Goldman Sachs bankers' revolt as pandemic blurs work-life line

The erosion between office and home boundaries during the pandemic means many white-collar workers can relate on some level to the complaints, even if the plight of elite young bankers seeking riches does not inspire sympathy.

A revolt by junior Goldman Sachs' bankers over work weeks that can stretch to as long as 105 hours has inspired both schadenfreude over discontent at the storied investment bank and wider debate about the future of work after the Covid-19 pandemic. The erosion between the office and home boundaries during the pandemic means many white-collar workers can relate on some level to the complaints, even if the plight of elite young bankers seeking riches does not inspire sympathy. The issues underlying the Goldman Sachs controversy are "reflective of a broader problem," said Temple University sociologist Kevin Delaney, author of "Money at Work: On the Job with Priests, Poker Players and Hedge Fund Traders."