Pizza party or warning? Bankers working 110-hour weeks asked to ‘do better'
At Robert W. Baird, a group of junior bankers worked till 4 am for many weeks. One day, the multinational independent investment firm called for a pizza party in Chicago. Many thought it was to thank them. But, the company had other plans.
Managers told them they needed to do better. When some bankers complained about long hours, they were told to work smarter.
According to The Wall Street Journal, Former staff said 110-hour weeks were common. Managers often broke the rules, including skipping required Saturdays off.
A banker at Robert W. Baird earlier complained to HR about working 20 hours daily. Soon after, he collapsed at home, and doctors found his pancreas had failed, likely due to overwork. He was later fired for poor performance.
On Wall Street Oasis, posts went viral about a mid-level banker who made juniors work 20-hour shifts. That banker, Aaron Haney, was sacked in April.
People who worked with him said he was popular and also worked long hours himself.
A former analyst at Baird told the publication that he once worked on a deal for a year, often overnight. One evening, he stepped out for dinner. Then, his boss got angry for not informing him.
Since early 2024, over a dozen junior staff have quit Baird's team, some recently. Two went to hospital after working long hours. One even told HR that the pressure was too much.
Infosys founder Narayana Murthy once suggested a 70-hour work week. L&T Chairman supported 90-hour weeks. Now, Elon Musk has praised DOGE workers for working 120 hours.
However, the sentiment is different among Indian employees. In big cities like Bengaluru, Delhi, and Mumbai, 90% of people feel 12-hour work days are impractical. They blame the long travel time, which takes around two to three hours every day.
First Published: 1 May 2025, 04:24 PM IST
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