Global investment bank Citigroup banned video work calls on Fridays in an attempt to help employees break free from the “relentless pandemic workday”.
Jane Fraser, Citi’s new chief executive, told the team that the last day of the workweek would be known as “Fridays without zoom.”
She also designated May 28 as a company-wide holiday, known as “Citi reset day” and encouraged the team to book more holidays.
“I know, from your feedback and from my own experience, the blurring of the lines between home and work and the relentless pandemic workday has affected our well-being,” wrote Fraser in the memo, which was first published by the Financial News. “It just isn’t sustainable.”
“After listening to colleagues around the world, it became clear that we need to combat the ‘zoom fatigue’ that many of us experience, so I overcame my initial resistance to that idea,” she continued.
“We are a global company that operates across multiple time zones, but when our work regularly spills over into the night, very early in the morning and on weekends, it can prevent us from fully recharging, and this is not good for you, nor ultimately, for Citi. “
Bankers complained that their workload exploded during the pandemic. A group of junior bankers at Goldman Sachs last week accused the bank of forcing them to endure “inhuman” conditions, including regularly working 100 hours a week.
David Solomon, Goldman’s chief executive, admitted that remote work was harming employees’ health.
“In this world of remote work, it seems that we have to be connected 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. All of us – our colleagues, their managers, our division leaders – see this, ”he said in a memo. “We are here to provide support and guidance. This is not easy and we are working hard to make it better. “
Companies around the world are struggling to adapt working conditions during the pandemic and in a post-blocking world. Ford has told its 30,000 employees that they can work from home even after the pandemic.