Introduction/background

Finsec represents workers within the BNZ, and at last year's negotiations the bargaining team presented to the bank a collective letter notifying the bank that stress exists.   The letter was signed by over 900 workers covered by the collective employment agreement.   As an outcome of negotiations, the bank agreed to a working party to address the issues raised.

To recap, in brief the letter specifically identified a number of hazards as the causes of harm within the workplace.   They were:

• Setting of unrealistic work standards and expectations (especially through the target processes)
• Under-staffing (including lack of relief)
• Unacceptable levels of pressures

Finsec has been raising these issues on behalf of its members for a number of years without any significant changes taking place.   There have been minor adjustments made to the target processes, but not to the extent where members feel that there issues have been rectified.

We believe this situation is cause for concern, and is impacting on members' ability to work in an environment free from harm.   This in turn has had ramifications for members personally, their families, friends and their ability to participate in the community.

Listed below are some examples of the bullying behaviours we are aware of which has caused members to be stressed.   They are:

• Humiliation of staff by management
• Unjustified criticism and insults, nit-picking and fault finding without justification
• Belittling remarks
• Unjustified threats of dismissal or other disciplinary procedures
• Targets deliberately being used as a performance tool to manage staff out of the bank
• Not providing appropriate resources (extra staffing) and training
• Emails messages containing threats of dismissal, etc

Furthermore we are concerned at the effect these issues have on the bank's reputation and business due to the bank's failure to adequately address the issues raised by its workers through Finsec as their representative. These are some of the consequences, which we consider would impact on the bank:

• Lost time and productivity due colleagues that are affected by stress and ill-health
• Low staff morale
• Reduced productivity and low levels of quality service
• Loss of experienced and trained staff who resign due to either being performance managed out, have had enough, don't like what the bank has become
• Loss of knowledge
• Increase costs of training new staff
• Inability to capture new business due to insufficient staff. Every branch must be able to tell of potential business walking out the door because no staff were available within a reasonable time to meet with that person.

Specifically the Health and Safety in Employment Act imposes a general duty on employers to take all practicable steps to ensure that workers have a safe and healthy workplace.   Section 2A All Practicable Steps states:

• In this Act, all practicable steps , in relation to achieving any result in any circumstances, means all steps to achieve the result that it is reasonably practicable to take in the circumstances, having regard to
  • the nature and severity of the harm that my be suffered if the result is not achieved; and
  • the current state of knowledge about the likelihood that harm of that nature and severity will be suffered if the result is not achieved; and
  • the current state of knowledge about the harm of that nature; and
  • the current state of knowledge about the means available to achieve the result, and about the likely efficacy of each of those means; and
  • the availability and cost of each of those means.
• To avoid doubt, a person required by this Act to take all practicable steps is required to take those steps only in respect of circumstances that the person knows or ought reasonably to know about.

In our view, we believe members have taken steps to notify the bank of the hazards (stressors) and causes they are having on staff, and seek an undertaking from the bank that they systematically manage the hazards by elimination, isolation, or minimisation.

What changes are required to ensure BNZ is a better place to work?

Utmost staff would like to work in an environment which is positive, free from hazards that cause harm, to be respected and valued as individuals as well as part of a team, and as union members.  

We support providing quality customer service is paramount, having enough staff on the ground so they can continue to the work more effectively, efficiently and that targets are not utilised as a tool for bullying, and to performance manage workers out of the bank.

The bank should review its organisational values and culture, as these are the foundations to building a relationship of respect and value instead of behaviours that encourage bullying.    Part of this process would be to incorporate into the bank's policies clear parameters and guidelines on anti-harassment.

Finally targets should not be linked to how staff are rewarded financially in terms of the current pay system.   The bank needs to address its current performance appraisal system by not penalising its staff if they are unsatisfactory or needs improvement for two years, as they have no control in the decision making process in how the targets are set.   Staff are rewarded by receiving an across the board negotiated increase regardless of targets.

Summary

In conclusion, we believe the bank needs to seriously address the inherent inequality that it has created in a work environment based on unreasonable demands placed on staff due to targets, workloads and understaffing.

The bank works pro-actively with Finsec and its members to rectify these issues, in reducing work related stress by implementing the following recommendations:

• Targets will not be increased until the working group has taken into account recommendations and implementation of the recommendations
• Targets are de-linked from the pay system
• Targets are not a fair measure of my performance
• Identify 50% work sites with the worse staffing levels as a priority and implement increased staffing levels in those sites, and then work through other areas of the bank
• To have an employee participation system that promotes and supports health and safety representatives in each worksite.

We would like to thank the bank for taking the time to consider the points made in this submission.

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