Thursday 12 November 2026The repayments cover roughly 14 years of underpayments, including superannuation and interest.
Featured image: Photo by Rexness (CC BY-SA 2.0), via Wikimedia Commons. Illustrative image of the National Australia Bank building in Docklands, Melbourne.
Key facts
- NAB agreed to repay about $169 million to current and former staff over roughly 14 years of underpayments.
- The ABC reported the total includes $127 million in wages, $34 million in interest and $8 million in superannuation, for 65,999 workers.
- NAB also agreed to a $2 million contrition payment to the Fair Work Ombudsman under an enforceable undertaking.
- The Fair Work Ombudsman says it is the largest contrition payment in an enforceable undertaking.
- Payments range from under $5 to more than $87,000, averaging about $1,934.
The repayment
National Australia Bank agreed to repay about $169 million to tens of thousands of current and former staff over underpayments dating back to 1 October 2012. The ABC reported that the total comprises about $127 million in underpaid wages, $34 million in interest and $8 million in superannuation, covering 65,999 workers. Individual payments range from less than $5 to more than $87,000 and average about $1,934.
NAB also agreed to a $2 million contrition payment to the Fair Work Ombudsman under an enforceable undertaking. The Ombudsman says it is the largest contrition payment in an undertaking of its kind, SBS News reported.
What NAB said
NAB attributed the underpayments to governance and compliance oversights, weak record-keeping, legacy payroll technology and limited payroll specialist skills. People and culture executive Sarah White apologised to staff. Remediation is continuing, with at least two third-party audits, and affected people are being notified.
Background
NAB flagged in August 2025 that the payroll problems would cost it $130 million in operating costs for the 2025 financial year. Its payroll review began in 2019 and cost $250 million across the 2020 to 2022 financial years. The Finance Sector Union said NAB had made provisions of nearly $400 million over five years to repay staff, according to earlier ABC reporting.
Banking in the spotlight
The announcement came during a two-day parliamentary review of the banking sector, at which the heads of the major banks appeared. Separately on the same day, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission began proceedings against the Commonwealth Bank over fees charged on its CommBiz platform.
What happens next
Remediation and the third-party audits continue, and the sources do not give payment dates. NAB and the Commonwealth Bank were scheduled to appear before the parliamentary review on Friday.
More from this day: News Today: 12 November 2026, Australia and World Headlines
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