ANZ’s email blunder to fired employees: Can internal comms salvage the situation?

Australian bank ANZ Group has apologised to staff and offered psychological counselling after some employees were mistakenly informed via email that they were being made redundant. According to multiple media reports, around 300 staff members in the bank’s retail division received an email on Wednesday outlining their final working date, followed by an automated message on the process of returning company laptops. These communications were sent before management had formally informed staff of the redundancies.

In an internal note published by The Sydney Morning Herald and seen by MARKETING-INTERACTIVE, ANZ’s acting group executive for retail banking acknowledged the error, stressing that it was not the bank’s intention to deliver such sensitive news in this manner. He added that he “deeply regrets the distress the situation may have caused” and emphasised that ANZ remains committed to treating staff with “dignity and respect” as it moves through the process. 

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MARKETING-INTERACTIVE has reached out to ANZ for a statement.

When asked if internal communications could help repair the fallout from such a mistake, communications leaders offered differing perspectives. According to Jacob Puthenparambil, CEO of Redhill, while the incident was clearly “a horrible mistake,” the bank’s swift apology, acceptance of responsibility, and offer of psychological counselling were the right first steps.

He added that much of the backlash is likely to come from those who “have an axe to grind with the bank” and from social media users who seize on such moments for “rage baiting.” In his view, the most effective approach is for ANZ to focus on preventing a repeat and allow the current wave of attention to subside naturally. He added:

The best the bank can do is to ensure this doesn’t happen again and wait for the news novelty and cycle to pass.

Others argued, however, that the damage runs deeper and cannot be brushed aside. Christopher Daguimol, former group director, head of corporate communications and strategy office director of ZALORA Group, said the role of internal communications in this case is not about fixing the error itself, but about managing its impact on both exiting and remaining staff. 

“This case – internal comms is needed. Not to fix it but for them to manage the exit and those who will be left behind. A tiered and differentiated approach. Much more effort to be honest compared to them doing it the right way," explained Daguimol.

He added that remedying the situation may be futile, but managing the reaction is critical. “It definitely blemished their employer branding and corporate reputation. For big companies we expect them to have flawless execution of processes – they have the resources and structure. So, it’s embarrassing to see when they make the ‘usual’ mistakes. Plus, it further damages the trust of the remaining employees," said Daguimol. 

Taking it a step further, Richie Kenzie, Australia lead at Bud Communications, called the incident “a serious blunder”, saying that: 

While offering counselling is a reasonable gesture, it is akin to shutting the barn door after the horse has bolted.

He added that ANZ’s communications strategy should now pivot towards crisis mitigation and visible leadership. “Since the new ANZ CEO Nuno Matos has already been referenced by the Financial Sector Union’s president Wendy Streets, it should be he who issues a genuine and authentic apology and makes a commitment that this won’t happen again.”

Kenzie also cautioned that the mishandling may have lasting consequences beyond public perception. He concluded: “ANZ should expect the terminated employees will factor in the emotional distress caused by the email leak when they depart. It would be wise for them to be accommodating, lest they make a bad PR situation worse." 

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