Why is National Australia Bank wage remediation trending?
National Australia Bank has acknowledged underpaying roughly 66,000 employees about $169 million over a 14‑year period after failing to apply the legal minimum wage, track hours and calculate entitlements correctly. The bank has already repaid $155 million and will finish the remaining amount, with a $2 million contrition payment to the regulator and an external audit of its payroll systems.
What happened
- Earlier
NAB first reported the underpayment issues to the Fair Work Ombudsman in late 2019 [1]
- 2012‑2026
NAB’s payroll errors caused underpayments of up to $87,000 per worker over more than a decade [2]
- 12 Nov 2026
NAB has repaid $155 million and will finalize $169 million in remediation for about 66,000 staff [2]
What you need to know
Repayment totals $169 million to roughly 66,000 employees
Errors stemmed from not applying the legal minimum wage, tracking hours and calculating entitlements over 14 years
NAB has repaid $155 million so far and will complete the remainder with an external auditor reviewing payroll systems
The Fair Work Ombudsman stresses companies must invest in getting pay right
It is not confirmed how many former staff remain untraceable or whether any additional underpayments will be discovered beyond the current $169 million settlement. The exact number of affected workers and any future liability remain unclear.
Background
National Australia Bank underpaid about 66,000 employees between 2012 and 2026, amounting to $169 million in back‑pay, interest and superannuation, after failing to apply the legal minimum wage, track working hours and correctly calculate award entitlements.
The bank first reported the issue to the Fair Work Ombudsman in late 2019, has so far repaid $155 million and will complete the remaining amount, and will pay a $2 million contrition fee while an external auditor reviews its payroll systems to prevent future breaches.
Questions people ask
How much money is being repaid?
About $169 million, including $127 million back‑pay, $34 million interest and $8 million superannuation, to roughly 66,000 staff
Why did the underpayments occur?
Because NAB did not ensure pay met the legal minimum, failed to record working hours and incorrectly applied award entitlements over more than a decade
What is the $2 million contrition payment?
A payment to the regulator as part of an enforceable undertaking, which the Fair Work Ombudsman said was appropriate given the complexity and number of affected workers
Where this came from
Found through Google Trends and drafted with AI from at least two cited sources. Published automatically after passing our automated checks for sources, wording and safety. It may not have been reviewed by a person yet. Report a correction.