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News.com.au
20-05-2025
- Business
- News.com.au
‘Emphasis on office attendance': NAB changes WFH policy
National Australia Bank is increasing the number of days staff are expected in the office. Most employees will need to increase from two to three days a week, while team leaders are required to make an appearance in person four days a week instead of three. The most senior leaders at NAB are already required in the office five days a week. It is a move the Finance Sector Union has slammed as 'completely unnecessary'. In an internal memo announcing the new rules last week, seen by the Australian Financial Review, the bank's group executive of people and culture Sarah White said the company was building towards an 'office-based working model,' according to the publication. The email stated NAB's current 'ways of working are evolving' as the bank aims to bolster the number of hours staff work in the office since Covid-19 lockdowns. Ms White told in a statement the changes would happen 'later in the year' and NAB would consult with employees before implementing the push for more office time. 'We continue to evolve our ways of working to foster an engaging work environment that is fair and flexible for colleagues and good for customers,' Ms White said. 'NAB is implementing an increased emphasis on office attendance because it supports collaboration, teamwork and problem solving for customers.' Ms White claimed the bank was 'taking an approach that ensures flexibility and supports all colleagues to respond to personal-life circumstances'. 'NAB is commencing a period of consultation with colleagues prior to the implementation, and we are committed to listening to, and considering, colleague feedback regarding our ways of working before any changes come into effect,' she said. The Finance Sector Union (FSU) has labelled the change to working from home as 'completely unnecessary,' highlighting that it came only a week after the bank revealed a $3.5 billion half year cash profit. 'These profits prove we can (and do) deliver results no matter where we work,' the union argued. The FSU has written an open letter to NAB CEO Andrew Irvine strongly opposing the increase in mandatory office attendance. The letter said any move to scale back flexible working in 2025 was 'regressive'. It highlighted concerns for workers' mental health and morale, those employees with family and caring responsibilities, and the financial pressure some may face with the added cost of commuting. FSU national president Wendy Streets told The Australian 'a lot of members' said they would quit. ANZ and Commonwealth Bank require staff to spend half their work time in the office, while Westpac's policy is at least two to three days a week in the office. Earlier this year, launched The Great Aussie Debate, a wide-ranging, 50 question survey that has uncovered what Australians really think about all the hot topics of 2025. Over two weeks, more than 54,000 Australians took part in the survey, revealing their thoughts on everything from the cost of living and homeownership, to electric vehicles and going shoeless in supermarkets. From the survey, it was clear the majority of Aussies prefer a hybrid approach to work, where possible, with 61.59 per cent favouring between 1-4 days at home. The most popular response was 1-2 days at home at week, with a further 21.11 per cent preferring 3-4 days working remotely. Of the respondents, 28.77 per cent believe full time office work is best. However, there was an interesting detail in the statistics. The age group most likely to choose this option have hit retirement age. More than half (51.18 per cent) of the 70+ group want people in the office five days a week.
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
NAB staff threaten to quit after bank jumps on major work trend: 'They will walk'
NAB has asked staff to increase the number of days they spend in the office each week. The bank has joined a growing number of businesses moving away from the work-from-home model (WFH), however, the move has left many upset. Staff were told about the directive via an internal memo, which will impact junior workers and team leaders. Finance Sector Union national president Wendy Streets has slammed the decision as "completely unnecessary". 'People are not prepared to turn back the hands of time. They've found a new, fairer, more efficient way of working, they're not going to be dragged back to the past," she said. RELATED Major WFH update for Aussie workers: 'Isn't going anywhere' Common $358 a day expense the ATO lets you claim on tax without receipts Money crisis sparks capital city exodus as Australians embrace 'new frontier' According to the Australian Financial Review, when the announcement was made last week on the bank's internal messaging system, it was hit with hundreds of shocked, angry and broken heart emojis, indicating staff were not happy about the decision. NAB senior executive Sarah White said the bank was "evolving" its policies to focus more on an "office-based working model" because it supports "collaboration, teamwork and problem solving for customers". Junior staff will increase their in-office days from two to three days a week, while team leaders will go from three to NAB leadership were forced to come into the office five days a week last year and their attendance is unchanged. But Streets said this increase could cause shockwaves for the Big Four bank and "damage the very culture NAB claims to value". 'We don't believe there is any business case for staff to return to the office more,' she said. 'A lot of members are telling us they will walk and they will leave." Westpac currently has a minimum of two days a week in the office for staff, while ANZ and Commonwealth Bank workers have to come in for half of their rostered days. This is part of a much broader move in the Australian corporate landscape. Amazon, Tabcorp, Woolworths and Coles are some of the other major employers that have recently ordered workers back into the office. The Australian HR Institute (AHRI) recently found that 45 per cent of employers now have a minimum requirement for staff to be in the office between three to five days a week. More than 80 per cent of the nearly 1,000 people surveyed expected hybrid working would either increase or stay the same at their organisation over the next two years. The most popular work arrangement was three days in the office at 32 per cent. Interestingly, Robert Half's survey of 500 employers found there had been a 'domino effect' in this return-to-office (RTO) trend. An overwhelming majority (84 per cent) of employers said other businesses' RTO mandates influenced their own arrangements. But Angela Anasis, Executive General Manager of Randstad Australia, told Yahoo Finance workers across the country are digging in their heels at this push to return to the office. 'Given people are prepared to walk away from a job if they're forced back into the office, employers should carefully consider how to incentivise attendance, focusing on the carrot rather than the stick," she said.
Yahoo
20-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Westpac slammed for offshoring 190 Aussie jobs: ‘Dangerous'
Westpac has announced it will be offshoring 190 Australian jobs to the Philippines, with South Australian and New South Wales workers mostly impacted. The move has sparked concerns over the security of customer data, with the union warning it could have 'dangerous implications' for customers. The Finance Sector Union said about 190 roles from the major bank's mortgage operations, institutional banking and customer solutions would be offshored. The union said the move came just three months after Westpac's CEO said the bank was 'in very good shape', recording a $7 billion profit in the last financial year. A Westpac spokesperson told Yahoo Finance the changes were in head office and operational functions and 'represent around half a per cent of our workforce'. RELATED 3,000 jobs in the firing line as Victoria orders major public sector review: 'Difficult' Rare $2 coloured coin worth up to $650: 'Worth keeping an eye out' Major job warning after popular side hustle cash boost leaves Aussies with 'regret' 'Westpac is a major Australian employer, with over 30-thousand people across the country,' the spokesperson said. 'From time to time, we change the way we operate and this can impact some roles and responsibilities. 'When this happens, we work closely with employees to provide tailored support and assistance with career transition. 'We try to keep as many employees in the Westpac Group as we can, through retraining and redeployment.'Finance Sector Union national secretary Julia Angrisano has condemned the move. 'These are skilled bank workers managing complex commercial relationships and sensitive information,' she said. 'Our members who work at Westpac have told us about their concerns not just for their own jobs, but for customers and the security of their data.' Westpac workers, who did not want to be identified, told the FSU they were concerned about the implications of their roles being offshored. 'Given the sensitivity and risk associated with the kinds of accounts we manage, it's clear that Westpac hasn't considered the risk this poses to customers, shareholders and staff,' one worker said. Another worker noted the 'complexity and compliance risks associated with the complex accounts' they worked with. Angrisano said Westpac planned to outsource management and ethical review activity to Concentrix, which is an existing partner. 'We've seen what can happen when important work goes offshore, something as important as ethics being offshored can create dangerous implications and have flow on effects,' she said. It comes a year after Westpac cut 132 jobs from its risk-management, operations and sales divisions, with some positions shifting offshore to India and the in to access your portfolio
