British bank TSB is to phase out 929 pure play cashier roles at its branch network in response to a steep decline in customer footfall during the pandemic.
Affected branch staff were told they would have to retrain, change roles or take voluntary redundancy, according to a staff memo seen by Reuters.
The memo encouraged affected employees to retrain for more complex roles involving helping customers to open accounts or to use digital services, adding that it expects fewer customers to use branches for basic transactions.
“The way customers use their banks is changing and COVID-19 has significantly accelerated the use of digital services,” TSB said in a statement.
“When customers visit our branches, their needs tend to be more complex and we need a fully multiskilled and flexible workforce to meet them. This is why we are offering some branch colleagues the opportunity to upskill to take on broader customer service roles or take voluntary redundancy.”
Ironically, the bank's Website went dark for some customers on Monday, prompting a rash of angry tweets from users locked out of their accounts.