Norway’s largest bank today reports a clear increase in threats and violence against its employees. DNB employee Lars Erik Klæthe knows this well.
– There have been bomb threats against the offices, two just last week, says the head of department The online newspaper. He is responsible for a group of customer advisors.
– Also threats to show up at the bank office with a firearm to facing operationa.
Klæthe tells of tough conversations with her own employees.
– There are clearly tough situations for the employees. A lot goes into them.
Bomb threats and death threats
War, economic instability and frequent interest rate hikes are the backdrop when DNB recently published its threat report for 2023.
Bomb threats, death threats, threats of violence are among the stresses experienced by some employees, informs DNB security manager Anders Hardangen.
– It’s everything from “will come to your house in the evening”, to bomb threats, to “will take you”. We probably meet absolutely everything within the threat area, says Hardangen to Nettavisen.
People’s personal finances have been put under more pressure, and some bank customers are going way over the line in their desperation.
– The frustration you can have when you feel that the money is not enough, and you try to find a solution, we see that can go beyond bank employees.
– Fortunately, there are still a small number, and very few end up in physical confrontation and violence. But it’s clear, one threat is one too many. It is unpleasant, and creates a horror, says Hardangen.
– Pushed into a corner
Customers with health challenges are part of the picture.
– It reflects the population, with some who also have health challenges, and are really pushed into a corner, who want to let it go beyond us.
– What does DNB do about more employees facing threats?
– We have good systems both locally, and a professional apparatus in security and HR to follow up. One of the things that means we get more numbers in is that employees want to tell someone.
– Then we are there to help and assess whether it should be reported, and whether there is any substance to the threat.
Increasingly, the threats also end up on the police’s table.
– We have a fairly low threshold for reporting where we believe there is actually a threat, states Hardangen.
Sabotage threat from Russia
But it is not only threats against own employees that worry the security manager.
Whereas financially motivated actors have previously made up the bulk of the threat picture for DNB, the political tensions in the world have become an increasingly large part of the bank’s assessments.
With war in Europe and increased tension between the major powers, DNB fears that the financial sector could become a target for sabotage.
– The West punishes Russia via economic sanctions, which is a very effective tool. Then it may happen that revenge or further escalation can also hit the financial sector, concludes Hardangen.
