Tag Archive for: work from home

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UK Retail Banks Confront Rising Mental Health Challenges in Workforces

(London, UK) UK retail banking operations are facing a growing mental health challenge among frontline staff, driven by evolving role demands, rising customer aggression, and the complexities of hybrid work, according to new insights from Auriemma Group. Benchmarking data reveals a steady rise in mental health-related absences over the past year, prompting banks to rethink their workforce support strategies.

The data paints a clear trend: as self-service tools handle simpler queries, frontline agents are left to manage more complex and emotionally charged customer interactions. Since the pandemic, mental health absences have climbed, reflecting the increasing strain on employees.

Firms also report a notable increase in customer aggression, including threats and verbal abuse, further exacerbating stress levels. Hybrid work arrangements compound the issue, as remote teams navigate difficult conversations with less immediate peer or managerial support after tough calls, underscoring the need for fresh approaches.

“Banks are navigating a real shift in workforce dynamics,” says Nicole Toussaint, Senior Manager of Industry Roundtables at Auriemma Group. “Rising stress from customer interactions and hybrid work adjustments are challenging, but the industry is already exploring smart, proactive solutions.”

Industry Approaches to Address the Challenge

Auriemma Roundtable members have shared a variety of promising practices they are testing to support their teams and maintain performance:

  • Enhanced Manager Training: Firms are training managers to handle well-being discussions more effectively, with one program linking mental health support to improved performance. This fosters a supportive culture and helps staff access resources.
  • Flexible Workweek Trials: A four-day workweek pilot has shown promising results, reducing absences and lifting productivity, offering a balanced way to ease stress while maintaining service levels.
  • Onsite Welfare Support: For high-pressure roles, such as those handling vulnerable customers, some banks mandate onsite days to ensure direct and immediate welfare support, stabilising absence rates.
  • Cultural Reinforcement: Transparency boosts engagement—one firm uses town halls to share progress and purpose, while another limits agents to first-name interactions to reduce online harassment risks.
  • Supportive Policy Adjustments: Policy changes include expanded sick leave (one bank raised it to 25 days for severe cases) and teamwide transparency on absences, reinforcing personal accountability.
  • Tech-Enabled Resilience: AI-driven tools and speech analytics are being used to identify early burnout risks in complaint calls, suggest responses to lighten agents’ loads, and blend efficiency with care.

“Roundtable members are eager to help one another tackle this challenge at an industry level,” says Toussaint. “This topic will remain a focal point, especially as firms optimise their hybrid working strategies ahead of the 2026 Employment Rights Bill. Our goal is to support banks in building stronger, healthier teams.”

Auriemma Group invites banking and issuing leaders to explore these trends and solutions at the upcoming Customer Service and Complaints Roundtables in March and July 2025. To attend as our guests, please contact us via roundtables@auriemma.group.

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3 Ways Banks Are Implementing Hybrid Working Models

(London, UK) Widespread work-from-home started as an adaptation to COVID-19 but is here to stay. In Auriemma Group’s recent roundtable meetings financial institutions discussed long-term working models, all of which include some element of working from home. Their next challenge is developing a hybrid engagement model for their hybrid workforce.

Some have already taken then leap, and since implementing these hybrid models, Auriemma’s roundtable members received employee feedback that some feel less engaged and connected with the company. This, in conjunction with high attrition rates and challenging recruitment, means engagement strategies have become an area of focus.

Those who feel they have developed strong hybrid engagement models have focused on three areas: intentional scheduling, variety of choices and well-being considerations.

Intentional Scheduling

Firms strategically schedule location-appropriate activities when employees are onsite or working remotely. When onsite, firms try to have full teams concurrently present to build comradery and schedule more team-building activities like catered lunches and happy hours. When remote, roundtable members manage engagement via gamification and weekly competitions like step counts and quizzes.

“When managing a hybrid workforce, it is crucial that firms give equal treatment to employees regardless of on-or-offsite work,” says Louis Stevens, Director of Roundtables at Auriemma Group. “Otherwise, this can create a divide in the workforce and even lead to further attrition. Engagement models must cater to both demographics.”

Variety of Choices

Workforces are composed of a diverse mix of people with a diverse set of interests, which can make it challenging to find engagement activities that appeal to everyone. The solution? Including variety in the engagement offerings.

According to members, offerings should cater to both extroverts and introverts alike. One firm developed a successful monthly engagement programme for its employees, which allowed them to choose from a variety of activities like cocktail making classes and sporting events.

Well-Being Considerations

As part of their engagement strategies, financial institutions have incorporated well-being initiatives to protect the mental health of their employees. Initiatives vary from providing access to therapists to scheduling inspirational speakers and allotting weekly personal time in schedules.

30% of Auriemma Customer Service and Complaints Roundtable members have intentionally increased off-phone time for front-line agents since the start of the pandemic as a means of dedicating more time to employee well-being. Employees have the choice to use this time as they wish whether that be for professional development or something like meditation or yoga. Since implementing, firms have seen an improvement in productivity levels.

Auriemma’s roundtable members are still developing their engagement strategies. New developments and learnings will be discussed in depth at the upcoming Collections and Recoveries Roundtable meeting on the 9th and 10th of June in Edinburgh, as well at the Customer Service and Complaints Roundtable meeting on the 16th and 17th of June, also in Edinburgh.

About Auriemma Group

For more than 35 years, Auriemma’s mission has been to empower clients with authoritative data and actionable insights. Our team comprises recognised experts in four primary areas: operational effectiveness, consumer research, co-brand partnerships and corporate finance. Our business intelligence and advisory services give clients access to the data, expertise and tools they need to navigate an increasingly complex environment and maximise their performance. Auriemma serves the consumer financial services ecosystem from our offices in London and New York City. For more information, visit us at www.auriemma.group or call Louis Stevens at +44 (0) 207 629 0075.

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