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Citigroup CEO Jane Fraser has banned video calls on a Friday and launched a 'Citi Reset Day' holiday to relieve stress on staff

Mar 23, 2021, 21:52 IST
Business Insider
Jane Fraser addresses Brazil-US Business Council forum in Washington, DC in March 2019.Erin Scott/Reuters
  • Citigroup has banned video calls on Fridays, according to a memo seen by Bloomberg.
  • CEO Jane Fraser also declared May 28 a company-wide holiday called "Citi Reset Day."
  • "The blurring of lines between home and work ... have taken a toll on our well-being," Fraser wrote.
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Citigroup CEO Jane Fraser has banned employees from internal video calls on Fridays in an effort to improve staff well-being, according to a memo seen by Bloomberg on Tuesday.

The final day of the working week is now named "Zoom Free Fridays," Fraser said in the memo to staff. She also declared May 28 a company-wide holiday, called "Citi Reset Day."

The bank is also encouraging its 210,000-person workforce to avoid scheduling meetings outside of normal working hours, according to the memo.

Citi's ban on video calls and the new company holiday are part of efforts to tackle the stress of work during the pandemic.

"I know, from your feedback and my own experience, the blurring of lines between home and work and the relentlessness of the pandemic workday have taken a toll on our well-being," Fraser wrote in the memo. "It's simply not sustainable."

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Fraser said the bank need to reset some of its working practices as a return to work and normal life is still a few months away.

"When our work regularly spills over into nights, very early mornings and weekends, it can prevent us from recharging fully, and that isn't good for you nor, ultimately, for Citi," Fraser added.

Insider reached out to Citi for comment, but did not immediately receive a response.

Read more: Citigroup showed us how its Early ID program trains and mentors thousands of diverse candidates every year to help them ace their interviews and land internships at the global bank

Citi's new policy comes days after junior bankers at Goldman Sachs said in a survey that they were experiencing poor mental health, grueling 100-hour work weeks, and lack of sleep.

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"The sleep deprivation, the treatment by senior bankers, the mental and physical stress … I've been through foster care and this is arguably worse," one unnamed banker said in the survey.

In response, CEO David Soloman said the company would work harder to give junior bankers Saturdays off.

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