I work in the banking industry, which is famous for its high employee standards. Workers must be well trained in their specialty, have an excellent economic and political background, and understand social processes. Often employees are required to know at least one foreign language at a high level to be able to serve residents of other countries. The media now show the banking sector as one of the most digitalized and advanced in many respects, but this area remains rigid for workers because they often face a variety of legal problems, many of which are difficult to resolve.
The first major legal issue is workplace harassment, which most employees do not report. Young and inexperienced employees are less likely to report cases of harassment, as they are afraid of the wrath of their superiors. Some of them a priori believe that non-profit organizations will be unable to help them. The people around them behave in such situations indifferently; they get the impression that no one is interested in their problems. Such people are often afraid of gaslighting and understand its risks, not wanting to hear soothing phrases from colleagues that remove responsibility from the perpetrator (Ohio Alliance to End Sexual Violence, 2022). Thinking about the high position of the offender, the victims often suspect that they can bribe a social worker or police officer so that the case will be hushed up and the employee will be disgraced (Moss, 2019). I think this is an internal structure problem because if people were more attentive to each other, then frequent cases of harassment could be avoided (Foy et al., 2019). Managers and lawyers should develop mechanisms for self-help in such situations in the structure through conversations with coaches.
The second problem is the complexity of banking operations for foreigners and the low-educated segments of the population. Modern technologies and trends allow banks to use mobile applications that supposedly simplify banking transactions. However, even if people use these apps, they usually do not understand the terminology. It leads to conflicts with bank employees and sometimes even the conclusion of contracts without a clear understanding of the conditions and requirements for its implementation. It is fraught with litigation for banks and customers, who can make mistakes out of ignorance and not malice. This problem is internal and external since specific companies may provide tutor assistance in concluding contracts and transactions, for example, loans (Robbins & Judge, 2016) On the other hand, there are currently no serious attempts at the state level to simplify banking operations.
Digitalization and the protection of personal data in electronic form is the third legal issue that concerns employees in my field. With the advent of information technology, many contracts began to be concluded remotely and in electronic form. It opens up new fears for clients about the loss or leakage of their data: passport data, marital status, risks, and annual income. Placing this data in internal banking systems can be risky for customers, who are rightfully wary. It is necessary to involve system administrators and developers of programs that store and transmit customer data in the work of banks. This problem is not internal, but external, and concerns digitalization in many areas: education, medicine, insurance, and many others.
Thus, in banking, employees often face the problems of sexual harassment, complex mechanisms for clients, and digitalization. If harassment is a criminal and immoral act that cannot be positively assessed in any case, other problems can serve as a foundation for legal disputes. Developing the most transparent banking accounting and operations system for clients is necessary. It is needed to cover the problem of widespread digitalization at the legislative level so that law enforcement agencies can protect the personal data of citizens.
References
Foy, T., Dwyer, R. J., Nafarrete, R., Hammoud, M. S., & Rockett, P. (2019). Managing job performance, social support and work-life conflict to reduce workplace stress. International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management, 113(2), 2-25.
Moss, J. (2019). Burnout is about your workplace, not your people. Harvard Business Review, 5(7), 2-6.
Ohio Alliance to End Sexual Violence. (2022). Ohio alliance to end sexual violence. Web.
Robbins, S. P., & Judge, T. A. (2016). Essentials of organizational behavior (13th ed.). Columbus, OH: Pearson.