Am I at sweat shop?
I work at a WB/Jeff/HL type firm. I’m constantly doing 9:30am - 1:30/2am on the weekdays and 15-20 hours of work on the weekends. Is this what you consider as a sweat shop?
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Yes
Just curious, what time do you wake up / go to sleep
Same hours - 8:40am - 3:00am (shower and all that takes time)
Yes
you're asking if 100 hours a week on average is a sweatshop?
Btw these are associate hours. I usually sleep at 2 then up around 9-9:30 straight to my desk. Take 1 hour around lunch to commute into office. No downtime in the day. What should average hours be like?
Nothing like this!
What should I expect to be the norm for associate hours?
Yeah dawg I’m starting to sweat just reading this
Yes, does indeed sound like JEF.
Strange to put then in the same bucket as WB and HL though....
Not Jef lol. Yeah Jef definitely better than WB or HL in terms of deal flow.
Damn my first thought was no until I read the comments…guess I just realized I’m at a sweatshop too
Yes Leave
Runaway as fast as you can
Great song
Yes..you literally don’t have time to do anything else except sleep
It depends on how you define a “sweatshop” in the context of investment banking. The hours you’re working—roughly 16+ hours a day on weekdays and an additional 15-20 hours on weekends—are undeniably intense, but they aren’t unheard of at elite boutique (EB) firms like WB, Jeff, or HL. Many analysts and associates at top investment banks, particularly in M&A or restructuring, experience similar workloads, especially during live deals.
If your concern is whether this level of work is sustainable, the reality is that burnout is common, and turnover is high in roles with these demands. However, for those aiming for strong deal experience, early career earnings, and eventual upward mobility into buy-side roles or senior banking positions, the sacrifice is often viewed as a necessary step. Some may call this a “sweatshop” due to the grueling hours, lack of work-life balance, and pressure, but in high finance, these conditions are often normalized.
Ultimately, whether it’s worth it depends on your long-term goals. If you’re passionate about finance and can see a clear path forward from this experience, it might be a price you’re willing to pay. But if you find the hours excessive with no meaningful return, it could be worth reassessing whether this specific role or firm aligns with your career ambitions.
Alright ChatGPT
No dude. 95-100 hour weeks CONSISTENTLY is only seen in either sweaty teams or groups. Sure lots of people have stretches where 95-100h+ materializes for a few weeks maybe or even a month+, but only when things are extraordinarily hectic, not multiple months in a row as a norm. 80 is a number that i'd associate with normal-high hours, not 100 G. 100h weeks every week for months on end is SWEATY
alright buddy
Brother you are literally working more than half of every hour in the week. Yes.
How is consistent 95-100h weeks not a sweatshop? lol
After looking through people's comment, I'm so ready to get out Blair. The 100 hours also doesn't fully account for the travel. There are days where i finish at 1-2 and up by 6 to catch a flight.
To be honest the weekday hours are not bad but then i read 20h on weekends
We do 10 am - 2 am on the weekdays and Friday is lighter. Usually, try to be done by 8-9PM.
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