Over-indebtedness and ethical suffering of bank workers

Abstract

Ethical distress is a discomfort experienced by the worker when executing orders that he morally disapproves of. It refers to behaviors that cause harm to others when the worker fulfills work obligations with which he disagrees from a moral point of view. Over-indebtedness is defined by the impossibility of a debtor in good faith to pay their consumer debts and is related, among others, to irresponsibly contracting credit with financial institutions. The objective of this work was to investigate the relationship between over-indebtedness and ethical suffering in banking work through a narrative and exploratory literature review. The objects of analysis were: (a) scientific research developed under the theoretical framework of Psychodynamics of Work, containing self-reports of experiences of suffering in banking work; and (b) various texts on the subject of over-indebtedness. Results show that, in the face of pressure for results, workers are compelled to practice acts they consider immoral: selling unnecessary products to customers, omitting information in order to sell products and practice what is known as “tying”. There is evidence that over-indebtedness is related to certain banking practices, which can lead to the ethical suffering of workers. The causes linked to the over-indebtedness of the Brazilian population and the ethical suffering of bank employees are rooted in the perverse ways of managing bank work. The issue of ethical suffering is still little studied in the context of mental health at work and over-indebtedness is causing more and more social impacts. It is necessary to develop more research on both themes in order to improve the population's quality of life.