Sunita SomvanshiNAB $169M Underpayment Settlement: Eligible Roles (2012–2026), Payout Breakdown & How to Claim Back Pay
NAB has signed an Enforceable Undertaking with the Fair Work Ombudsman. It will repay $169 million to 65,999 workers. The NAB underpayment of 65,999 workers ran across a 14-year span, from October 1, 2012. Current and former staff may be owed money. This guide sets out the numbers, the roles covered and the claim steps.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Wages | $127 million |
| Interest | $34 million |
| Superannuation | $8 million |
| Total repayment to workers | $169 million |
| Paid to date | $155 million |
| Average wages shortfall | $1,934 |
| Largest individual payment | Up to $87,000 |
| Contrition payment to Commonwealth | $2 million (a record) |
The wages, interest and super add up to the $169 million total. The $2 million contrition payment is a record. About $14 million remains to be distributed.
The undertaking covers branch, lending, risk, digital and manager roles. It applies to work done since October 1, 2012. Eligible workers should email Payroll.Remediation@nab.com.au. Workers who cannot be located may have their money transferred to the Commonwealth unclaimed monies account.
Why the NAB underpayment of 65,999 workers persisted from 2012 to 2026
NAB self-reported the problem to the regulator in 2019. The underpayments did not stop there. The 2024 enterprise agreement repeated the failure.
NAB did not run annual reconciliation checks against the Banking, Finance and Insurance Award 2010. The Award sets the minimum pay floor for bank staff. Enterprise agreements must leave workers better off than the Award. Pay was not tested against that floor each year.
The Fair Work Ombudsman has required a steering committee under the undertaking. It is the first time the regulator has mandated one. The committee will be chaired by NAB Group Executive People and Culture Sarah White. It must pre-plan any future enterprise agreement before it goes live.
For related coverage, read our NAB banking services coverage and Westpac payment policy changes. See also workplace entitlement guides.
Several outlets quote different totals. The $127 million figure is wages alone. The $169 million figure adds $34 million interest and $8 million super. The $170 million figure rounds that total up. NAB’s statutory notice cites $136.3 million, which includes wages plus superannuation on a different basis. Treat $169 million as the official total to workers.
How do former employees check and claim unpaid wages?
Email Payroll.Remediation@nab.com.au with details of your employment. NAB will check your pay records against the undertaking. You can also search the Commonwealth unclaimed monies register for held payments. Call the Fair Work Ombudsman if you need help.
Call the Fair Work Ombudsman on 13 13 94 for help. NAB self-reported in 2019. The 2024 agreement repeated the failure. The undertaking now runs under a steering committee. $155 million has been paid so far.
