Bank Of Cyprus, in an effort to adapt to market changes driven by digital transformation, has announced a voluntary exit plan affecting 40 to 50 employees. The scheme, which offers a maximum tax-free severance package of €200,000, is available until November 21. It is primarily aimed at staff working in divisions where business volumes have notably declined, such as those managing non-performing loan portfolios.

Measured Approach And Previous Precedents

This initiative follows a similar, measured approach from last year, when the bank introduced a targeted exit offer for up to 50 employees from its overall workforce of 2,800. According to Panikos Nicolaou, CEO of Bank Of Cyprus, there will be no large-scale rounds of exits; future offers will continue to be selective, targeting only a small subset of employees at a time.

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Union Criticism Over Compensation And Consultation

The move has triggered a strong response from the banking union EITYK. In an official circular, the union expressed its disagreement with the bank’s unilateral decision—particularly noting that the plan was communicated to employees on the same day as the union was informed. EITYK criticized the offer as ill-timed, given the bank’s current profitability and stable performance, and questioned the rationale of promoting a voluntary exit scheme when the organization is already operating with a leaner permanent staff supplemented by hundreds of external contractors.

Calls For Enhanced Compensation In Challenging Economic Times

The union has urged that any future voluntary exit plan should address the economic realities by increasing the maximum severance package to at least €250,000. It emphasized that, considering the strong financial performance of banks and the eroding value of money due to inflation, better compensation is justified. Furthermore, employees opting for voluntary separation will lose eligibility for unemployment benefits due to recent legislative changes, though they will retain medical and life insurance coverage for a minimum of five years following their departure.

Parallel Developments In The Banking Sector

In a related development, similar concerns have been raised by the management of the National Bank Of Cyprus, following an analogous union letter. Both institutions now face heightened scrutiny from labor representatives, who insist on improved consultation practices and compensation measures that better reflect the economic parameters of today’s market.