ANZ Bank has suffered an embarrassing email error, accidentally informing some staff members who were to be made redundant about the process for returning their laptops before the affected people had been told they were losing their jobs.
The acting group executive in charge of ANZ’s retail business, Bruce Rush, on Wednesday wrote to staff to apologise after automated emails were sent to some senior managers in the division “ahead of schedule.”
ANZ said it had apologised unconditionally for the email error.Credit: Will Willitts
The automated emails in question informed affected staff – who were running substantial teams within the retail bank – about what to do with bank-owned technology, such as laptops.
“Unfortunately, these emails indicate an exit date for some of our colleagues before we’ve been able to share their outcome with them,” Rush wrote.
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“It was not our intention to share such sensitive information with you in this way, and I apologise unconditionally.”
“I deeply regret the distress this situation may have caused.”
Rush, who did not send the automated emails in question, said the bank was “committed to treating every colleague with dignity and respect” during a restructuring process, and it was bringing forward “outcome conversations” with affected staff.
It is not clear how many senior managers were affected, but the error affected “Group 2” and “Group 3″ managers, who are relatively senior people in the bank and are responsible for functions and teams.
