Working conditions and burnout syndrome in private bank branch employees in Ankara, Turkey

Abstract

Background/Aim: Burnout is a syndrome of physical exhaustion, prolonged fatigue, and helplessness reflected by negative attitudes on work, life, and other people around. The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between burnout and working conditions in the banking sector, which has intense emotional demands. Methods: The research group consisted of 1183 individuals working in 138 different branches. A data form questioning the working conditions and sociodemographic characteristics of the participants that may be related to the burnout level was filled with face-to-face interviews. Burnout level was determined using the Maslach Burnout Inventory. This was planned as a cross-sectional research. Results: Higher levels of burnout was determined in those who thought that their family income was insufficient, who had to work more than 8.5 hours per day, who were exposed to physical or mental violence, those with chronic diseases and finally, workers who thought they dealt with too many customers in a day. Conclusion: It appears that the burnout levels of the employees can be reduced by arrangements at corporate and individual levels in addition to the regulations that can be realized within the legislation.

Occupational Burnout among Employees in Serbian Banking Sector: Evidence during Covid-19 Pandemic

“…According to Amigo et al (2014), burnout may be caused by employees' frequent contact with demanding clients. Employees who dealt with too many clients in a day reported higher levels of burnout, according to the findings of a study conducted in a private bank branch in Ankara, Turkey (Koyuncu et al, 2021). Similar findings were obtained in a study that included 259 employees from five banks in Zimbabwe, in which employees felt emotionally exhausted due to constant interaction with clients and the need to always maintain formal communication, without expressing their emotions (Ndengu & Leka, 2022).…”

“…One of the major issues confronting employees in the banking sector is occupational burnout (Khalid et al, 2020;Tafi et al, 2022;Tehrani et al, 2021). Numerous studies have shown that employees in the banking sector are constantly under pressure due to heavy workload, rapid and intense technological changes, fierce competition, and responsibility for high financial results (Al-Kahtani & Allam, 2013;Awwad et al, 2022;Hashemnia et al, 2014;Iakymenko et al, 2015;Khattak et al, 2011;Koyuncu et al, 2021;Lubbadeh, 2021). The International Labor Organization identified a number of concerns that workers in the banking sector must cope with, including increased deadline pressure, ergonomic issues, an increase in violence, challenging and demanding clients (Giga & Hoel, 2003).…”