Around 800 Australian mid-level managers at ANZ Bank will have lost their jobs by Christmas; and while technology staff were included in the cull, the bank has refused to disclose numbers.
ANZ Bank CEO Mike Smith confirmed on Friday that around 800 middle management staff across all divisions within the bank will have lost their jobs by Christmas.
A spokesperson for the bank today told ZDNet.com.au that all divisions of the bank were affected — including staff from the company's IT department. However, the spokesperson was unable to disclose the number of staff from its technology division were at risk.
Foreshadowing further bad news, Smith said previous talks with the government and finance sector had led him to "believe it will take at least another two years for the world to work through the current financial situation and its economic impact".
Last month, ANZ Bank quelled speculation that the bank was planning to cut 10 per cent — or 3,500 Australians — from its workforce. At the time, spokespeople could not say whether technology staff would be affected but said the number was more likely to be 500.
ZDNet.com.au was waiting on a response from the Financial Sector Union at the time of publishing.
I can confirm 3 people in my team were let go (with another 2 transferred) right before Christmas - and these are highly respected team members - including one highly respected manager who became very sick due to systematic bullying and harrassment by a alpha-male type peer (but grossly incapable) as well as a senior manager (this senior manager has one of the lowest engagement score in ANZ) and huge turn-over of his team over the last two years (many left due to harrassment, bullying and discrimination).
ANZ HR and this senior manager completely ignored the bullying & harrassment practice in this team despite concerns raised to them over the last two years.
The end result of this restructuring is - this Apha-male incapable person got his "empire" he wanted and he will replace one of these retrenched employees with his external new recruits. His boss - this senior manager (regarded by his team as most superficial and lacking integrity person) remains in his job. This senior HR manager ignored ANZ's duty of care and EEO obligation when incidents were raised to her, instead callously terminated another victim of harrassment in this team using this global restructuring as an opportunity.
This whole episode makes me sick and I am leaving the team so as many in the team as soon as we find another opportunities.
HR in ANZ is so useless & immoral - the least trust-worthy I have ever experienced...