A few things WE NEED to remember

First of all, my deepest condolences to the late Associate and his family. I also applaud WSO's decision to take down specifics of the situation, at least over the weekend, as per the family's ask.

I just wanted to jot down some quick thoughts on what could be done to prevent something like this from happening again. This tragedy deserves to be remembered for longer than this weekend, and those who contributed to the Associate's death need to face the right consequences. 

1. Resurface this topic in the coming week(s)

- Needless to say, it's highly likely that this topic will quickly disappear from people's minds in the coming week. The media will focus on the new deals in the market, announcements, CEO appointments etc. etc. and sadly this will get pushed away. It's therefore extremely important to keep up the momentum to ensure that this remains a 'relevant' topic. Keep e-mailing to journalists, post on WSO, write to congress, comment on BofA's social media posts to raise awareness. Ask for follow-ups. Bug people. Name Gary Howe. It's clear that there is not much media traction so far, and if there is no sustained hard push, this will be it. 

2. Jointly call for realistic, targeted changes

- I'm seeing that some are suggesting a 'junior strike', which I think is a great idea if it can get enough momentum. No bank will have the guts to fire multiple juniors / treat them unfavorably just because they were jointly mourning for a death of a fellow industry associate. Equally, it's important that any action is very 'targeted' which has clear asks relating to i) investigation and justice served and ii) workplace health improvement but nothing else. Remember the GS survey. It did a great job in highlighting how unhappy and unhealthy juniors are in the sector, but Banks ended up throwing away some Pelotons, iPads and cash to settle the situation. Better than nothing, but this is not it. We should not come across as 'wall street guys asking for more when they are getting paid xxx'. The more immature, posts/asks surface without thinking it through, the more diluted the messaging will be. So please avoid doing this.

3. Help by stop 'flexing' your working hours

- It's about goddamn time that people stop thinking working 100 hours on average is a 'cool' thing that only select few with 'strong focus, dedication and willpower' can do. We're not doing god's work and it's really depressing that bloating our ego with working hours has become a norm. The concept of a 'finance bro' is not something to find hilarious, rather something to be really ashamed about. Overworking, no life outside work, no character, tiredness etc. is not something we want to promote / make a fun out of. The more people try to flex their working hours/intensity, the harder it will be to change the culture grass-root.

Other ideas/thoughts welcome. I am just really furious that something like this happened in 2024 and am really hoping that 'proper' action is taken. No work is worth a literal tombstone.