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Employee With Nearly 10 Years Alleges Unfair Dismissal Due to Low Productivity, While Bank Points to Journey Monitoring in Home Office.
An employee in the technology area, with a history of promotions, was dismissed from Itaú after nearly a decade of service. The official reason: “low productivity in home office”. The case is part of a wave of layoffs that, according to the category’s union, may reach at least 1,000 dismissals.
The Case of the Employee Dismissed for “Low Productivity”
Marcos (fictitious name) was surprised by the dismissal this week. He worked in a hybrid regime and, when called to go to the office, was informed of his dismissal. According to his supervisor, the decision was linked to “low productivity in home office, related to screen time”.
The news, however, shocked the employee, who had been awarded for performance. “I have already worked on weekends, more than seven days in a row. This in the last six months. Even so, it was claimed that I had low productivity”, he stated.
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How Did Itaú Monitor Productivity?
The bank claims that productivity was measured through digital metrics. The company considers mouse or keyboard use, licensed software, whether the employee joined video calls, sent messages, or took distance learning courses, among other metrics.
According to Itaú, this policy does not allow for the capture of screens, audio, or video. The institution argues that the hybrid model requires a journey control, as outlined in internal policies and union agreements signed by employees.
The Employee’s Version: Lack of Dialogue and Transparency
Despite the bank’s justifications, Marcos claims that he never knew exactly how the monitoring was done. “We suspected, […] but didn’t know they monitored clicks, alt tab, scroll, time in meetings, things like that”, he stated.
He complains about the lack of opportunity to defend himself and not having access to the data that justified his dismissal. According to Marcos, the layoffs occurred abruptly. “There was no feedback. Nothing was warned, discussed. It was like a guillotine and whoever was underneath got cut“, he lamented.
Union Questions Layoffs and Expert Analyzes the Law
The Union of Bank Employees of São Paulo, Osasco and Region questioned Itaú about the lack of transparency. The organization considers the number of dismissals disproportionate. It further claims that “it is unreasonable to use monitoring and surveillance mechanisms to justify mass layoffs”, as this type of practice “can generate excessive pressure, affect mental health and create an oppressive work environment”.
For lawyer Paulo Renato Fernandes da Silva, a labor law specialist, the company has the right to monitor employees. However, he emphasizes the importance of transparency, stating that the monitoring approach must be agreed upon with the worker.
The Official Position of Itaú on Dismissals
In a statement, Itaú confirmed the layoff. The bank stated that they are “the result of a careful review of conduct related to remote work and recording of hours.”
The institution also said that, in some cases, “patterns inconsistent with our principles of trust, which are non-negotiable for the bank” were identified. Itaú also highlighted that the monitoring has support in internal policies signed by the employees themselves.
Mudei de banco já no começo deste ano exatamente por saber de absurdos como este!
Vou encerrar minha conta neste banco.
Impressionante o que fizeram e irão continuar fazendo.
Realmente é uma empresa que preciona os colaboradores e por este motivo tem tanta gente com diversos problemas de saúde, principalmente mentais