ANZ gives paid extended leave for bushfire volunteering bank staff; banks extend customer assistance

Special ongoing paid leave is being offered to staff volunteer emergency service workers, as fires burn across the country.

Members of the Horsley Park Rural Fire Brigade. Picture: Getty Images

ANZ is giving special ongoing paid leave to staff volunteer emergency service workers, while fires burn across the country.

ANZ general managing director retail banking Kath Bray said the decision was to ensure staff were financially supported while assisting their community.

“Safety is the No. 1 priority at the moment for those in the path of these fires, including the brave firefighters who risk so much to protect us.

“When the time is right to focus on recovering and rebuilding, we hope these relief measures help our customers in some way as they deal with this terrible experience.

“We have also provided additional leave for our employees who volunteer with emergency services as they may need to spend more time in the field this summer,” Mrs Bray said.

An ANZ spokesman said the commitment came from an indication the bushfire season was likely to intensify.

The special paid leave will not impact employees annual or personal leave accrued.

An internal note obtained by The Australian from ANZ group executive talent and culture Kathryn van der Merwe indicated the commitment to assisting workers.

ANZ employees are entitled to five days community service leave and where that leave is exhausted the bank will make available paid leave under its special leave policy.

“At ANZ, employees in Australia who are engaged in voluntary emergency management activity (including firefighting) are eligible for up to five days paid community service leave each bank year under ANZ’s Community Emergency Service Leave Policy – Australia,” she said in the memo.

“Where that entitlement is exhausted, please reassure employees that additional special paid leave is available under the Special Leave Policy.”

The announcement by one of the country’s largest banks comes after a tweet from Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese on Saturday slamming the government for not financially supporting volunteer workers.

NAB have also stated it has a “longstanding policy” in providing emergency services volunteers “paid crisis leave”.

“Crisis leave will be granted to employees who, as a member of a volunteer organisation such as the SES, CFA, RFS, are called to assist the local community during a declared emergency, or in other exceptional circumstances affecting the community,” a spokesperson said.

Our volunteer firefighters are exhausted. Pretty soon they’ll be broke too.

We need to do more to support them. pic.twitter.com/1J3GZFGmAN

— Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) December 20, 2019

Customer packages

ANZ and Commonwealth Bank have also announced relief packages for customers ravaged by devastating bushfires since September.

Both banks will offer financial assistance packages for customers who have lost homes, properties and livestock due to bushfires.

Customers affected by the bushfires are urged to contact their local branch staff to discuss personal and business circumstances.

On Monday, CBA said its emergency assistance package would be extended to fire-affected zones in South Australia — relief it was already giving to impacted regions in NSW and Queensland.

Westpac has also extended its bushfires assistance package to customers affected by fires in November.

Suncorp CFO banking and wealth Erin Strang has also announced a bushfire assistance package for customers.

“Suncorp’s financial relief package provides customers with flexible finance options during times of hardship due to extreme weather events, including the severe bushfires, many of which continue to burn,” she said.

“These bushfires have been devastating and our thoughts are with the firefighters and those people whose properties and lives have been affected.”