The Victorian coroner has found that a Melbourne mother of two took her own life after The Good Guys “let everyone down” by failing to address workplace bullying complaints. An inquest found a “clear and cogent” link between the retailer’s botched handling and the worker’s mental health decline. The coroner lambasted the company for “confabulating” the victim’s complaints with performance issues and for conduct that appeared to “hamper” the inquest.
In this article, we look at the findings of the Coroners Court of Victoria’s inquest into the death of Natasha Stojkoski. Later, we’ll look at the recent suicides of two employees at NAB and claims of a hostile work environment and bullying at the bank.
Natasha Stojkoski started working as a sales assistant at The Good Guys in the Melbourne suburb of Thomastown in May 2009. On 23 October 2018, she was involved in a serious workplace accident. While operating a stock-moving vehicle, Ms. Stojkoski collided with an overhanging bulkhead and was “crushed underneath the wall” for up to ten seconds. She was left in persistent physical pain that became a permanent fixture in her life. Upon returning to work on light duties, Ms. Stojkoski alleged she was subjected to a sustained campaign of workplace bullying and a hostile work environment.
In her personal notes accessed by the coroner, she said that “no one took my injury seriously.” Ms. Stojkoski said that this behaviour not only affected her at work but also her home life. She reported that five colleagues stopped speaking to her and made sarcastic remarks about her inability to “pull her weight.” By August 2019, she was crying in meetings with management. Ms. Stojkoski said that during this period she was “stressed,” “anxious” and “emotionally drained,” causing her to have trouble sleeping and eating.
The Thomastown store manager became suspicious of Ms. Stojkoski’s claims of workplace bullying. When Ms. Stojkoski requested a copy of her incident report, the manager emailed The Good Guys’ HR department stating that “something doesn’t smell right” regarding her motives. Instead of a formal investigation, he suggested Ms. Stojkoski meet with the four alleged perpetrators to resolve the issues themselves.
Ms. Stojkoski sought help from the company’s HR department. A senior HR manager was later criticised by the coroner for engaging in “a form of filibustering.” Despite a 45-minute phone call in which Ms. Stojkoski was audibly crying and distressed, the HR manager claimed she lacked the “detail” to launch a formal probe. This was despite the fact that she already knew the identities of the alleged perpetrators.
Ms. Stojkoski ceased working for The Good Guys on 26 August 2019. This followed a series of meetings with management where she had become increasingly distressed and emotional. The coronial inquest heard that by this time, the “informal” attempts to resolve the workplace bullying had failed. Ms. Stojkoski felt she was being targeted not only by her colleagues but by management as well.
The decision to leave the hostile workplace was driven by her inability to continue functioning in an environment where she felt “not believed” and viewed as “difficult.” Her absence was initially treated as a period of leave related to her physical and psychological distress. However, rather than using this time to facilitate a safe return to work, the company moved to block her access to support.
Just ten days after Ms. Stojkoski ceased work, The Good Guys’ injury management lead wrote to the company’s insurer to say that it “disputed both Natasha’s physical and psychological claims.” This pre-emptive move occurred despite clinical evidence of Ms. Stojkoski’s “extremely severe levels of anxiety.” The coroner noted that the company’s decision to dispute the claims, and without a formal investigation into the workplace bullying, reinforced Ms. Stojkoski’s feelings of isolation.
Psychiatrist Dr. Gregory White described the company’s insistence that Ms. Stojkoski resolve the issue informally, and its dismissal of her claims, as “dreadful” and “akin to victim-blaming.” He noted that she had “loudly, clearly and repeatedly” alleged that she had faced workplace bullying, was not believed and was regarded as difficult. Following this breakdown in the employment relationship and nearly two years of continued struggle, Ms. Stojkoski took her own life on 2 May 2021.
The Coroners Court of Victoria’s inquest into the death of Natasha Stojkoski delivered its findings on 22 April 2026. Coroner Audrey Jamieson expressed “great disquiet” regarding The Good Guys’ conduct during the inquest proceedings. She said that “I often felt that they were attempting to hamper my investigation rather than assist me.” She noted that the company failed to provide key documents. It had also breached court directions by providing restricted files to its own medical expert.
The coronial inquest made several critical findings regarding the workplace bullying, culture and management at The Good Guys:
However, the coroner stopped short of finding that The Good Guys could have prevented Ms. Stojkoski’s death. It concluded that on the balance of probabilities, she could not make a definitive conclusion due to the “passage of time” and the “lethal” nature of the psychiatric disorder. The coroner recommended the retailer develop “consistent and unambiguous” new policies for handling group bullying to ensure HR is involved early and impartially.
