Westpac CEO defends bank’s WFH policy after Fair Work Commission loss

Westpac chief executive Anthony Miller has declared the major bank’s work-from-home settings are correct, in the wake of a bruising loss in the Fair Work Commission last month.

Mortgage banker Karlene Chandler took Westpac to Fair Work after it denied her request to work from home so she could care for her primary-school-aged children.

The tribunal heard Ms Chandler, who lives in Wilton, faced a two-hour commute to her branch in Kogarah in Sydney’s south, and that there had been no prior issue with her working entirely remotely until January, when the bank reversed its approval for her flexible working conditions.

Fair Work found Westpac was unable to provide “reasonable business grounds” to deny Ms Chandler’s request, and ruled in her favour.

Addressing investors on Monday at the bank’s full-year results presentation, Mr Miller said the current policy of two to three days per week in the office was “the right balance”.

“Our goal is to be the employer of choice. You know, where the best want to come and get a chance to be the best every day.

“The second point I’d like to sort of draw out is that, you know, we’ve been very focused on making sure we’re as flexible, as practical and as flexible as possible and that we can be, and I would say that we think we’ve got the balance right. Our policy is two to three days a week in the office, (which) we think is the right balance.”

Mr Miller said the bank was focused on outcomes, regardless of an employee’s working location, but noted the majority of the institution’s staff were based out of a branch full time.

“Our magnificent branch staff, they’re in the office five days a week, they have to work Monday morning through to Friday afternoon in branch operations around the country,” he said.

“And their presence and their activity levels drive a lot of business into the bank. And so if we are going to be one team, everyone needs to be sensitive that they can’t just arrive with an expectation or a sense of entitlement that they only need to be in the office one or two or three days a week when we’ve got others who commit five days every week.

“I’m working really hard and we’re working really hard as a bank to make sure we get a balance that’s right. Because what we want to be is a team that delivers and delivers outcomes.”