Some of the conditions of employment at the Commercial Bank may seem strange and harsh by modern standards - in particular, the regulation of marriage. Although not unique to the Commercial Bank, rules regarding married employees were common to many banks well into the twentieth century.
In 1903, the directors were presented with a request from a clerk on a salary of £145 a year who wished to get married. After debating the request, the directors decided not to approve the clerk's request as he did not earn enough money to support a wife and family. In the future consent of marriage would only be given to employees who earned more than £200. There was also the perceived risk that clerks would become distracted and tired by the chores of daily family life and seek employment elsewhere.
The employment of women also changed the nature of banking. It seems that the employment of female staff at the Commercial Bank occurred relatively smoothly. In 1916, David Barclay reported that to fill the vacancies caused by the War:
...several young ladies have been taken into our Hobart and Launceston offices, and they are being found equal to the duties that they have to perform.
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