London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Mar 21, 2026

Goldman Sachs analysts say they work 95-hour weeks and endure 'inhumane' treatment

Goldman Sachs analysts say they work 95-hour weeks and endure 'inhumane' treatment

A workplace survey from a group of junior analysts at Goldman Sachs is about to make you feel a lot better about your job.

About a dozen first-year analysts say they are working more than 95 hours a week on average, sleeping just five hours a night and enduring workplace abuse. The majority of them say their mental health has deteriorated significantly since they started working at the investment bank.

"There was a point where I was not eating, showering or doing anything else other than working from morning until after midnight," one analyst says in the report.

The survey comes from a self-selected group of 13 first-year analysts who presented their findings to management in February, a spokesperson for the bank said. The survey results from the analysts began circulating on social media this week and were earlier reported by Bloomberg News.

The bank says it's listening to its employees' concerns and working on solutions.

"We recognize that our people are very busy, because business is strong and volumes are at historic levels," the bank said in a statement. "A year into Covid, people are understandably quite stretched, and that's why we are listening to their concerns and taking multiple steps to address them."

Few people entering the cutthroat world of Wall Street banking would expect a tidy nine-to-five. But the analysts in the survey are essentially pleading with their employer to cap their weekly work hours at 80.

"This is beyond the level of 'hard-working,'" one said. "This is inhumane."

One hundred percent of respondents said their hours had hurt their relationships with friends and family. About three-fourths of the analysts said they feel they've been a victim of workplace abuse and have either sought or considered seeking help for mental health issues.

"My body physically hurts all the time and mentally I'm in a really dark place," one analyst wrote in the survey.

Virtually all of the analysts said they felt pressure from "unrealistic deadlines" and have been shunned or ignored in meetings. Their report also offered solutions to management to help rectify the situation.

"In order to do our best work and deliver for the firm's clients we need to be rested and free from juggling an insurmountable amount of conflicting work stream," the group said.

Although Wall Street banks, and Goldman in particular, are known for sky-high salaries and even loftier bonuses, that's not always the case for first-year analysts — the bottom of the food chain in the financial world.

A spokesperson for Goldman declined to comment on compensation. A report by Business Insider last year estimated first-year investment bank analysts at Goldman and other top firms can expect a base salary of about $91,000.

The complaints in the survey are at odds with the more easygoing image Wall Street banks have sought to put forward in recent years. Faced with increased competition for talent from the jeans-and-hoodie crowd of Silicon Valley, big banks have loosened their formal suit-and-tie dress codes and expanded family leave policies.

Goldman has also sought to protect junior bankers' weekend with a "Saturday rule" that mandates analysts be out of the office from 9 pm Friday to 9 am Sunday, except in rare circumstances. (That rule, according to the analysts in the survey, isn't always respected.)

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Meghan Markle’s Possible UK Return Sparks Renewed Attention on Sussex Role
Starmer Convenes Urgent Talks on Cost-of-Living Pressures Linked to Iran Conflict
Starmer Convenes Urgent Talks on Cost-of-Living Pressures Linked to Iran Conflict
UK Investors Eye Bargain Shares Ahead of ISA Deadline Amid Market Volatility
UK Investors Eye Bargain Shares Ahead of ISA Deadline Amid Market Volatility
Northern Lights Expected Over UK Skies Tonight Amid Strong Solar Activity
UK Condemns Iran Missile Strike and Warns Against Threats to British Personnel
UK Warns of Global Flight Disruptions as Iran Conflict Escalates Under Trump’s Leadership
UK Condemns Iran After Missile Strike Targets Strategic Diego Garcia Base
Deadly Meningitis Outbreak in UK Reinforces Urgency of Vaccination Campaigns
Iran Launches Long-Range Missile Strike on Remote US-UK Base, Signaling Expanded Reach
Iran Launches Long-Range Missile Strike on Remote US-UK Base, Signaling Expanded Reach
UK Rules Out Cyprus Base Role in Joint US Self-Defence Framework
UK Ends Hereditary Peerage Rights in Parliament in Historic Constitutional Reform
Lord Walney Warns of Expanding Iranian Influence Networks Within the United Kingdom
Iranian National Among Two Arrested After Attempt to Access UK Nuclear Submarine Base
Deregulation, Artificial Intelligence, and Fraud Laws Reshape UK Financial Services Landscape
UK Considers Lower Speed Limits to Reduce Fuel Use Amid Escalating Energy Crisis
UK Borrowing Costs Surge to Post-Crisis High as Markets React to Inflation and War Risks
UK Government Prepares Emergency Economic Measures as Iran Conflict Fuels Financial Risks
Meningitis B Outbreak in the UK Raises Urgent Health Warnings as Cases Surge
Iran Issues Stark Warning to Britain Over US Base Access Amid Expanding Conflict
United Kingdom Authorizes US Strikes from British Bases as Iran Threatens Key Shipping Routes
Reform UK Suspends Scottish Candidate Following Financial Misconduct Allegations
Apple issues an unusual warning: this is how your iPhone can be hacked without you doing anything
UK and Nigeria Reach Agreement to Accelerate Return of Irregular Migrants
UK Sets New Aid Priorities Following Significant Budget Reductions
Cyprus President Urges Open Dialogue Over Future of British Sovereign Base Areas
Cyprus President Urges Open Dialogue Over Future of British Sovereign Base Areas
UK Plans 50% Steel Tariffs in Bold Move to Protect Domestic Industry
Iran Conflict Sends Shockwaves Through UK Economy as Energy Costs and Trade Risks Surge
UK Health Officials Warn Kent Meningitis Outbreak Still Active as Cases Continue to Rise
UK Climate Progress Faces Scrutiny Over Reliance on Carbon Accounting Methods
UK Deploys Advisers to United States to Shape Plan for Reopening Strait of Hormuz
Amazon Bets on AI-Driven Alexa Upgrade to Revive UK Smart Speaker Market
UK Abortion Law Changes Spark Strong Response from Church Leaders and Pro-Life Advocates
UK Abortion Law Changes Spark Strong Response from Church Leaders and Pro-Life Advocates
GB News Faces Regulatory Complaints Over On-Air Remarks on ‘Genocide’ Claims
UK Signals Expanded Support for Gulf Allies as Iranian Attacks Intensify Regional Threats
UK VAT Decision Opens Path for Potential Refunds to U.S. Biopharma Firms
UK and Canada Advance ‘Middle Power’ Strategy to Shape Global Influence Beyond Superpowers
Google Explores AI Opt-Out Features in Search to Address UK Regulatory Concerns
Google Explores AI Opt-Out Features in Search to Address UK Regulatory Concerns
UK Fuel Prices Poised to Surge as Global Tensions Drive Oil Market Volatility
UK Fuel Prices Poised to Surge as Global Tensions Drive Oil Market Volatility
UK Holds Back on Hormuz Escort Mission While Continuing Talks with Allies
TrumpRx Pricing Platform Faces Scrutiny as Some Medicines Remain Costlier Than in the UK
UK, Netherlands and Finland Explore Joint Defence Investment Bank to Boost Military Capability
Deadly Meningitis Outbreak in Kent Raises Alarm as Cases Surge and Emergency Response Expands
UK Security Adviser Viewed US-Iran Nuclear Deal as Within Reach Before Sudden Escalation
×