Union action over CBA’s working from home order

The Financial Services Union is up in arms about Commonwealth Bank’s push to get workers back in the office.

The union representing bank employees is taking one of Australia’s biggest employers to court over a demand to get more of its employees back into the office.

The Commonwealth Bank sent out the order on May 24, saying staff currently working from home would have to return to the office for at least 50 per cent of the time from July 17.

It sparked outrage from some of the big four bank’s 49,000 employees, but also prompted a different kind of outrage from customers who labelled the dissenters “spoiled” and “entitled.”

The Financial Sector Union is taking CBA to the Fair Work Commission over their working from home mandate. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Bianca De Marchi

The fight is now heading to the Fair Work Commission, with the Financial Sector Union (FSU) filing a dispute with the watchdog on Wednesday, as the WFH deadline draws near.

FSU National Secretary Julia Angrisano says there was no consultation with bank workers prior to the mandate, and a large number of FSU members are unhappy with the bank’s decision.

“We have asked the Fair Work Commission to intervene in this matter,” Ms Angrisano on Wednesday.

“Instead of issuing edicts, we want the bank to engage in a consultation process with the FSU and affected staff in accordance with the CBA Enterprise Agreement.

“Our members at the CBA deserve to be consulted about changes to their working conditions.

“The Covid-19 pandemic proved that remote work is a sustainable model and this is convenient for vast numbers of workers.”

Financial Sector Union of Australia’s national secretary Julia Angrisano. Picture: Supplied.

Ms Angrisano said CBA employees had complained to the union that returning to the office would force them to spend more money on commuting and child care, and they’d would also lose at least two to three hours a day travelling to and from work.

“We will be asking the Fair Work Commission to order the CBA to offer all affected staff remote working arrangements on mutually agreeable terms,” she said.

“This change will have a financial, productivity and engagement impact,” one CBA employee told the union.

“I work in a different state from the rest of my team, I’ll have to do all the commuting to simply sit in the office by myself on (Microsoft Teams) anyway.”

“I CAN do 2 or 3 days in the office to meet the 50 per cent,” said another employee, “however, I am more productive at home.”

A CBA spokesperson says the bank met with the union last month, noting negotiations thus far had been cordial.

“Non-customer facing roles began to return to the office 18 months ago,” the bank said.

“Flexible working options remain available, as they always have, and we’ll continue to give consideration to our people who require more tailored arrangements to suit their individual circumstances and in line with our enterprise agreement obligations.

“The FSU representatives raised a number of issues which we have considered and we’ve provided a written response to the Union.

“CBA respects and adheres to the terms of our 2020 Enterprise Agreement and those matters that require consultation.”

Many workers continue to put in hours from the home office, years since the Covid lockdowns made it a necessity. Picture: John Appleyard

It comes just days after the Australian Public Service Commission (APSC) and unions struck a deal giving public sector workers more flexibility in the return to office life.

Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) national secretary Melissa Donnelly said the new rights were significantly improved, and enforceable.

“We commend the APS for recognising the importance of flexible work, and the importance of consistent application across agencies,” she said.

“By embracing this opportunity and becoming a leader in workplace flexibility, the APSC and the government have taken meaningful steps towards establishing the APS as a model employer.”