Outrage erupts after Bendigo Bank boss reveals real reason she sent staff back to office
A Bendigo Bank employee was “surprised” after his boss asked staff to return to the office for “mental health reasons,” even though they are still allowed to work from home three days a week.
Marnie Baker, director of Bendigo and Adelaide Bank, told staff at an internal meeting on Tuesday that they would have to come to the office two out of five working days from September.
Ms Baker emphasized that the policy change is not about ‘productivity’, but about building better relationships with colleagues.
“Our branches and the people on the front lines have been there all the time, five days a week. And it’s not too much to ask for the rest of the organization to come back to the office more,” she said during the video call.
“This is not about productivity. I have no doubt that you can be productive, so it’s not about productivity.
“This is about our own mental health, this is about being a relationship bank and we talk about our relationships with our customers and communities.
“It’s just as important the relationships we have with each other, and I know that because I see it, and I see it play out when people are together in the office, the energy levels, the interaction, the innovation.
‘You don’t get that when you’re alone at home, that innovative thinking.’
Marnie Baker, the director of Bendigo and Adelaide Bank, told staff at an internal meeting on Tuesday that they would have to come to the office two out of five working days from September.
Ms Baker said staff still have the option of flexible working hours, but added she wanted to see more people back at their desks.
One employee claimed he and “many” of his colleagues were put off by Ms Baker’s comments about mental health, saying the commute was a major downfall.
“I can say unequivocally that my mental health has actually taken a huge decline from being mandated to lose my sleep and add two hours a day to my workday, as well as the office’s ‘hot-desking, activity-based work setup’ where will be raffled who and where you will be sitting these days,” he told the publication.
“I just think in these times we should go way past anyone commenting or trying to comment on what’s best for someone else, especially when it comes to mental health issues.”
The request for employees to gradually return to the office is not new at the banks.
Commonwealth Bank recently sent an email to staff, stating that from July 17, employees must be in the office for at least 50 percent of their working time per month.
The senior staff at Bendigo will have to work in the office most of the time, while the rest of the staff will have to be at their desks two days a week
Ms Baker said in a statement that Bendigo and Adelaide Bank understood that ‘the way our people work has changed’.
“We continue to support a hybrid way of working,” she said.
“Connection and relationships are at the heart of who we are and how we work. By collaborating and working side-by-side, we can build relationships across the company, create a vibrant culture and create better opportunities for us to collaborate, innovate and learn.”
“Our people have told us that the ability to work remotely for some of the time allows them to better balance their work and personal lives.
“In line with this, we have asked senior leaders across the company to be in the office most of the time and other staff two days a week.”