NAB Bank branch employees defy Covid-19 mask and social distance orders

The CEO of one of Australia’s big four banks has refused to comment about the dozens of employees pictured throwing parties and playing games while unmasked at their branches during lockdown.

Employees at one of Australia’s big four banks have been throwing office parties and playing games without wearing masks while undertaking essential work during Sydney’s Covid-19 lockdown.

Staff at 27 National Australia Bank branches in greater Sydney – including three in Covid-19 hot spots in southwest and western Sydney council regions – have been seen in social media posts repeatedly flouting the public health orders at their offices.

An unidentified branch celebrating Italy’s win in the Euros with an unmasked team lunch.

The St George Shire Standard has obtained dozens of images from a NAB staff Facebook group showing employees playing games of Uno and charades and throwing birthday parties.

Under public health orders essential workers are exempt from wearing masks indoors while eating – though photos indicate there is no social distancing taking place while the employees are unmasked to eat.

Among the most egregious examples is a post from the Millers Point NAB branch, in which staff threw a birthday party for the branch manager, featuring balloons and cake.

The team photo of the birthday event is captioned “Lockdown Smockdown. Haha. No worries here.”

The Millers Point branch threw an unmasked birthday party.

NAB Group’s personal banking executive Rachel Slade said the breaches were “not acceptable”.

“It is very disappointing that COVID safe protocols have not always been adhered to in our buildings, including masks being removed and social distancing not taking place,” Ms Slade told the Standard.

“We take our health and safety obligations to our customers, our colleagues and the community very seriously – this is not negotiable.”

A spokeswoman from NAB said the bank would not respond to further questions directed to CEO Ross McEwan about whether action would be taken against staff.

A spokeswoman for NSW Police has now confirmed investigators will conduct inquiries into the lunches and parties which occurred at the various NAB branches.

Finance Sector Union national secretary Julia Angrisano slammed the bank’s most senior leaders’ response to the scandal.

“The fact photos of this risky behaviour were being shared and celebrated internally is evidence it was encouraged and directed from the top,” Ms Angrisano said.

“NAB’s senior management ignored their responsibility to provide a safe workplace and now that it has become public, their response is to throw staff under the bus.”

Photos of lockdown lunches at the Chatswood Chase and Rouse Hill branches depict NAB’s retail teams executive Kieran McLenaghan visiting and sharing a meal with local staff, with the Rouse Hill branch organising “NAB-coloured decorations”.

Lunch at Chatswood Chase.

Lunch at Rouse Hill.

Other alarming examples include staff at branches in Wetherill Park in the Fairfield region, Blacktown and Bankstown – the regions where the vast majority of Sydney’s Covid cases remain – throwing team lunches and parties without social distance, or playing board games.

The Wetherill Park branch staff posted about a new senior employee “treating them to a big feast of a lunch”.

“It was a great feed and a wonderful opportunity to be able to bond together as a team,” they posted with the hashtag #lockdown.

Lunch at Wetherill Park in the Fairfield LGA hotspot.

The Bankstown branch threw a birthday party for their a senior employee and took an unmasked team photo standing shoulder to shoulder before the branch was closed temporarily for renovations.

The Blacktown branch also referred to eating lunch from famous Sydney chicken shop El Jannah and playing a game of “Things In Common” for a “lockdown lunch”.

“Only first of many more lunches to come,” the team posted with the hashtags #lockdown and #branchstory.

A screenshot of a video call reveals multiple branches playing a team game over Zoom in which 18 branches have multiple unmasked people in the room together.

NAB branch employees playing games over Zoom with multiple unmasked individuals in the same room at 18 different locations.

Social media posts reveal lunches and events also occurring at the Lane Cove, Rhodes, Manly, Martin Place, Blacktown, Macquarie Centre, Maroubra Junction, Chatswood Chase, Rouse Hill, Miranda, Camden, Parramatta, Ashfield, Eastwood, World Square, Crows Nest, Hornsby, Narellan, Haymarket, Double Bay, Strathfield and Eastgardens branches.

