Desk under stress

Budget sickness, reports of pressure on banks on the rise in 2025

The number of reports rose from 323 in 2024 to 480 today, but the number is only for the first nine months of the year

by Vitaliano D'Angerio

7 December 2025

3' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

Key points

A phenomenon to be monitored
The type of signalling
The product push
Stress and climate survey

3' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

Commercial pressures on the rise in 2025. From 323 complaints in 2024 to 480 today. A growth of almost 50 per cent. This is the first time that national data has been released on the phenomenon of budget sickness among bank employees. They were provided by the Uilca banking union, led by its secretary general Fulvio Furlan. The overall figures relate to five of the largest banks in Italy: Intesa Sanpaolo, UniCredit, Bper, Banco Bpm and Credit Agricole Italia. Credit institutions that represent about 60% of the assets and 43% of the branches in Italy.

A phenomenon to be monitored

It should be noted at once that the 2025 figures are for the first nine months of the year, so the number of complaints may increase. Not only that. The reports certified by Uilca represent only the part that is formalised before the Commission on Commercial Policies set up in the individual banking group (each bank has one internally).

"Pressures are a problem that is very much felt by the workers and that has a strong impact on their activity,'' Furlan says. Very often the complaint is not formalised because the issue is dealt with by trade union representatives in the ordinary course of dialogue with the company components. If there is dialogue, then the crisis situation falls more easily. However, there is no standard procedure, it depends very much on the relations in that branch or in that institution'. And if the corporate climate is more tense? 'It is obvious that if there is no dialogue,' adds the Uilca general secretary, 'then the report will be formalised before the Commission on Commercial Policies.

The type of signalling

It should be remembered that the identity of the whistleblower is protected precisely to avoid retaliation. Respect for privacy and anonymity are therefore guaranteed. However, reports that 'start' anonymously cannot be considered. Hence the key role of the trade union: if the banker does not wish to act himself, he can ask a trade unionist to make the report for him.

'Reports made personally, without union interposition, are on the rise,' emphasises Simona Ortolani, secretary in charge of Uilca in the Intesa Sanpaolo group. 'There is therefore greater awareness. Moreover, in the case of repeated reports, the company intervenes'.

'At UniCredit we have a system of reporting on a regional basis,' recalls Rosario Mingoia, secretary in charge of Uilca at UniCredit. Issues that are not resolved at the local level then go to the Group Commercial Policy Commission'.

The product push

The national data on rising commercial pressures are a red light for a number of problems. As already highlighted in Plus24 (see the 12 July issue), falling interest rates are prompting banks to legitimately seek new forms of revenue. Hence the renewed interest in managed and insured savings. Less legitimate, however, is the strong pressure in some cases on sales networks to place financial instruments. In particular, this occurs during the launch periods of 'product campaigns'. The increase in complaints in 2025 thus confirms the return of budget sickness.

'The growth in the number of reports, in my view, underlines two issues,' Furlan stresses. 'First of all, confidence in this protection system has increased among workers. Then, the growth trend shows that banks have started to push again on the placement of products in search of commissions. It is right to have challenging objectives, legitimate to place financial products. However, one cannot have objectives that are detached from reality'.

Stress and climate survey

Finally, there is the health issue. Work-related stress is a condition of psychophysical malaise caused by the imbalance between work demands and the worker's ability to fulfil them, triggered by factors typical of the banking sector such as pressure management. "But it is also a question of staff reduction," Furlan adds. "The fewer workers there are, the greater the workloads and the more negative situations grow in terms of health and well-being at work. For years, the National Commission on Business Policies has had to carry out the climate survey to ascertain, among other things, the well-being of workers in the bank. "The task has now been assigned to the steering committee, where trade union and ABI representatives are present," Furlan concludes. "On 16 December there will be an important meeting and there we will raise the issue of the climate survey at national level.

Vitaliano D’Angerioredattore
- @vdangerio
Luogo: Milano
Lingue parlate: italiano, inglese
Argomenti: finanza sostenibile, previdenza
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