Code of Conduct of National Australia Bank

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Governa
nce,
Ethics
and
Sustaina
bility

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Code of Conduct of National Australia
Bank
Overview
The Code of Conduct adopted by the National Australia Bank (NAB) is focused on
promoting responsibility and obligation on the members of the company to make
sure that they engage in ethical practices. The goal of this Code is to make sure that
the company is able to address key challenges which it faces while managing its
operations in Australia and other countries (NAB, 2019a). The guidelines given
under this code ensure that members of NAB such as employees, business partners,
managers and the board of directors are focused on prioritising the interest of
customers while discharging their obligations in an ethical manner.
Goals and Commitment
 Increase the positive impact of NAB on society
 Uplifting the social status and wellbeing of our customers
 Fulfilling mandatory obligations imposed by government authorities
 Maintaining the confidentiality and privacy of customers
 Avoiding conflict of interest
 Maintaining honesty, integrity and fairness while doing business (NAB, 2019b)
Scope
This Code of Conduct applies on NAB along with its employees which are situated in
Australia. The branches of NAB that are situated outside Australia along with
members that manage those branches are also bound by the guidelines given under
this code.
Regulatory Provisions
This code complies with the guidelines given under the legislative regulatory
framework adopted by the Australian Government to guide the actions of companies.
Thus, the policies given under the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) and other relevant

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legislations that apply to the company are followed by NAB. NAB works closely with
major authorities in Australia such as the Australian Services Exchange (ASX) and
the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) (ASX, 2019). Other
legal guidelines issued by the government that applies to the operations of NAB are
also followed by the company.
Following guidelines are implemented by NAB in order to tackle major issues in the
organisation to achieve the goals of effective governance and compliance with
ethical principles to sustain the growth of the company.
A: Discrimination
NAB has implemented anti-discrimination guidelines in the company that discourage
discrimination and promotes diversity in the workplace. Discrimination means
treating a person or a group of individuals differently or unfairly based on their
personal characteristics such as race, caste, religion, gender, sexual preference,
disability, colour and age (Cheng, 2015). This code focuses on eliminating activities
that in any shape or form supports or tolerate discrimination. Following are some
guidelines which are mandatory to be followed in NAB to avoid discrimination.
1. New employee selection process is managed by more than one individual
who evaluates the applicants based on their ability to person the job and
qualifications rather than individual differences.
2. While promoting employees in the workplace, their performance and abilities
are analysed rather than their individual characteristics.
3. Diversity and Inclusion Policy is adopted by NAB to make sure that the
company focuses on building a diverse workforce which includes women,
disability and indigenous people by creating a positive working environment
for them (NAB, 2019c).
4. The jobs and roles of employees are decided in the company in non-
discrimination manner
5. Various other actions are also taken by the management to reinforce and
foster diversity in the organisation
The Australian Government has also issued a number of legislative guidelines for
companies in Australia to make sure that they did not engage in discriminatory