• detailed interviews with employees;
• carrying out questionnaire survey to examine the sources of work-related stress;
• developing charts of occupational hazard description;
• introducing psychosocial risk factors to the assessment of the occupational hazard;
• implementation of effective anti-mobbing preventive measures;
• organizing anti-stress training sessions and courses;
• detailed analysis of timesheets and other employees’ documentation, paying special attention to: absences (esp. sick leaves) and personnel fluctuation.

Given the lack of official stress preventive measures ensured by the employers, it shall be noted that the banking sector may face the risk of an elevated personnel fluctuation. The decreasing employees’ commitment, motivation and occupational safety paired with the defective management techniques may result in the changing image of the jobs in banking sectors. Banks may become perceived as an unattractive, unstable and temporary workplaces.

The Report is annexed.