How many hours do you really need to clock in investment banking? A group of first-year Goldman Sachs analysts, stretched to breaking point by 100-hour weeks, pleaded for an 80-hour cap in a leaked PowerPoint presentation that has forced banks to overhaul working practices, hike pay and roll out special bonuses in a bid to retain their allure.
The old guard has less sympathy. JPMorgan wealth management boss, Mary Erdoes, raised eyebrows with comments that 80-hours a week are needed for "base-level mastery" of the role.