Unmasked employees playing Uno at an undisclosed branch.

Ms Slade said the only way out of lockdowns was to follow the rules and advice of government and health authorities.

“As soon as we were made aware last week of some colleagues not following the rules we wrote to colleagues again reinforcing the importance of maintaining the COVID protocols at all times, including during meal breaks and in meetings,” Ms Slade said.

“This has been a consistent message throughout COVID and will continue to be.”

However, posts about unmasked team lunches and events were made over several days in the Facebook group – despite the presence of at least one senior executive in the Facebook group – and continued until at least July 23.

An unmasked team lunch at the Macquarie Centre branch.

“Our bankers have done a tremendous job supporting customers during COVID and continue to do so, while managing the impacts of COVID on themselves and their families,” Ms Slade said.

“They have also done a terrific job supporting each other in the workplace. however at all times we must follow the rules.”

Staff at yet another branch celebrating a birthday.

Questions the bank declined to answer also included whether the lockdown lunch incidents were encouraged by senior executives and whether the bank would apologise to staff who felt compelled to participate in events despite their concerns about the health orders.

A staff selfie at the Hornsby branch captioned “colleague vibes”.

FULL LIST OF BANK BREACHES

– the Lane Cove branch was depicted having an unmasked team lunch

– the Rhodes branch was depicted having an unmasked team lunch

– the Manly branch was depicted having an unmasked team lunch

– the Martin Place branch was depicted having an unmasked team lunch

– Sydney CBD and NAB House was depicted having an unmasked team breakfast and lunch

– the Blacktown branch was depicted having an unmasked team lunch and playing a game of “Things in Common”

– the Macquarie Centre branch was depicted having an unmasked lunch

– the Maroubra Junction branch was depicted having an unmasked lunch

– the Chatswood Chase branch was depicted having at least two unmasked lunches

– the Bankstown branch is now closed for renovations but they took an unmasked, non-socially distanced team photo together to celebrate the closure

– another branch whose location is not disclosed but whose manager’s name is known to the Standard had an unmasked team lockdown breakfast

– the Rouse Hill branch was depicted having an unmasked team lunch which was also attended by Retail Branch Executive Keiran McLenaghan

– the Miranda branch was depicted having an unmasked “fruit salad day”

– screenshots of video calls between branches on show teams at various locations – with multiple unmasked people in each room – playing “Fun Friday games” including charades. One screenshot shows 18 teams that have multiple unmasked people together in the room at once

– the Camden branch was depicted having an unmasked team lunch

– the Parramatta branch had an event they categorised as “happy hour” with a photo in which no-one is masked

– the Ashfield branch had an “it’s finally Friday” celebration in which no-one is wearing a mask

– the Eastwood branch was depicted having an unmasked team lunch

– the World Square branch was depicted having an unmasked team lunch

– the Crows Nest branch was depicted having an unmasked team lunch

– the Hornsby team took an unmasked group photo on July 7

– another branch whose location is not known but whose manager’s name is known to the Standard had an unmasked “Macca’s run” and team lunch

– the Narellan branch was depicted having an unmasked lunch

– a branch at an unknown location posted photos of themselves unmasked and playing Uno around a table together at the branch

– the Millers Point branch posted a photo throwing a birthday party for a senior employee’s birthday, including balloons and cake, and the image is captioned “Lockdown Smockdown. Haha. No worries here.”

– the Wetherill Park branch – in the current Covid epicentre of Fairfield – was depicted having an unmasked team lunch organised by a new senior employee

– the Haymarket branch was depicted having an unmasked team lunch

– the Double Bay branch was depicted having an unmasked team lunch

– the Bankstown branch – also in the southwest Sydney Covid epicentre – celebrated a senior employee’s birthday with a cake and an unmasked team gathering

– the Strathfield branch was depicted having an unmasked team lunch

– the Sydney CBD branch was depicted having an unmasked lunch in which they played Hangman together

– the Eastgardens branch was depicted having an unmasked lunch