“Chaotic pace of change”: Employees learn they were fired from an email
ANZ Bank admits mistake after more than 100 workers in Australia were blindsided by a layoff notice sent through automated emails.
Imagine opening your inbox and finding a message asking you to return your company laptop—before you even knew you’d lost your job.
That’s exactly what happened to around 100 employees at ANZ, one of Australia’s largest banks. The email, sent automatically, bluntly informed them that their employment relationship had ended. For many, it was the first time they realized they were being laid off.
ANZ apologizes, but confirms layoffs
After the stunned reaction, ANZ confirmed the firings and admitted the process had been handled poorly. The bank said it regretted the distress caused by the email and offered psychological support to those affected.
“The way this sensitive news was shared with some of you is indefensible and deeply disappointing,” said Nuno Matos, the bank’s new CEO who was appointed in May. “We are investigating the cause of the issue with urgency, to ensure it does not happen again.”
ANZ’s retail banking executive Bruce Rush apologised “unconditionally.”
A global bank under pressure
ANZ, which operates in nearly 30 countries with more than 10 million customers and 42,000 employees, has faced mounting financial pressures in recent years. Its stock performance has been rocky, leading to the appointment of Matos as the bank’s new CEO.
Matos is now spearheading sweeping changes designed to reposition the bank—but those changes have already come with painful consequences for staff.
Union slams “chaotic” leadership
Australia’s Finance Sector Union blasted the way the layoffs were handled, calling it “a disgusting way for workers to learn about job cuts.”
Instead of a respectful conversation, employees discovered their fate through what the union described as “a botched email.” The union placed the blame squarely on ANZ’s new leadership, accusing the CEO of creating a “chaotic pace of change” that left employees as collateral damage.
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