The pressures of a hostile work environment, bullying and workplace surveillance at one of Australia’s biggest employers have come under scrutiny in 2026. This came after two NAB employees took their own lives in quick succession.
On 5 March 2026, a male employee died after falling from NAB’s global headquarters in Melbourne. The death occurred during business hours at the 14-story building, leaving staff who witnessed the event in a state of “widespread shock and confusion.” The man’s colleagues described to the media how they “watched the entire thing” unfold as they were walking back to NAB’s building after having lunch. “It happened too fast,” the witness said, noting that they “couldn’t think fast enough to look away.”
A second death occurred weeks later, involving a staff member from the home loan customer operations team. This employee had been on long-term personal leave and the death did not occur on NAB premises.
Following the deaths, whistleblowers and former employees came forward to speak about the hostile work environment within NAB. These allegations told of the “dehumanising” conditions defined by overt managerial bullying. One former employee described how staff were “yelled at in lunchrooms for performance in front of the whole floor.” They claimed that an employee who was scolded in this way was left “crying” in front of other staff.
The former employee stated that they themselves were “definitely bullied” by a “horrible” manager. This led them to “quiet quitting” after nearly a decade of service at the bank. The ex-employee said that restructures at NAB had seen many of the older, more experienced staff made redundant. They said that at the same time, “performance targets keep going higher.” The ex-employee also claimed that staff were forced to work on their days off to meet targets. However, they were often scolded when they did so.
The deaths occurred against a backdrop of significant job insecurity for NAB’s over 40,000 staff. In September 2025, the bank announced plans to cut approximately 400 roles with the intent of “simplifying team structures.” An NAB spokesperson said that while roles were being cut in Australia, the bank was “creating new roles” in offshore locations including India and Vietnam.
However, the Finance Sector union called the job cuts “shameful.” Noting that they came around the same time as ANZ’s announcement that it would cut 3,500 roles, the union said that the “whole sector” was “driving the same agenda at the expense of workers and communities.”
The former employee said that NAB’s ongoing intent to offshore jobs “pressures everyone.” They claimed that every time a restructure is announced “someone ends up crying.” The ex-employee said that NAB formerly touted the benefits of a work-life balance, but is now “going in the opposite direction” despite its continued growth in profits.
In April 2026, the federal work health and safety authority Comcare launched investigations into the deaths of the two NAB employees. The authority did not comment further on the details of the investigations. In the aftermath of the deaths, an NAB spokesperson told the media that the bank made “health, safety and wellbeing professionals available” to all of its over 40,000 employees and their families.
The spokesperson said that support included face to face, phone and online “consultations” to help workers “manage their mental health and wellbeing.” The spokesperson said that NAB “[doesn’t] always get it right.” However, the bank is dedicated to creating a workplace where staff “feel safe, supported, and heard.”
1. Can high performance targets be classified as workplace bullying?
The short answer is yes. While “reasonable management action” is legal, performance targets become workplace bullying if they are unreasonable, add unnecessary stress or are targeted at a specific person.
2. What is the role of Comcare in investigating workplace bullying?
Comcare is the national authority for work health and safety (WHS) and workers’ compensation. It acts as the regulator for federal agencies and large national corporations that are licensed to “self-insure” (such as NAB, Telstra and Australia Post). Unlike state-based regulators (like WorkSafe Victoria or SafeWork NSW), Comcare oversees organisations that operate across state borders under the Work Health and Safety Act 2011.
In serious incidents, such as the 2026 NAB suicides, Comcare’s role is to investigate whether the employer failed to provide a safe working environment. These investigations focus heavily on psychosocial hazards. These are factors in the design or management of work that increase the risk of psychological or physical harm.
3. Is offshoring or redundancies a psychosocial hazard?
Frequent restructures and the “offshoring” of roles (moving jobs to overseas locations) can create significant job insecurity, which is a recognised psychosocial risk. Under the Model WHS Laws, employers must consult with workers and implement measures to eliminate or minimise these risks.
Read more: Fair Work Commission Issues First Stop Bullying Order
If you are being treated unfairly or your employer is ignoring your reports of workplace bullying, you do not have to face it alone. Australian Workplace Discrimination Representatives assists employees across Australia with workplace bullying, unfair dismissal and general protections claims. We hold employers accountable and help you get the justice and compensation you deserve.
Contact us now on 1800 333 666 for a free and private discussion about your situation.
