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NAB faces scrutiny over culture after 2 staff suicides and bullying claims
NAB is under mounting scrutiny after two staff suicides in as many months and a string of ex-employees alleging an increasingly bullying, high‑pressure culture inside the bank
National Australia Bank is under mounting pressure over its workplace culture after two employees died by suicide in as many months and former staff detailed what they describe as an increasingly intimidating environment inside the lender’s operations.
The two employees, who worked in separate teams in home loan customer operations and fraud operations, died in incidents weeks apart, one of them at NAB’s Docklands headquarters in Melbourne in March.
The deaths, one of which occurred after the staff member had been on extended personal leave, have been raised at board level amid concern about a potential broader culture problem.
In the wake of the March tragedy, current and former workers have described a shift from a previously supportive culture to one marked by rising workloads, sharper management communication and strict performance controls.
Ex-employees allege they were subject to aggressive pursuit of relatively small redundancy overpayments, heavy monitoring of time away from desks, and escalating pressure linked to targets and return‑to‑office rules, with some linking this environment to serious mental health struggles.
As reported by the Financial Review, a NAB spokesperson said the bank has made health, safety and wellbeing support for workers and families.
“This support includes confidential in-person, phone, and online consultations to help our colleagues manage their mental health and wellbeing,” said the spokesperson.
“Following the tragedy at NAB on March 5, immediate efforts were focused on providing care to our colleague’s family, friends and their team. Leaders and external partners have and continue to provide support and make resources available to our teams.”
“We know we don’t always get it right, but we are committed to creating an environment where our colleagues feel safe, supported, and heard on matters that are important to them,” she added.
NAB has been restructuring and offshoring parts of its back office while cutting hundreds of roles, says it is cooperating with authorities investigating the March death.
The bank points to engagement survey results that it says are in line with global top‑quartile benchmarks and maintains it is committed to creating a workplace where employees feel “safe, supported and heard”, even as critics argue that cost-cutting and compliance‑driven policies are eroding that promise for some workers.
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