Pros
Working for the biggest retail bank in the UK looks solid on your CV.
Flexible working hours that can fit around personal needs.
Decent benefits: annual bonus, Bupa health insurance, company share options, good pension, and free access to the Headspace app (which you’ll probably need).
Opportunities to progress do exist, especially if you’re willing to move to larger cities like Manchester, Leeds, Edinburgh, London, or Bristol
Some genuinely kind customers and teammates make certain days worth it.
Cons
Severely understaffed branches , serving 200+ customers a day with less than seven people on shift.
Constant changes from management without the right support to handle them.
The training course doesn’t prepare you for real branch life - you learn the hard way on the floor.
Heavy emotional load: abusive, rude, and sometimes racist customers are a daily reality.
Staff burnout is common; people cry after shifts and many are actively planning to leave.
Voluntary redundancies offered to others, but no new hiring to cover the gaps.
Progression beyond the branch network is difficult if you’re not based in a major city.
The environment is draining, especially for anyone who’s neurodiverse — burnout hits hard.