BANK employees feel stressed all the time while performing their duties due to the irrational targets for deposit collections and loan disbursement set by the top management. A research conducted by Bangladesh Institute of Bank Management unveiled the facts and suggested for setting logical target for the employees keeping similarity with the size of country’s economy. Entire banking sector has been undergoing a volatile situation for many years due to loan scams and opening of new banks under political consideration. The pressure on employees would bring unhealthy competition and also make the employees concerned unproductive. According to the study, the pressure of meeting the high target is one of the major reasons for the occupational stress of bank employees. The monumental target for recovery of disbursed loans is another burden. The top management should turn their attitude from target fulfilment to business sustainability.
Bangladesh Bank has always been playing proactive roles in reducing stress of employees in the entire banking sector. As part of the move, the banking regulator has already taken different initiatives, including introduction of a six-month maternity leave for women employees and offering facilities for day-care centres. There must be a counsellor who will guide them to overcome the issues they are facing in their professional or personal life. To overcome the situation lenders should arrange workshop on a regular basis to hone their workplace skills. Banks should frame policy and guidelines relating to promotion and incentive. Target for deposit collection should not be mandatory for all employees.
The government once had planned for merging some small banks to make the sector effective. But we see no progress in this regard. Rather the government gave license to open new banks. Bangladesh Bank also failed to do its statutory duty due to government intervention in its operations.
